Extension Cotton Specialist Connects Producers

Jenny Dudak serves as the OSU Extension state cotton specialist and strives to help producers across Oklahoma. (Photo by Mitchell Alcala, OSU Agriculture)

STILLWATER, Okla. — Growing up in northeast Iowa, where cotton is not a common crop, Jenny Dudak found her passion for cotton production in college. Today, she is the state cotton specialist for Oklahoma State University Extension .

Dudak completed her undergraduate degree in plant and environmental soil science and a master’s degree in agronomy from Texas A&M University, where she worked with the Cotton Extension program in Texas. She then completed a doctorate in agronomy – weed science from OSU. Throughout her studies, she learned about new resistance and tolerance technologies integrated into cotton varieties.

“I want our research and methods to stay relevant to what Oklahoma cotton producers are doing and seeing in their fields,” Dudak said. “My main goal is for producers to utilize findings from our plots to form management decisions, so I want to ensure what we do is up-to-date and meeting their needs.”

Dudak said her favorite part about her role is interacting with producers across the state and conducting Replicated Agronomic Cotton Evaluations. RACE trials give producers a visual comparison of which cotton varieties might be better suited for their regions and management needs.

“I learn something new each time I speak with a producer, and I can integrate that knowledge into my program to ensure we are focusing on relevant issues for Oklahoma cotton producers,” Dudak said.

Dudak wants to keep on-farm visits at the forefront of her role because she said what producers see in their fields can be used in applied research at OSU.

“I want to ensure an open line of communication for producers to reach out to me with problems or questions they have,” Dudak said. “As an extension specialist not only do I work for Oklahoma State University, I work for Oklahoma cotton producers and I want my program to be a valuable resource to their operations.”