OSU hires new Extension cotton specialist

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.

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.