Blake Szilvay
Master of Science – Crop Science
Advisor / Co-Advisors: Keith Edmisten / Guy Collins
Thesis / Dissertation
Fertility Management and Variety Mixtures of Cotton in North Carolina
Graduate Committee:
Keith Edmisten, Guy Collins, Randy Wells
Although I could say a lot about my time here, I’ll keep it brief. My advisor, Dr. Keith Edmisten, has given me guidance and put me into a position to succeed since I started in the Agricultural Institute in 2013. I loved what I studied so it never felt like a chore to me. The whole experience has been a blessing from God.
Research Summary:
The purpose of this research is to help better predict the effect on yield and quality that variable timings and rates of N and K have on cotton. Also, cultivar selection is a critical decision growers make. However, no single cultivar will outperform competitors in every environment, predicting which cultivar will perform best in subsequent years is improbable for all soils or environments. Blending cultivars that perform well in contrasting environments or blending highly competitive cultivars may help spread the risk when accounting for the uncertainty of growing conditions for any given year or environment.
I plan to use my degree to:
I am currently using my degree by working with NC Cooperative Extension. I am a Field Crops Ag Extension Agent in Randolph County, NC.
What I enjoyed most about my experience in Crop and Soil Sciences at NC State was:
Learning about all the different exciting career opportunities available to me that I never knew existed.
While earning my degree, my greatest supporters were:
My parents, grandma, and church family.
Now that I have graduated, I’m most looking forward to:
Making money!
