Ricky Bates
Prof.
Penn State University
United States
Biography
Rick Bates is a Professor of Horticulture in the Department of Plant Science at Penn State University and holds a B.S. and M.S. in Horticulture from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Virginia Tech. Throughout his career he has aspired to use horticultural science as a tool to: 1) increase the profitability of horticulture enterprises, 2) protect and restore the environment, and 3) alleviate poverty in developing parts of the world. Dr. Bates’ research, teaching and outreach programs have emphasized sustainable, scalable solutions to problems affecting horticulture value chain development and low-input food production systems. His work in Southeast Asia focuses on human and institutional capacity building involving implementation of innovative, field-based approaches, grounded in appropriate technology, entrepreneurship, and market engagement. Recent and ongoing projects include: * Deploying underutilized agronomic species as a foundation of resilient farming systems. Sponsor: CIRAD * Strengthening Indigenous Informal Seed Systems in Southeast Asia. Sponsor: USAID, Horticulture Innovation Lab. * Women in Agriculture Network Cambodia: Gender- and Ecologically-Sensitive Agriculture. Sponsor: USAID, Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab (SIIL). * Alternative Approaches for Delivering Extension Services to Smallholder Farmers in Southeast Asia. Sponsor: USAID, Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services (MEAS).
Research Interest
Sustainable intensification in Southeast Asia; Strengthening informal seed systems; Promotion of neglected and underutilized crop species; Development of innovative and appropriate extension education systems for smallholder farmers.