Turf expert Zachary Reicher joins Bayer from the University of Nebraska Lincoln (Mar 20)

March 20, 2015 – Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience LP, announced Zachary Reicher, Ph.D., as the newest member of the Bayer Green Solutions Team, a dedicated team of technical service specialists serving the turf and ornamentals (T&O) market. The Bayer Green Solutions Team provides customers with scientific expertise to address their unique business goals and challenges, while also providing scientific thought leadership, education and training to benefit the turfgrass industry.

Reicher, who currently serves as Cyril Bish Professor of Horticulture in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, joined Bayer on March 2. In his new role, he will focus primarily on developing science-based solutions for customers managing cool-season turfgrass. Frank Wong, Ph.D., who previously served the Green Solutions Team in this capacity, has taken on a new role within the Bayer Regulatory Affairs group as stakeholder engagement manager – maintaining relationships and communications with industry and non-governmental organizations across the Environmental Science division’s four businesses: Bayer Advanced, Professional Turf & Ornamentals, Professional Pest and Vector Management and Land Management. Reicher currently helps lead all areas of the University of Nebraska Lincoln’s turfgrass science program, including teaching, research and extension responsibilities, as well as the organization of field days and the Nebraska Turf Conference Expo. He also authors informative university and extension communications and regularly speaks at state, regional and national industry meetings.

“At Bayer, we understand the unique challenges that our customers and industry partners face, which is why we are focused on developing the latest solutions and providing the scientific expertise to help address their needs,” said Jose Milan, head of the Bayer T&O business. “Zac Reicher brings a wealth of turfgrass knowledge to help our customers be successful.”

Founded six years ago, the Green Solutions Team provides scientific support and technical training to sales teams, distributors and clients, to help these groups maximize use of their golf and turf products. In addition to product support, the team delivers holistic turfgrass solutions for customers. The Bayer Green Solutions Team leads educational seminars and product demonstrations, publishes informative articles, delivers technical updates on Bayer products, communicates new industry developments and maintains relationships with university constituents who test and recommend Bayer products.

“Best-in-class solutions are about more than just developing innovative tools to help our customers solve their toughest challenges,” said Laurence Mudge, manager of the Bayer Green Solutions Team. “We partner with customers to help implement these solutions and ensure they are successful every step of the way – which is why we are bringing together some of the brightest minds in the industry.”

With more than 25 years of experience in the turfgrass industry, Reicher is a distinguished academic and research leader. His work has been featured in more than 500 issues of newsletters and trade magazines and has been revised or rewritten in 40 extension publications. Reicher has presented at more than 300 state, regional and national meetings to more than 100,000 people. He has been recognized with numerous awards for his outstanding work and service to the industry. Reicher will join Green Solutions Team members Rob Golembiewski, Ph.D., who also focuses on regions with cool-season turfgrass, as well as Mudge and Derek Settle, Ph.D., who focus primarily on customers managing warm-season turfgrass.

“It is an honor to join the Bayer Green Solutions Team and work with such a highly-respected group of fellow turf scientists,” said Reicher. “In my new role, I am eager to leverage my experience from many years in research and academia leading efforts to offer the best scientific solutions to support our business, customers and industry as a whole.”

Reicher holds a doctorate in agronomy with a focus on turfgrass science from Purdue University (1993). He earned a Master of Science in Horticulture with a focus on turfgrass science (1988), as well as a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture (1986), from Iowa State University.