ASEV is pleased to announce the 2017 Extension Distinction Award recipient, Mr. Larry Bettiga of the University of California Cooperative Extension, Monterey County. His presentation, “Preparation and Delivery of Viticulture Extension on the Frontier” will be given this June at the 68th National Conference in Bellevue, Washington.

This honor recognizes a current extension educator for outstanding contribution to an extension program or the advanced translation of novel research findings into commercially applicable tools for enologists or viticulturists.

Mr. Bettiga’s research focuses on the influences of cultural practices, rootstock and clonal selection, and canopy management on grapevine growth and productivity, and the use of integrated approaches to solve pest management problems in coastal wine grape production systems. Based in Monterey County, he conducts applied research and extension education programs for the wine grape industries of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.

Larry Bettiga has been a viticulture farm advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension for the past 32 years. While at the UC Kearney Agricultural Center in Parlier, California, he evaluated cultural practices for table, wine and raisin grapes to improve yield and quality for grape production in the Southern San Joaquin Valley. He also worked on pest management projects for grape and tree nuts based out of the UC Cooperative Extension office in Tulare County.

Throughout his career, Mr. Bettiga authored and co-authored over 400 technical articles, newsletters, research reports and abstracts. He has been an active member of ASEV since 1984, serving on the Board of Directors for five years, was board president from 1999 to 2000, and has given numerous research and symposium presentations at past ASEV National Conferences.