Looking for a fun club project? Want to unite your club members? Running out of ideas for club meetings? If you answered, “yes” to any of these questions, help is on the way! Nebraska Extension is pleased to present the second annual Crop Scouting Competition for Nebraska youth. It offers youth an opportunity to learn about crop growth and development and basic crop scouting principles.
Don’t know a lot about crops? Ask a local agronomist to assist by providing a short lesson on crop production.
This contest will be held at UNL's Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead on August 2. The event will include indoor and outdoor events. Teams of junior high and high school students (those completing 7-12th grades) from across Nebraska are invited to participate.
Clubs or other organizations may enter a team composed of three or four participants. An adult team leader must accompany each team of students. Team leaders could be FFA advisors, crop consultants, extension staff, coop employees, etc.
Top-scoring teams win prizes: $500 for first, $250 for second, $100 for third place.
Teams will be expected to know the basics of scouting corn and soybean fields. This includes crop staging; looking for patterns of crop injury; disease, insect and weed seedling identification; etc. Other topics many include but are not limited to, pesticide safety, nutrient disorders, and herbicide injury.
More information about the crop scouting competition and instructions on how to register a team are available online at cropwatch.unl.edu/youth via the “Crop Scouting Competition.” The top two teams will be eligible to participate in the regional competition in late August at Iowa.
Teams must be registered by July 18. Registration is $50/team; the fee will be refunded when the team attends the competition. Payment by check is due along with the registration form. This program is sponsored by DuPont Pioneer, the Nebraska Soybean Board, Nebraska Independent Crop Consultant Association and Nebraska Extension.
