{{Short description|American agronomist}} {{Infobox person | name = Dr. Harold F. Reetz Jr. | image = HaroldReetz.jpg | image_size = 180x180 | caption = Harold Reetz | birth_date = March 10, 1948 | birth_place = {{flagicon|USA}}Watseka, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = August 15, 2022 | death_place = | occupation = Director of External Support and FAR, International Plant Nutrition Institute, }} '''Harold F. Reetz Jr.''' (March 10, 1948 – August 15, 2022)<ref name="2022-09-08-NGaz">{{cite news |title=Harold Reetz |url=https://www.news-gazette.com/obituaries/harold-reetz/article_4481b0dc-2f02-11ed-9f5f-9f9d0370cc8d.html |access-date=2022-09-12 |publisher=The News-Gazette |date=September 8, 2022}} </ref> was an American agronomist.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctic.purdue.edu/Partners%20Magazine/2010/October/15/ |publisher=Partners Magazine |title=Indian Creek Watershed Project |first=Christa |last=Martin Jones |website=ctic.purdue.edu |date=November 2010 |volume=28 |issue=3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927191157/http://www.ctic.purdue.edu/Partners%20Magazine/2010/October/15/ |archive-date=2011-09-27 |url-status=dead}} </ref> ==Early life and education== He was born in 1948 at Watseka, Illinois, and grew up on a dairy/grain farm in the east central part of the state. After receiving his B.S. degree in 1970 at the University of Illinois, he earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at Purdue University in crop physiology and ecology.<ref name="awardref">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ipni.net/ppiweb/bcrops.nsf/$webindex/84699E6C4DB4C03E852569FB001BF2F3/$file/01-1p23.pdf |title=Harold F. Reetz, Jr. Honored with ASA Agronomic Industry Award |archive-date=2010-12-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217022120/http://ipni.net/ppiweb/bcrops.nsf/$webindex/84699E6C4DB4C03E852569FB001BF2F3/$file/01-1p23.pdf |publisher=Better Crops |website=ipri.net |date=2001 |volume=85 |number=4 |page=23}} </ref>
==Career== From 1974 to 1982, he was with the Purdue Agronomy Department as Extension/research specialist in corn production for Indiana.<ref name="2010-11-10-WallacesFarmer">{{cite web |url=http://www.wallacesfarmer.com/story.aspx/printversion/ag/drainage/coalition/names/new/executive/director/43638 |title=Ag Drainage Coalition Names New Executive Director |publisher=Wallaces Farmer |website=wallacesfarmer.com |date=November 10, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003060716/http://www.wallacesfarmer.com/story.aspx/printversion/ag/drainage/coalition/names/new/executive/director/43638 |archive-date=2011-10-03 }} </ref> He joined the staff of the Potash & Phosphate Institute (PPI) in 1982 and has been involved with a number of innovative agronomic research and education programs in the Midwest region.<ref name="awardref"/>
On January 1, 2004, Dr. Reetz became President of the Foundation for Agronomic Research (FAR). On January 1, 2007, he became Director of External Support and FAR, for the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI).<ref name="2008-BetterCrops">{{Cite news |url=http://www.ipni.net/ppiweb/bcrops.nsf/$webindex/467C7594E92DB022852575060052CBB2/$file/BC08-4p23.pdf |title=IPNI Staff Members Honored at ASA/CSSA/SSSA Annual Meetings |archive-date=2010-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216180249/http://ipni.net/ppiweb/bcrops.nsf/$webindex/467C7594E92DB022852575060052CBB2/$file/BC08-4p23.pdf |website=ipni.net |publisher=Better Crops |date=2008 |volume=91 |number=4 |page=23}} </ref> In that capacity, he coordinated fund raising efforts for research and education programs in close association with the IPNI regional staff. Dr. Reetz has been a leader in the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) program from its beginning, and served as International CCA Board Chairman. He was an originator of the Information Agriculture (InfoAg) Conference series, beginning in 1995.<ref name="2005-01-19-DeltaFarmPr">{{cite web |url=http://deltafarmpress.com/infoag-conference-feature-latest-precision-farming-technology |title=InfoAg Conference to feature latest in precision farming technology |publisher=Delta Farm Press |date=January 19, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314135741/http://deltafarmpress.com/infoag-conference-feature-latest-precision-farming-technology |archive-date=2012-03-14 }} </ref>
He was widely known for encouraging the development of high yield crop and soil management systems through efficient agronomic applications for new technology, including remote sensing, geographic information systems, and site-specific management.<ref name="reetzAgronomics">{{cite web |url=http://reetzagronomics.com/About%20Us/ |title=Reetz Agronomics, LLC – About |website=reetzagronomics.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715172230/http://reetzagronomics.com/About%20Us/ |archive-date=2011-07-15 }} </ref> Dr. Reetz retired from IPNI on March 31, 2010, and formed ''Reetz Agronomics, LLC'', and continued to provide agronomic consulting services for a variety of companies and organizations. In 2016, Dr. Reetz published a new book, ''Fertilizers and their Efficient Use'', through the IFA.<ref name="2016-05--IFA">{{cite book |title=Fertilizers and their Efficient Use |url=https://www.fertilizer.org/images/Library_Downloads/2016_ifa_reetz.pdf |access-date=2022-09-12 |first=Harold F. Jr. |last=Reetz |publisher=International Fertilizer Industry Association |date=May 2016}} </ref>
==References== [https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:sY5NxdGiXc8J:www.ipni.net/ppiweb/bcrops.nsf/%24webindex/84699E6C4DB4C03E852569FB001BF2F3/%24file/01-1p23.pdf+%22Dr.+Harold+F.+Reetz+Jr.%22&hl=en&gl=in&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShy0q_R4kWDaHWONgS-AYyBp2--KHI_j7NTOd_CC1d7RHyUZ_3undNv2cb09fj3ZqcoQZfau0jH02Z7_05QYvXn3B85u5NXV_DCEJGyfUTtYSJ0Z79ZsE3zj2ifWKJJdXYvNy-S&sig=AHIEtbRBmu3HCehRH4hxNCWiElZXPtKpow Industry Award] {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Reetz, Harold}} Category:Living people Category:1948 births Category:20th-century American agronomists Category:21st-century American agronomists Category:People from Watseka, Illinois Category:University of Illinois System alumni