Knowing how to properly scout corn, soybean, or any commercial crop field is essential to understanding plant growth and identifying potential threats to profitability. The Youth Illinois Crop Scouting Competition puts teams of agriculture students to the test of skills that prepare them for life. This hands-on contest in August provides high school students from across the state the opportunity to learn and network.
"The Youth Crop Scouting Competition is back for a third year, providing a fun and educational opportunity for aspiring ag professionals to engage with students from around the state as well as agriculture researchers and experts,” says competition coordinator Talon Becker with University of Illinois Extension.
Agriculture professionals believe crop scouting is an important skill for farmers that can help lead to higher yields and increased profit per acre. Scouting keeps farmers aware of what is happening in the field with crop growth or yield stealers, including diseases, insects, and weeds. With this information, growers can strategically make the best management decisions to maximize yield and profit.
In the competition, teams of students will rotate through 10 stations to test their knowledge on topics including weeds, insects, disease identification, corn and soybean growth stages, abiotic injury, pesticide application, and integrated pest management.
"We want to help prepare students for success in their future careers in agriculture and environmental sciences by helping them apply their knowledge from the classroom in a hands-on, interactive manner,” says Becker.
University staff will judge the teams to determine results, and the top four teams will win cash prizes. The top two teams will advance to represent Illinois at the regional competition.
Source: newherald.news
Photo Credit: University of Illinois
Categories: Illinois, Education