By Maggie Gaddy 

Dr. Jeremy Pickens’ passion for plants took root at a Mobile County palm tree nursery, where a high school job planted the seed for a career dedicated to helping nurserymen succeed.

His commitment to serving Alabama’s green industry recently earned Pickens the Alabama Farmers Federation Duncan Award for Excellence in Production Agriculture & Forestry Extension. The award recognizes Extension professionals who develop practical solutions to problems identified by Alabama farmers.

He received the award during the Federation’s Farm & Land Conference in Mobile Aug. 8. 

“I am very grateful for receiving this award,” Pickens said. “It means so much to me. It’s validation and affirmation that I am making an impact and helping people. Having farmers nominate me means way more than any other award I could ever get.”

A Grand Bay native, Pickens knew by age 16 he wanted to attend Auburn University (AU) and return home to south Alabama. Today, he and wife Brittany live in Spanish Fort. 

Pickens earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture at AU before completing a doctorate in aquaculture. Since 2016, he’s served as Extension’s nursery and greenhouse specialist, splitting time between research and outreach while working with growers across the state. He’s stationed at the Ornamental Horticulture Research Center in Mobile. 

Many of Pickens’ projects begin with conversations in the field.

“A lot of my research is driven by what I see when I’m with growers,” Pickens said. “I love helping people. I really like figuring things out and solving problems.”

His work focuses on improving nursery production through research on plant nutrition, fertilizer management and reducing plant stress. He helps growers diagnose diseases and insect problems while evaluating production practices under real-world conditions at commercial nurseries.

A recent project found white nursery containers remain cooler than traditional black pots, improving fertilizer efficiency and giving growers another tool to increase profitability.

Researching ornamental plants presents unique challenges because Alabama nurseries grow hundreds of species and cultivars, Pickens said. 

A close connection with growers drives Pickens’ work. 

Federation Greenhouse, Nursery & Sod Division Director Blake Thaxton said Pickens’ ability to combine research with hands-on service makes him especially deserving of the Duncan Award.

“He’s a great researcher, but he also does the Extension side, which serves the growers,” Thaxton said. “He’s effective because of the interpersonal relationships that go beyond solving nursery issues.” 

The Duncan Award includes $5,000 for Extension programming. Pickens said he plans to use the funding to expand services for nurseries by increasing irrigation water testing in surrounding counties and monitoring container nutrition. The additional data will help growers make management decisions while supporting future research.

While awards aren’t what motivate Pickens, his commitment to Alabama growers doesn’t go unnoticed. He is the first professional to receive both the Federation’s Duncan and Rittenour awards. The latter recognized Pickens’ research work in 2021.

“I just want to make an impact,” Pickens said. “Looking back on my career, I want to know I helped people.”