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College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 
Horticultural Science

Roger Batts

RB
Roger Batts

IR-4 Field Research Director

EHRA Research Associate

Kilgore Hall 105

919-515-1668

Bio

Area(s) of Expertise

Mr. Batts is the Field Research Director at the NC State IR-4 Field Research Center. This Center conducts field residue trials to support pesticide registrations for fruits, vegetables, and other minor crops.

All residue trials are conducted according to “Good Laboratory Practices”. Additionally, herbicide efficacy and crop tolerance trials are conducted to identify potential products for registration in minor crops.

 

Work Experience

  • Researcher and IR-4 Field Research Director, Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. Jan. 2000 – Present.
  • Responsible for coordination and execution of field portion of magnitude of residue studies for Interregional Research Project No. 4 (IR-4) in order to gain registration in minor crops as well as screening and performance trials to identify candidates for registration in minor crops.
  • Agricultural Research Technician III, Crop Science Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. Fall 1994 – Jan 2000.
  • Assist in coordination of extensive weed control extension, demonstration and applied research program. Crops include cotton, peanut, corn, small grains and soybean. Duties include supervision of part-time employees and graduate students, maintenance and operation of research and farm equipment, evaluation of herbicidal performance, statistical analysis of data and report preparation, coordination of numerous greenhouse trials, and periodically presenting data at conferences. Also assisted in dealer and extension agent training on herbicide symptomology, weed identification, sprayer calibration, grower complaint diagnosis, etc. Periodically teach portions of weed control laboratory in two-year associate degree program. Also in charge of safety training for all employees in project.
  • Agricultural Research Technician I, Crop Science Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. Spring 1992 – Fall 1994.
  • Duties similar to those between Fall 1994 and Jan 2000. Restructuring of classifications occurred in Fall 1994.
  • Field Research Supervisor, American Agricultural Services, Inc. Lucama, NC. Summer 1988, Spring 1989 – Fall 1991.
  • Duties included coordination of field and greenhouse trials and preparation of reports on these trials, maintenance and proper operation of equipment, and supervision of employee tasks. Also responsible for coordination of GLP applications, samplings, and shipments as well as maintaining all appropriate logbooks under 40 CFR Part 160. Also assisted in several studies with radiolabelled compounds. Periodically performed duties of assistant project manager and quality assurance officer.
  • Research Technician, American Agricultural Services, Inc. Lucama, NC. May 1985-August 1986, Summer 1987.
  • Responsible for field work on research projects including application and mixing of compounds as well as operation of farm equipment. Also assisted in crop scouting for weed and insect populations.

 

Awards and Honors

  • 1989 NC Peanut Growers Assoc./NCSU Agronomy Club Senior Scholastic Award.
  • NCSU Deans List.
  • Member, 3rd place team, 1993 Northeast Weed Science Society Weed Contest,
  • Blacksburg, VA. Second highest individual score in herbicide symptomology diagnosis.
  • Member, 3rd place team, 1993 Southern Weed Science Society Weed Contest, Tifton, GA.
  • Member 2nd place team, 1994 Northeast Weed Science Society Weed Contest, Salisbury, MD. Highest individual score in sprayer calibration.
  • Top ten individual scoring, 1994 Southern Weed Science Society Weed Contest, Starkville, MS.
  • 1996 Safest Project Award, NCSU Crop Science Department.
  • 1998 Distinguished Performance Award – Technical Staff, NCSU Crop Science Department.
  • 2003 IR-4 Meritorious Service Award-Southern Region

 

Special Trainings and Qualifications

  • North Carolina Public Operator Pesticide License
  • North Carolina State University Environmental Health and Safety Department Hazardous Materials Training Program (General awareness, shipping, receiving, and transportation modules), Raleigh, NC, November, 1999.
  • IR-4 Northeast Region Technical and GLP Training, Rutgers University, Jan. 11- 12, 2000.
  • IR-4 Basic GLP training, IR-4 headquarters, Rutgers University, Jan. 13, 2000.
  • Novartis Crop Protection Good Laboratory Practices for the Field and Quality Assurance for Field Residue Trials, Tulsa, OK, Jan. 22-23, 2000.
  • IR-4 Field Training Workshop, San Antonio, TX, Feb. 18-20, 2001.
  • Syngenta Advanced and Basic GLP Training, Houston, TX, Jan. 24-25, 2003.
  • IR4 Southern/North Central Region GLP Training Session, Orlando, FL, March 1-3, 2004
  • Western Region IR-4 Field Residue Training Workshop (Field, Laboratory and GLP), Davis, CA, March 8-9, 2005
  • IR-4 National Education Conference Training. Phoenix, AZ, Feb. 28-March 2, 2006

 

Professional Memberships

  • American Society of Horticultural Science
  • Weed Science Society of North Carolina (Board of Directors 1998-2001, Vice President 2002-2003, President 2003-2004)
  • Southern Weed Science Society
  • Weed Science Society of America
  • Northeast Weed Science Society

 

Education

MS Crop Science NC State University 1997

BS Agronomy NC State University 1989

BS Integrated Pest Management NC State University 1989

Publications

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Groups