Hartmann's Plant Science

Dr. Hudson T. Hartmann, December 6, 1914-March 2, 1994
Professor of Pomology, University of California, Davis

Dr. Hartmann was born in Kansas City, Kansas. After high school he entered the University of Missouri, earning a B.S. in Agriculture in 1939 and an M.S. in Horticulture in 1940. He then received a Teaching Assistantship in the Department of Pomology, University of California, which lead to graduate studies and achievement of his Ph.D. in Plant Physiology in 1947. An appointment as Assistant Professor at the University of California, Davis followed. At Davis he continued his research and teaching until retirement in 1980 as Emeritus Professor of Pomology.

Dr. Hartmann was a pioneer researcher in developing the use of plant growth regulators, intermittent mist, and other relevant practices for the rooting of cuttings, especially as they applied to fruit trees. Along with his research activities in plant propagation and fruit crop physiology he earned worldwide recognition for his expertise with olives.

Dr. Hartmann taught plant propagation at the University of California at Davis for more than 30 years until his retirement in 1980. Another of his proudest accomplishments was his activity with the International Plant Propagation Society. He served as Western Region Editor for the Society for 33 years, and International Editor for 21 years. Dr. Hartmann was elected as a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science, and also received numerous other awards and honors.

During his career, he published over 40 research articles about plant propagation. Very notable was his collaboration with Dr. Dale Kester, in 1959 to prepare Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices, published by Prentice-Hall, which has since gone into a 7th edition, published in 2001. This textbook has been used by more plant propagation classes worldwide than any other propagation book, and was translated into Spanish, Italian, and Russian, as well as an English Economy Edition for Third World countries. Dr. Hartmann also was the senior author of the first and second edition of the college textbook, Plant Science: Growth, Development, and Utilization of Cultivated Plants, also published by Prentice-Hall in 1981 and 1988. Many of his contributions in those two editions continue to be relevant and useful in the present edition.

William J. Flocker, September 6, 1917-April 12, 1980
Professor of Vegetable Crops, University of California, Davis William "Bill" Flocker was born and raised on a farm in Clinton, Indiana. After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1936, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Corps and served as a fighter pilot and squadron commander in World War II. However, his academic interests led him to earn his Ph.D. in Agricultural Chemistry and Soils at the University of Arizona in 1955. Shortly thereafter he joined the Vegetable Crops Department at the University of California at Davis.

Dr. Flocker is best remembered for his dedication to teaching and students, by whom he was revered. His interest in students is well demonstrated via his creation of the course, Plant Science 2, in 1965. He early recognized the potential for new approaches for teaching in order to orient students in plant science to develop an appreciation for the significance of agriculture. His pioneer work in audio-tutorial teaching techniques utilized in that heavily enrolled course was an outstanding example of his innovation.

Through his research programs he became an authority in soil physics, soil physical properties, and soil-water movement. His research interests included procedures for maintaining and improving soil structure for maximum crop production. A valued contribution was his research and demonstration of the importance of dealing with soil compaction problems. Concurrent with his concern for environmental quality he did significant research for incorporating solid wastes, particularly cannery wastes, into soil to improve marginal land. For this and similar soil amendment research he was recognized and presented the Environmental Quality Award by the American Society for Horticultural Science.

Dr. Flocker's desire for students to become better aware about the principles of plant science and the utilization of cultivated plants directed him to join with Drs. Hudson T. Hartmann and Anton M. Kofranek in the preparation of the first edition of Plant Science: Growth, Development, and Utilization of Cultivated Plants. Many of his contributions to that publication continue to be useful and appreciated in this edition.

Dr. Margaret (Peg) J. McMahon, Born April 8, 1948, in Cleveland, Ohio
Associate Professor of Horticulture and Crop Science,
The Ohio State University Peg is a fourth generation horticulturist and grew up working on the family farm and in the ornamental and vegetable greenhouses owned by her family. She majored in Horticulture at The Ohio State University, earning her B.S. in Agriculture in 1970. After graduation she worked for fifteen years as a grower and propagator for Yoder Brothers, Inc., a multinational greenhouse company, starting at their Barberton, Ohio location, transferring to operations in Salinas, CA and then Pendleton, SC. She was responsible at one time or another for the production or propagation of nearly all of the company's crops.

While in South Carolina she enrolled in the graduate school at Clemson University. She earned an M.S. in Horticulture and a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology in 1988 and 1992, respectively. Peg's masters project focused on the early detection of chilling injury in tropical and subtropical foliage plants. Her Ph.D. research was in photomorphogenesis, specifically the development and use of far-red absorbing filters as a technology to reduce unwanted stem elongation in greenhouse crop production. She continues her research in far-red absorbing filters. Far-red absorbing filters are now coming into the product line of several agricultural plastics manufacturers partly as a result of her research.

In 1994 she accepted a position as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science (H&CS) at The Ohio State University. Her responsibilities are in teaching and research. She teaches several H&CS courses including the introductory and senior capstone crop science classes as well as greenhouse production courses. The introductory and capstone classes are required for all students with majors and minors in Turfgrass Science and Crop (agronomic and horticultural) Science. In 1999 she was promoted to Associate Professor.

Dr. McMahon has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles on photomorphogenesis, teaching methods, and other subjects.

Anton M. Kofranek, Born February S, 1921, in Chicago, Illinois
Retired as Professor Emeritus from University of California at Davis in 1987 Dr. Kofranek obtained his B.S. in Horticulture at the University of Minnesota in 1947, an M.S. in Plant Physiology at Cornell University in 1949, and his Ph.D. in Plant Physiology at Cornell University in 1950. His first academic appointment was as Instructor in the Department of Horticulture at the University of California at Los Angeles in September 1950 In 1968 when the department was transferred to the University of California at Davis and renamed as the Department of Environmental Science he also relocated and continued his floricultural research and teaching at Davis until retirement in 1987.

His research specializations dealt with photoperiod research for numerous floricultural crops. Other interests included postharvest physiology and nutritional investigations of flower crops. Dr. Kofranek produced over 200 publications. He co-authored Plant Science: Growth, Development, and Utilization of Cultivated Plants, and The Azalea Manual.

Throughout his career, Dr. Kofranek was highly respected and appreciated by persons in all segments of the floriculture trade, and he received numerous awards and recognition from producers, wholesalers, landscape architects, and other allied industry segments. He has been repeatedly recognized for his efforts by the California Flower Growers. He also received considerable academic recognition, and in 1979 was installed as a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences. Dr. Kofranek carried out sabbatical study programs in The Netherlands, Israel, England, South Africa, and at Cornell University. He was a consultant with USAID programs with Egypt and India. His extensive travels led to collaboration with scientists in several countries.

Vincent E. Rubatzky, Born October 24, 1932, in New York
Retired as University of California Extension Vegetable Specialist,
Emeritus in 1995 Dr. Rubatzky obtained a B.S. in Vegetable Crops at Cornell University in 1956, a M.S. in Plant Physiology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1958, and the Ph.D. in Plant Physiology and Horticulture at Rutgers University in 1964. His first academic position was as Extension Vegetable Specialist at the University of California at Davis in 1964, and where he conducted his extension outreach and research program until retirement.

His research involvement dealt with variety development and evaluation, harvest mechanization, crop physiological disorders, and crop scheduling and cultural practices. He also served in a liaison capacity with several California vegetable industry organizations and groups. For several years Dr. Rubatzky taught a class entitled Evolution, Biology, and Systematics of Vegetables, and a Field Study of the California Vegetable Industry course. Sabbatical studies and consultations within Poland, France, United Kingdom, Italy, The Netherlands, Peru, and Ecuador provided many travel experiences. In 1995, he was elected as an American Society for Horticultural Sciences Fellow, Man of The Year by the Pacific Seedman's Association in 1987, and received additional recognition from other organizations. Following retirement Dr. Rubatzky continued to serve on a voluntary basis as Specialist, Emeritus until mid-1999. Presently residing in New Jersey, he collaborates with colleagues in vegetable production research in California and New Jersey.

Dr. Rubatzky produced many applied research and extension publications during his University service. He co-authored Plant Science: Growth, Development, and Utilization of Cultivated Plants; World Vegetables: Principles, Production, and Nutritive Values, and Carrots and Related Vegetable Umbelliferae, and was an editor for the Third International Symposium for Diversification of Vegetable Crops, the Atlas of the Traditional Vegetables in China, and several other vegetable publications.