Linda Martin grew up at Watson, just seven miles from the Rohwer Research Station, and worked there as a high school student when she was 16. Now she's the resident director at the research facility in Desha County.
"Linda has been part of that southeast Arkansas community her whole life," said Nathan Slaton, associate vice president for agriculture and assistant director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. "She knows the research and the multiple disciplines that are the heart of the work at Rohwer, and she is well equipped to run the research station.
"We are extremely happy to get her in that job," Slaton said. "She's a hard worker who knows how to get a job done, and she's well-liked by the station staff and the southeast Arkansas community. I'm certain she has all the tools to be successful as the Rohwer Research Station director."
The Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Research at the Rohwer Research Station focuses on Arkansas' leading row crops, including rice, soybeans, corn, grain sorghum and cotton. In recent years, researchers have launched projects on cover crops -- plants grown to protect the soils in fields that are not in production. They have also studied specialty crops like edamame and sweet sorghum. Rohwer is part of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station's network of research stations located throughout the state to ensure research accounts for Arkansas' different soil types and climate conditions.
Martin grew up on a family farm in Watson, a short drive north on Arkansas Highway 1 from the Rohwer station. She earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural science at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. While there, she was a student worker for the Division of Agriculture's former Southeast Research and Extension Center, occasionally working at what was then called the Rohwer Branch Station.
After completing her degree, she worked as an agricultural supervisor in the Garden Division at the Arkansas Department of Corrections Cummins Unit from 2010 to 2013. She joined the Rohwer Research Station as a program technician in 2019.
While working at Rohwer, Martin completed a master's degree in soil fertility from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
She began her position as resident director on April 17. Martin said one of her goals will be to elevate the public profile of the research station.
"I'm working on creating a social media presence focused on our community," Martin said. "I also plan to be more involved with state schools to promote the Rohwer station and the Division of Agriculture. And I want to raise awareness in students to career opportunities in agriculture and research."
Martin participates in a working group of research station and research and extension center directors endeavoring to keep their facilities up to date with the latest technology and agricultural practices. That includes seeking input from growers to keep up with the latest technologies that Arkansas farmers are using.
"We are constantly improving the efficiency of our stations and looking at how we can stay relevant to the agricultural industry," Martin said.
Martin's central responsibility is supporting the ongoing research efforts of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and creating opportunities for new research programs.
"I'm reaching out to Division of Agriculture scientists to see what they need to support their research," Martin said. "And we're in constant communication with them to match what the station offers to the resources they need and want with an eye toward bringing additional projects here."
"I love finding new opportunities for new research on things no one has ever looked at before," Martin said. "I'm looking forward to seeing how I can continue to move the station forward and advance research that supports Arkansas agriculture and building our base of knowledge."
To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow the agency on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch and on Instagram at @ArkAgResearch.
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Fred Miller is with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.
Linda Martin grew up at Watson, just seven miles from the Rohwer Research Station, and worked there as a high school student when she was 16. Now shes the resident director at the research facility in Desha County. (Special to The Commercial)