Congratulations to David Zelaya on receiving the 2023 TOP (The Ohio Program) Fellowship. This fellowship will help David greatly as he continues his graduate education pursuing his master’s degree in Agronomy under the advisement of Dr. Laura Lindsey.
David shared how meaningful this achievement has been as well as a bit about his current research centered on insecticides:
Did you have any connection to the TOP program prior to this fellowship?
David Zelaya: Yes, in 2021, when I was in my last year of undergraduate school in Honduras, I had the opportunity to do an internship with TOP at Tom Hamilton Farm, in Wilmington, Ohio. In my internship, I was working and learning about the agronomic management of corn and soybean, also with agricultural machinery equipped with auto track system. It was a very good experience to learn about what crop production is like in Ohio.
What does winning this fellowship mean to you?
David Zelaya: Winning the TOP fellowship is a great achievement for me, because even though I did my internship with The Ohio Program in 2021, I feel that the program is still supporting me and the students who want to continue in graduate school. So, I thank The Ohio Program for the TOP Fellowship.
Could you expand a bit on your current research?
David Zelaya: My research project is focused on the effect of foliar insecticide applied at R3 and R5 on soybean yield. The objective of this research is to evaluate the effect of foliar insecticide applied at the R3 and R5 soybean growth stage with two variables (i) soybean yield, (ii) insect pod and seed damage. The experiment will be conducted on-farm during two growing seasons at six locations in Ohio. Treatments include different times of insecticide application: (i) non-treated control, (ii) insecticide application at R3 soybean growth stage, (iii) insecticide application at R5 soybean growth stage. Determining the best timing of insecticide applications could let growers increase the efficacy of insecticide applications. Additionally, proper timing of insecticide applications will minimize applications, protect beneficial insects, and lower production cost for farmers.
You can learn more about The Ohio Program by visiting their website.