Dr. Girish Kumar Panicker (Honey), director of the USDA Conservation Research Center and a tenured professor, is the recipient of the 2023 International Conservation Research Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) of America.
The SWCS, a leading nonprofit scientific and educational organization advocating for conservation professionals and science-based practices, programs, and policies, recognizes Panicker’s outstanding contributions to conservation research. For seventy-eight years, the Soil and Water Conservation Society has been the premier international organization for professionals who practice and advance the science and art of natural resource conservation.
“This is a great recognition for me,†said Dr. Panicker. “I was so blessed that my entire service on three continents, Asia, Africa, and North America, has been in soil and water conservation. Our research outcomes go to so many countries around the world.†Panicker’s achievement has earned him international recognition for his decades-long dedication to the conservation research field in the United States.
As the director of the Conservation Research in Mississippi, established by the USDA/NRCS and USDA/ARS in 1988, Dr. Panicker has curated the largest global C-factor (Cover and Management) databank on horticultural crops. With over 140,000 readings on 45 crops and an investment of over $6.5 million, this information is utilized worldwide for erosion prediction, nutrient management, conservation planning, and combating soil erosion and climate change.
His groundbreaking research on C-factors including his 42-page technology transfer bulletin is available on the websites of prominent land grant universities and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Graduate students as well as conservationists, rely on this resource to prevent soil erosion and address climate change challenges. Born and raised in the “Land of Spices†in Kerala, India, Panicker’s passion for horticulture and agronomy was nurtured on his maternal grandparents’ farm. Inspired by his mom’s commitment to natural farming and education, Panicker excelled academically. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science from India, an M.S. in agronomy, and Ph.D. in horticulture with a specialization in pomology from the USA. His journey took him across continents, working with the Indian and African governments to broaden food access and combat
starvation in West Africa.
A Fellow of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences, Panicker has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Pride of India Award and the 2020 Lifetime Organic Achievement Award from the American Society of Agronomy, amongst a host of others. His depth of research and knowledge in the field has led him to become a highly respected scholar and sought-after speaker at national and international conferences. The late Mr. Sukumara Panicker & Mrs. Pankajam (Thiruvananthapuram) are his parents. The late Mr. & Mrs. Kozhencherry Padmanabhan’s (Thiruvananthapuram), daughter Rani K.
Panicker (Data Analyst) is Dr. Panicker’s spouse. Architect-designer Aja Gem Panicker is their only child. Dr. Panicker will be honored at the 2023 Awards Luncheon at the 78th SWCS International Annual Conference to be held in August this year at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
