Olericulture
Larry K. Hiller, Associate Professor
Department of
Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Pullman,
Washington 99164-6414
509-335-3446
(voice)
509-335-8690
(fax)
Classes Taught
HORT 201 Introduction to
Horticulture
HORT 356 Preparation for
Entering the Horticulture Profession
HORT 399 Professional
Work Experience
HORT 490/590 Potato
Science
Dr. Larry Hiller
is an Associate Professor of Horticulture. A member of the WSU faculty since 1973, his responsibilities
include research and teaching in the areas of vegetable crops and potato
production/physiology, plant growth and development, plant nutrition and fertilization
and vegetable seed production. He
has supervised several graduate student programs and advises undergraduate
students.
Key Qualifications:
Dr. Hiller has had
experience since 1968 in university research and teaching in the areas of vegetable
crops and potato production, growth and development, physiology and nutrition,
fertilizers, irrigation and plant water relations, photosynthesis, weed
control, minimum tillage and other production techniques. In addition to this extensive research
and development career in vegetable crops production, Dr. Hiller grew up on a
general cropping/livestock farm in southeast Iowa and has that innate awareness
and appreciation for farming life, small and diversified farming systems, and
integrated farm development and programs.
His BS degree in the generalized area of Ag Education, plus his 3-year
experience as a WK Kellogg Foundation National Fellow, has provided a broad
base for understanding and considering situations/policies/programs from a
multidisciplinary point of view.
He served as an Education and Horticulture Advisor for the USAID/Iowa
State University project in Uruguay and has traveled extensively plus served as
a consultant on other activities in South America. Dr. Hiller has specific expertise in vegetable crops
production and physiology; research, resident instruction, training, advising,
consulting and evaluation; international programs and students.
Educational Background:
|
Degree |
Year |
Institution |
Major |
Minor |
|
PhD |
1974 |
Cornell University |
Vegetable Crops |
Plant Physiology Soil Science |
|
MS |
1964 |
Iowa State University |
Horticulture |
Plant Physiology |
|
BS |
1963 |
Iowa State University |
Ag Education |
--- |
Professional Experiences:
July
1979 to present
Associate
Professor/Associate Horticulturist
Department
of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Washington
State University
Research
and teaching responsibilities in vegetable crops and potatoes, with emphasis on
potato physiology, tuber quality and internal tuber disorders. Research emphasis has been on the
influence of soil moisture and irrigation, foliar fertilization and calcium
nutrition, temperature and growth regulators on potato tuber development and
internal tuber disorders.
October
1973 to June 1979
Assistant
Professor/Assistant Horticulturist
Department
of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Washington
State University
Research
and teaching in vegetable crops, harvest maturity and quality, weed control of
irrigated vegetable crops, potato tuber conditioning for harvest and the effect
of temperature as a causal factor for brown center.
January
1968 to September 1973
Graduate
Research/Teaching Assistant
Department
of Vegetable Crops
Cornell
University
Responsible for research and teaching in vegetable crops physiology, international student advising.
September
1964 to November 1967
Horticultural
& Education Advisor
USAID/Uruguay
South America
Iowa
State University
Responsible
for the development and improvement of horticultural (vegetable) production and
education programs of 13 general voc-ed schools and one specialized
horticultural school.
June 1963 to September 1973
Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Horticulture
Iowa State University
Research and production programs in vegetable crops
and weed control/herbicide programs.
Summer 1961
County Extension Trainee
Cooperative Extension Service
Iowa State University
A three-month training experience in county
extension activities: program
development, implementation and evaluation; 4-H/youth programs.
Additional
Educational/Professional Development Experiences:
Accomplishments
Relative to Research and Teaching:
Dr. Hiller has been involved in research and teaching programs involving
whole farming systems for many years.
He grew up with this concept.
His research efforts on internal disorders of potato tubers have been
dramatic since 1975. He was the
first to show the influence of cool temperatures and the additive effect of
high soil moisture on brown center initiation. His research group has been the first to study and report on
the cellular damage caused by these conditions, the occurrence very early in
the season in small tubers (1 to 1 ½” diameter), the increased severity of
brown center under high soil moisture conditions rather that a moisture
deficit. His results have been
published in professional journals and potato grower/industry publications and
conferences.