Pictures are linked to hi-res scans Stephen A. Hoying has been appointed senior research associate of pomology and viticulture in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Cornell University's New York State Agricultural Station's Hudson Valley Lab located in Highland. Credit: J. Ogrodnick – NYSAES, Cornell University

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 10, 2006
Contact: Linda McCandless, llm3@cornell.edu, 607-254-5137

Extension Educator Named to Position at Cornell's Hudson Valley Lab

GENEVA, NY: Stephen A. Hoying has been appointed senior research associate of pomology and viticulture in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Cornell University's New York State Agricultural Station's Hudson Valley Lab located in Highland.

The extension component of the position involves planning an innovative program with a concentration on apple and pear production, stone fruit production, and viticulture in Eastern New York. Hoying will also be conducting an applied research program working with the same commodities.

"The Department of Horticultural Sciences is most pleased to have Steve Hoying accept the position of senior extension associate at the Hudson Valley Lab," said Alan Taylor, professor and department chair. "He is already well known to the Station in his former role as extension educator with the Lake Ontario Fruit Team. The position at the Hudson Valley Lab will allow him to continue his excellent work in extension and also to develop a research program on apples, other tree fruits, and grapes."

"This seemed to be to be a logical step in the career ladder for me," Hoying said. "It's an opportunity that doesn't come along very often-to stay with Cornell and be able to continue working with the fruit industry in applied research and extension."

Helping solve important fruit quality issues of apple through research on crop load management is one of Hoying's goals, along with other cultural practices that improve fruit color, firmness, Brix, and storability. "I also hope to look at stone fruit varieties appropriate for the valley, continue to work on integrated peach and sweet cherry production, and identify appropriate microclimates for grape production," he said.

As an extension educator, Hoying coordinated and conducted extension educational programs for commercial tree fruit in a five to seven county region of Western New York. He served as the leader for programs in cultural practices, which included fruit variety selection and testing, planting systems, rootstocks, irrigation, ground cover management, crop management, fertilization, growth regulator use, vigor control, and thinning. Hoying also served as a source of information for topics related to pest management, production economics, labor issues, harvest maturity and post-harvest storage and handling.

Hoying received a B.S. (Zoology) in 1976 and an M.S. (Entomology) in 1976 both from Michigan State. Hoying was the recipient of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Recognition for Dedicated Leadership and Professional Contribution (1990); The International Honor Award USDA Romanian IPM Project (1996); The Distinguished Extension Educator Award, International Dwarf Fruit Tree Association (2003); and was named one of the top 100 innovators in horticulture of the last 125 years by American Fruit Grower magazine (2005).

Hoying has authored or co-authored numerous publications and has been a speaker at many meetings, workshops, and fruit schools. He is currently co-editor of the New York Fruit Quarterly.

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