Appointed

* Betaseed has named Hans-Henning Voss plant breeder at its Western Sugarbeet Research Center in Kimberly, Idaho. Voss will be responsible for the curly top and Genuity Roundup Ready breeding programs.

Honored

* Lee Link, of the Washington State University Extension Energy Program, has received the the U.S. Secretary of Energy's Appreciation Award.

Retiring

* John Edstrom, who helped boost almond yields and prove walnuts could be grown on Colusa County's west side, will retire on Jan. 1. For the past 26 years, the UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor has studied almonds, walnuts and prunes, working with growers in Sutter and Yuba counties as well as Colusa.