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Inventors Hall of Fame to recognize agricultural pioneers
The National Inventors Hall of Fame is inducting three people who made an impact on agriculture.
The late Frank Zybach of Nebraska was a metal worker and inventor who developed an initial system in the 1940s. In 1952, Zybach was granted a patent on a larger irrigation system with a 600-foot boom that could water a 135-acre circle or all but the corners of a standard 160-acre section of land.
Two years later, Valley Manufacturing acquired the patent rights from Zybach, and today, the Omaha-based Valmont Industries Inc. is a global leader in center-pivot systems.
Horticulturalist Sylvia Blankenship and the late biochemist Edward Sisler identified methyl cyclopropane (1- MCP), which significantly extends the freshness and storage life of fruits, vegetables, and cut floral products. contributing to large reductions in food waste, and year-round access to fresh fruit. Their 1-MCP product is best known for its use with apple crops under the trade name SmartFresh™ and in floriculture crops by the name EthylBloc™.
The 2022 class of the Inventors Hall of Fame will be inducted in early May and includes inventors of laser dermatology procedures, fiber optic technology and ibuprofen and even the creators of the sports bra and the Supersoaker toys.
