Letter from DPM Student Jeff Pack

Mr. Don Jameson
408 North First Street
Yakima, WA 98907

Dear Don,

Thank you for your recent kind letter. I most certainly do remember you and look forward to visiting again in Tuscon, AZ in January. Further, I am honored that you would ask my input on the value of plant medicine programs to the NAICC and consulting industry in general. As one who is moving through the early stages of this developing academic discipline, I feel a special interest that it produce the solutions for which it is designed: well-educated, broad-based plant doctor practitioners who can help growers to succeed in an increasingly competitive, globalized market. Additionally, my generation of new plant doctors is not emerging into a vacuum where nothing provides comparable services. Accordingly, I want to be in a position where I can be a good plant doctor, working with those already in the industry.

    In your letter, you focused on two primary areas for comment: 1) Why should NAICC members support development to programs similar to the DPM program at the University of Florida?, and 2) Why should NAICC members hire graduates of such a program? Let me comment on the second one first.

I believe the value of DPM graduates to individual companies and industry in general should not be underestimated. Graduates are trained in a uniquely broad manner. For example, by the end of my program, I will have had full courses (not just brief overviews) in nematology, fungi, bacteriology, virology, agricultural law, acarology (mites), plant nutrition, weed management, irrigation principles and practices, and plant propagation. In addition to these in-depth classes, I will have had many classes with broader emphases: plant disease diagnosis, plant disease control, epidemiology, IPM techniques, biological control of insects, insect toxicology, agricultural ecology, soil ecology, adult and immature insect identification (2 classes), integrated plant medicine, plant physiology, and insect pest and vector management. Finally, I will have had numerous applied internships-insect diagnostics, plant disease clinic, soil and plant testing, nematode diagnostics, and 16 semester hours of elective internships in which I gain experience in my field(s) of interest. (By the way, I am still looking for places to do these internships; if you are able/interested in having me as an intern, or know of somebody who might, we might talk further).

    Now, there are those who say that DPM graduates don't leave school with real-world experience-and they are partially correct. But most graduates in most disciplines don't; that is primarily obtained in industry after school. But DPM graduates do bring significant experience with them-through internships and previous work experience. They also bring with them a wide array of tools to adapt to the specific needs of their future employment. And the diversity of these tools makes them that much more versatile. With time in industry, additional experience coupled with academic training yields the truly trained plant doctor.

Another argument is that DPM graduates do not know enough of a specific agricultural science discipline. That is also true-this is the realm of the PhD. I am not a specialist focused in entomology, plant pathology, weed science, agronomy, horticulture, etc. I am an integrationist. I synthesize the work of the specialists and apply it-hence the distinction between researchers and professionals. I know plant pathology; I speak the language of entomology; I am familiar with plant physiology, plant nutritive requirements, principles of soil and water management, etc. And, I have worked to mesh and interweave these individual topics into a greater whole. That will be my unique contribution as a doctor of plant medicine.

    So, why should NAICC members employ DPM graduates? Because for the price of one person they access many different fields of expertise; they hire professionals who are trained to look at the big picture.

    The answer to your first question would seem to be undermined by my answer to the second. Why should NAICC members support the development of programs that train such broad-based people who could become strong competitors? It seems counter-productive. This concern is duly noted, though I think unwarranted. First, the discipline of plant medicine is still in its infancy. To date, only one school in the world has such a program, with a total of 19 graduates; and most of these are interested in agricultural areas other than consulting. Of those who do enter consulting, I would venture that only a few are entrepreneur-minded-most are not interested in working for themselves and would be happy as employees. Yes, plant doctors will keep being trained and entering the work force, but the process will be gradual and of minimal impact for a time. I believe it will take roughly one generation for the discipline of plant medicine to be generally recognized and it will take even longer for it to be widely accepted and adopted. During that time, early graduates will begin to be assimilated within the industry. They will work with current players in defining what "next-generation agricultural consulting" means. Will some be left by the wayside? Unfortunately so. But that is not unique to this field; adaptability is the name of the game. As plant doctors begin entering crop consulting, the industry will need to adapt accordingly-both veterans and newcomers.

It should be remembered, however, that plant doctor programs will not just train competitors. This is a real opportunity for the entire industry; and those who can catch that vision early will surely benefit. Plant doctor programs, established within universities and supported by industry provide well-trained professionals. This can only increase the recognition of and respect for the industry and the valuable work done by crop consultants. It provides a benchmark for quality agricultural consultation training which in turn protects the industry from undercutting-it gives recognition for a skill that the consumer can hang his hat on-just like the CPCC-I designation. Finally, I feel that having broad-based plant doctors as part of a company can only help that company to be more competitive-to better serve the needs of its clients by expanded services, more rapid results, or otherwise.

I hope the foregoing thoughts are of value to you. I may come across as appearing to have rose-colored glasses, and that may be true to some extent. But at the same time, I have a strong vision for the potential of this discipline. As I finish school, I hope to enter the private sector as a crop consultant. I personally feel that there is an opportunity for some meaningful work in organic fruit and vegetable production, and hope to focus my skills accordingly. I feel that this is a relatively under-served sector of the industry, and I hope to make a meaningful contribution. And I believe that the route I have chosen to prepare for that contribution-through training in the DPM program-is a good one. I am gaining the tools I need to adequately serve future clients directly as well as make a meaningful contribution to the industry.

    So that you have it on file, my email address is jeffpack@ufl.edu -I am sorry for not having it on my resume. Also, by way of interest, I was present when the University of Nebraska visited Gainesville last February. It was very nice to visit with them and chip in my two cents about the value of the program. I am glad to hear that they are moving forward.

Sincerely,