CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 02/22/17

UGA Professor Ron Gitaitis named to Vidalia Onion Hall of Fame

By Sharon Dowdy

Ron Gitaitis, a plant pathologist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, was inducted into the Vidalia Onion Hall of Fame by the Vidalia Onion Committee at the committee’s annual awards banquet, held on Feb. 4 at the Vidalia Community Center in Vidalia, Georgia.

“We also wanted to recognize Dr. Gitaitis’ contribution to the Vidalia industry, especially since the University of Georgia has played a key role in providing critical crop research and helping the industry by providing unbiased, scientific data to the growers,” said Vidalia Onion Committee Director Susan A. Waters, who presented the awards.

Based on the UGA Tifton Campus, Gitaitis researches bacterial diseases on Vidalia onions, and he was the first scientist to discover three species of onion bacteria. He has published numerous reports and journal articles, and he has mentored scientists at UGA and other institutions throughout his career. Many of his discoveries shaped production practices in the Vidalia region. After 37 years of service to UGA, he plans to retire in June.

“Dr. Gitaitis is an instrumental leader of our research and Extension team at UGA. His wealth of knowledge has helped to make my job easier over the years,” said Cliff Riner, coordinator of the UGA Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and the Vidalia-onion-area UGA Extension agent. “He is very thorough and caring about the direction of his research program, and has mentored many fellow faculty members. We have served on many teams and projects together, and he constantly makes everyone around him better. Dr. Gitaitis is very deserving of the Hall of Fame honor.”

Vidalia onion grower Aries Haygood of M&T Farms received the 2016 Grower of the Year Award from the committee. M&T Farms is family owned and operated, has been in business for almost 30 years and averages 400 acres of Vidalia onions annually. Haygood manages the farm for his father-in-law, Terry Collins, who received the Grower of the Year Award in 2002.

“Mr. Haygood has been a grower with whom everyone likes to work. He comes to work every day with a humble attitude and has developed his knowledge of Vidalia onion production tremendously throughout the years,” Riner said. “He has been willing to serve on the Vidalia Onion Committee, Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, and is willing to conduct trials with UGA scientists as well as industry reps. I am glad to see Mr. Haygood receive this award.”

The Vidalia Onion Committee administers the federal marketing order that authorizes production research, marketing research and development, and marketing promotion programs for Vidalia onions. This federal program, along with Georgia state laws that protect the Vidalia onion trademark, have provided a legal framework for the industry.

For more information about the Vidalia Onion Committee, visit VidaliaOnion.org.

Sharon Dowdy is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Authors:
Sharon Dowdy
Experts/Sources:
Cliff M Riner
Based on the UGA Tifton Campus, Ron Gitaitis researches bacterial diseases on Vidalia onions, and he was the first scientist to discover three species of onion bacteria. He has published numerous reports and journal articles, and has mentored scientists at UGA and other institutions throughout his career. Many of his discoveries shaped production practices in the Vidalia region.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
TiftonCampusSunset2 CAES News
CAES Transfer Pathways Program expands enrollment access for rural students 11/12/24 Emily Cabrera
The Transfer Pathways Program is opening new doors for rural students who dream of attending the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). In partnership with Wiregrass Georgia Technical College and Southern Regional Technical College, students who complete required coursework at these institutions can transfer to CAES to complete bachelor’s degrees in one of three majors — agribusiness, agricultural education, and agriscience and environmental systems. 
GMREC CAES News
North Georgia hub fueling agricultural research at UGA 11/06/24 David Mitchell
Research in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences runs the gamut — from plants, animals and dairy science, and crop and soil sciences to entomology, food science and technology, and more. It’s an expansive agenda, too broad to be housed on the university’s 760-acre main campus. For that, CAES turns to its eight off-campus research and education centers located all over the state.
As a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Bob Kemerait is well known for his devotion to the agricultural community of Georgia. He is also known for his international work with colleagues and small-scale farmers around the world. Recently, Kemerait took a team from UGA Extension to the Philippines, where he serves as a Fulbright specialist and works with the faculty at Mariano Marcos State University and farmers in the northern Philippines to improve disease management and other production practices. CAES News
UGA plant pathologist works to improve crop management and empower farmers across the globe 11/05/24 Robert C Kemerait Jr
As a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Bob Kemerait is well known for his devotion to the agricultural community of Georgia. He is also known for his international work with colleagues and small-scale farmers around the world. Recently, Kemerait took a team from UGA Extension to the Philippines, where he serves as a Fulbright specialist.
University of Georgia startup CytoNest Inc. released its first commercial product this year, a fiber scaffold that optimizes cell manufacturing and tissue engineering. (Photo by Lauren Corcino) CAES News
UGA again ranks No. 1 in new research-based products 11/04/24 Brandon Ward
The University of Georgia once again ranks No. 1 among U.S. universities for the number of commercial products to market based on its research, according to an annual survey conducted by AUTM. For nine straight years, UGA has placed in the top two and has never appeared out of the Top 5 in the 11 years the survey has been reported by AUTM. UGA industry partners and startups released a record 66 new products developed from the university’s research in fiscal year 2023, on which the AUTM report is based.
Seth McAllister and farmer Mark Daniel discuss crop production and agritourism. CAES News
UGA Extension supports agritourism through expert advice and collaboration 10/24/24 Emily Cabrera
On a sunny day with bright-blue skies, I arrive at Mark’s Melon Patch in Sasser, Georgia, and immediately spot the familiar white University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pickup truck, the Terrell County Extension logo prominently displayed on the door. Seth McAllister, the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Terrell County, greets me with a broad grin and a firm handshake. Terrell County alone has 60,000 acres of row crops, half in cotton. But what McAllister loves most about his role as an Extension agent is the diversity of his work.
Combining data collection and analysis with plant pathology, precision agriculture and robotics, the UGA team will build a photographic library of the foliar symptoms caused by onion diseases and other physiological disorders, feed them into the AI software, and use machine learning to identify the diseases based on pattern and color recognition from the images. CAES News
UGA uses AI, robotics to improve Georgia’s Vidalia sweet onion crop 10/23/24 Jordan Powers
A multidisciplinary team of UGA researchers aims to enhance the competitiveness of Vidalia onion growers in Georgia by providing them with the ability to confidently detect onion diseases early, enabling them to make management decisions on their crop at a critical time. These abilities, researchers say, should result in increased yield and quality of marketable onions and an overall increase in efficiency and productivity.