Congratulations to Dr. Patrick V. Vail of the USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory at Fresno, California, for receiving the 1996 USDA Honor Award for Personal and Professional Excellence for “Sustained International Contributions to Entomology, Insect Pathology/Microbial Control, and Human and Veterinary Medicines” from the Secretary of Agriculture. This award follows his 1995 Distinguished Scientist of the Year award, also from the USDA-ARS.

Dr. Vail is a nationally and internationally recognized authority in the fields of entomology, insect pathology, microbial control of production and post-harvest pests, entomogenous viruses, mass rearing, in vivo virus production, basic biology, pest management and insect ecology. He has personally conducted research on alternative methods of insect control such as induced sterility, pheromones, and cultural practices as they might be used in pest management systems in either the production or post harvest situation.

Dr. Vail was instrumental in the development of a large-scale tsetse fly control project in Nigeria and a similar project on the Mediterranean fruit fly in Central America while with the Insect and Pest Control Section of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (FAO/IAEA) Joint Division, Vienna, Austria. He has been deeply involved in university, state, national, and international committees addressing broad research programs. He is also one of two ARS personnel delegated to the United Nation’s Methyl Bromide Technical Options Committee.

Combining his abilities as research scientist and program manager, he has worked as Research Leader, as well as, Laboratory Director at several ARS locations during his 35+ years in the profession. Under his leadership as the Director of the Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory, the Lab and its scientists have gained exceptional visibility within the scientific community and commodity industries. The lab is responsible for development of quarantine treatments and the protection of commodities from stored product insects. It has also been instrumental in the development of new strategies to maintain or increase fruit quality, and the development of new stone fruit and grape cultivars. The lab’s work has also had a significant impact on opening new export markets for American nectarines, cherries, and walnuts. The research has had a multi-million dollar annual impact on the export of fruit and nuts to Japan.

As you shop the fresh fruit aisle of the local grocery store and see new varieties of grapes like the Black Emerald and the Autumn Royal, or new peaches called Spring Gem, or the late season Autumn Red, you will be enjoying fruits of the labor of the researchers and staff of the USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory. That lab, and many others like it are an important part of U.S. technology transfer – agriculture-based technology. Federally funded research from the USDA helps American farmers grow the crops we eat, protect those crops from pest infestation, and make those crops more viable as export products in a globally competitive market.