Steve Hoyle

Steve is a native to North Carolina and earned a B.S. degree in Agricultural Education from NCSU in 1980. He started employment at NCSU in 1983 as an Agricultural Research Technician. Over the course of his 35 year career at NCSU, Steve worked in corn research and extension for 6 years, aquatic and non-cropland weed management for 12 years, weed ecology for 7 years, and returned to aquatic and non-cropland weed management for another 10 years. He developed a passion for aquatic weeds which kept him involved in this area even when his job responsibilities were in other areas. When the aquatic weeds faculty position was vacant, Steve served as the primary campus extension contact for county agents, managers, and stakeholders. He also served as President of the South Carolina Aquatic Plant Management Society during this time.

Over the course of his career, Steve has helped develop and implement aquatic weed management programs in many important waterbodies. He collaborated with Duke Energy to develop a hydrilla management plan for the Catawba River basin, worked with U.S. Dept. of Interior and other agencies to develop an eradication plan for giant salvinia in North Carolina, and worked with the Lake Gaston Weed Control Council to develop and implement an intensive management plan for hydrilla. Steve was the first person to identify giant salvinia in North Carolina and to recognize that Commelina benghalensis was a new noxious weed to the state and not a native dayflower as previously recognized.

Steve has also made many valuable contributions to aquatic weed research. He has co-authored numerous peer reviewed publications. He has conducted research throughout the southeast US from North Carolina to Texas and has collaborated with the US Army Corps of Engineers on field research in Montana and Idaho. Steve is also coauthor of the 2018 Patent Application “Autonomous Aquatic Herbicide Application”.

Service to professional societies has also been an important aspect of Steve’s career. He has served on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Vegetation Management Association, South Carolina Aquatic Plant Management Society, and Weed Science Society of North Carolina. He is the recipient of the 2015 Aquatic Plant Management Society Max McCowen Friendship Award. Steve has also been a lifelong learner, obtaining a Master of Crop Science in 2011 from NCSU.

Aquatic Plant Management in North Carolina has been greatly impacted by the career of Steve Hoyle and we thank him for his dedicated service.