CAFNR

Extension

Q&A with Anthony Ohmes

Anthony is a field specialist in agronomy serving the Southeast region.

July 5, 2022

Written by Genevieve Howard

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2 men and one woman pose in front of a city skyline
A man analyzes some grass.
Anthony enjoys teaching best management practices for nutrients and pests, improving yields, and preserving resources.

What do you do in your current role with the University of Missouri?

I am a field specialist in agronomy for the Southeast region. I am headquartered in Cape Girardeau County.

How long have you worked in this position?

I have served as an extension agronomist since 2001.

What is your favorite part about the work you do?

My favorite part of the work I do is working with producers and others involved in the ag industry on the diverse cropping systems in Southeast Missouri. I especially enjoy the one-on-one relationships that build over time while providing research-based education in field and forage crops. I also enjoy fielding the variety of questions, especially about pest management, that are raised during the growing season. I love receiving feedback that I provided some information to help an individual make an informed decision.

How are you helping MU A&E Extension reach our #2xAg2030 goal?

A father, mother, and two daughters pose at one daughter's college graduation.
Anthony has three children. They all attend or have graduated from the MU system.

My involvement in statewide programs, such as the MU Strip Trial Program, Insect Monitoring, Private Pesticide Applicator Training and Grazing Schools helps Missouri reach the #2xAg2030 goal. So do one-on-one interactions with producers and others in the ag industry. Talking one-on-one to an individual about anything from a soil test, identifying a pest, to replacing toxic fescue is impactful because that individual is engaged in learning best management practices for nutrients, pests, improving yields and preserving resources.

What is something your CAFNR and MU Extension teammates may not know about you?

I am the proud father of three children. Two are graduates of the MU System. My son attended Missouri S&T, my daughter attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, and my youngest will be a sophomore at the University of Missouri-Columbia this year.

While working on my master’s degree here at MU, I was researching ALS-resistant common cocklebur. I cross-bred susceptible and resistant cocklebur in the greenhouse to determine if resistance was a dominant trait. It was.

What is your hometown, place of high school graduation and degrees/universities?

I grew up in Charleston, Missouri, in Mississippi County where I graduated from Charleston High School. I attended the University of Missouri-Columbia where I earned my bachelor’s degree in agronomy and my master’s degree in agronomy with an emphasis in weed science. I attended the University of Tennessee-Knoxville where I earned my Ph.D. in plant science with an emphasis in weed science.