Florida Ag Research appoints Jason Hamm as southeast USA area research manager

Jason Hamm

Florida Ag Research, an Ag Metrics Group company, announced the appointment of Jason Hamm as southeast USA area research manager.

In this newly created role, Hamm will serve as a key scientific leader for the company’s expanding research programs across Florida and the broader southeast, working in close partnership with Research Director Balaji Aglave.

Hamm brings two decades of experience in entomological research and multiple biological systems. He earned his Ph.D. in entomology from Louisiana State University, where he trained in southeast U.S. crops; an MBA in international business from the University of Delaware; and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Kansas. He has published more than 25 scientific papers and is a co-inventor of three commercial insecticides.

At Ag Metrics Group, Hamm will oversee southeast entomology and related field research programs to help advance new crop protection and biological technologies from early concept to commercial reality. His team runs insecticide development, efficacy and grower-supported entomology trials across citrus, sugarcane, strawberries, fruiting and leafy vegetables, and tropical crops.

Drs. Hamm and Aglave examine strawberries at Florida Ag Research’s Dover, Florida, farm.

“Dr. Hamm’s combination of scientific depth, industry experience and leadership is exactly what our clients are looking for in a research partner,” Aglave said. “As a professional entomologist leading Ag Metrics Group’s southeast entomology program, he oversees the insecticide development, insectary and grower-supported entomological research at Florida Ag Research, designing high-value trials, generating reliable, decision-ready data and protecting our sponsors’ proprietary information at every step.”

Hamm’s work centers on high-pressure insect pest trials and practical, decision-focused insights for product development teams. These studies are conducted under rigorous, standardized methods with strict data confidentiality, so sponsors can rely on both the integrity of the results and the security of their proprietary information.

He specializes in major regional pests, including Asian citrus psyllid, chilli thrips, spider mites, aphids, whiteflies, scales, mealybugs and mango and pepper weevils. Hamm is a soft-bodied insect specialist with decades of work focused on laboratory and field trials with this insect pest group.

Drs. Aglave and Hamm in Florida Ag Research’s Plant Pathology Lab.

“With my background in global development programs, patent contributions and advancement of new chemistries, I know how critical it is for innovators to trust their data,” Hamm said. “Florida Ag Research and Ag Metrics Group are known for tight, field-grounded science and responsive client service. I’m excited to help our partners generate clear product differentiation and move new technologies efficiently toward commercialization.”

Florida Ag Research is an agricultural contract research organization specializing in field and greenhouse studies under Florida’s demanding production conditions. The company conducts efficacy, residue, agronomic and specialty research across citrus, vegetables, sugarcane, small fruits and other high-value crops.

Ag Metrics Group is an American agricultural consulting and contract research organization with almost five decades of science investigations and grower extension activities. Serving a diverse clientele that includes product manufacturers, grower cooperatives, and governmental agencies, Ag Metrics Group operates across North America through its regional centers: Pacific Ag Research, Michigan Ag Research and Florida Ag Research.