Dr. Brent Black

Dr. Brent Black grew up in Eastern Idaho, where both of his parents were college professors (and USU alumni). From an early age, he was interested in plans and spent his youth working in a series of summer jobs in agriculture, including potato farms, a nursery, a garden center and in landscape construction. Because of these early experiences, he decided to study Horticulture, with an emphasis in Plant Physiology. While completing his undergraduate degree in Plant and Soil Science at USU, he was particularly fascinated by a class on fruit production and decided to focus on Pomology.

After USU, Brent went on to pursue an MS degree in Horticulture at Michigan State University, then a PhD in Plant Physiology at Oregon State University and the University of Maryland at College Park. The next stop was a Research Scientist position at the USDA's flagship Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland. There he studies how the physiology of berry crops (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry) was affected by crop management practices. After six years with USDA, he was interested in new challenges and particularly looking for opportunities to ore directly interact with commercial fruit growers, and with students. He found these opportunities as the Extension Fruit Specialist at his alma mater. Since 2005, he has conduct3ed an integrated research and extension program working on tart cherry crop management, peach and apple rootstocks as well as protected cultivation systems for raspberry and blackberry. Current interests include using drone, satellite and ground-based sensors for precision integration and fertilizer management, and alternative crops for diversification opportunities.