Rutgers professor receives award from state for achievements in agricultural field

Mel Henninger, professor emeritus in the Department of Plant Biology, received a Distinguished Service to Agriculture Citation from the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture this past February, according to a press release.

The recipient discussed his reaction to the award and his career as a Rutgers professor and extension specialist, as well as his work with New Jersey growers and farmers. 

Henninger said his journey with agriculture began in his childhood, having been raised on a potato farm in Pennsylvania. He began working for Rutgers in 1972 immediately upon graduating from Pennsylvania State University with a doctorate in agronomy, according to the release.

As a Rutgers extension specialist, Henninger said most of his work revolved around growing and evaluating different varieties of crops, including potatoes and sweet potatoes, on local farms. He said he especially appreciated working with growers on their farms and the spontaneous nature of the job, which called for him to address any urgent issues that arose with the crops.

One particular instance Henninger said he remembers was when a grower’s crops were struck by “potato late blight,” which required him to quickly identify the disease and offer a protective treatment for nearby growers.

“We didn’t necessarily solve every problem every time, but it was a very rewarding experience for me to be able to talk to the growers and try to help them solve their problems,” he said.

Rick VanVranken, head of the Atlantic County Extension Department at the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, has personally worked on sweet potato variety trials with Henninger and said he appreciated his presence in the field.

“Working with Dr. Henninger was always just plain fun,” he said. “He was cheerful, enthusiastic and down to earth whenever he was out in the field working directly with farmers.”

VanVranken said that Henninger and other extension specialists worked in trials with growers John and Anthony Melora of Melora Farms, and would strategically plant sweet potato slips based on their treatment.

During harvest time, the potatoes would be sorted, measured and taken to Rutgers research farms for further study, he said. Eventually, the findings of the trials would be presented to other local growers to aid and inform them when planting.

“Dr. Henninger's sweet potato trials helped farmers by bringing new improved varieties, developed mostly in the Carolinas or Louisiana, to (New Jersey) to see how they would grow here without farmers each having to run their own trials,” VanVranken said.

Henninger said he has also performed trials for a diverse range of crops including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and butternut squash.

“I’ve done work with other vegetable crops along the way,” he said. “A lot of it was just variety trials, trying to look at varieties that were out there that were adapted for New Jersey so we could use it for our vegetable recommendations (for growers).”

Other than variety trials, Henninger said his career has allowed him to learn tomato grafting, which includes treating tomatoes to naturally yield more fruit with more root rot resistance, as well as integrated pest management, which involves using models and environmental factors to predict plant diseases like late blight and heat necrosis 

Overall, VanVranken said it was Henninger’s dedication and work with New Jersey growers that culminated in him being nominated and ultimately receiving the award. 

In reaction to the award, Henninger said he was excited and happy since he was not even aware he had been nominated until the state notified him that he won.

“I was really happy because it was an award given by my clientele, people that I worked for,” he said. “A very happy surprise.”