AMES, Iowa –The top two teams of youth from Iowa, Nebraska and Indiana state crop scouting competitions competed in the Regional Crop Scouting Competition on Aug. 31 in Boone, Iowa. Both Iowa teams, Clayton County and Kuhlmann Seed, placed first and second at the regional competition.
Individual team members took a written test before heading out to field stations located throughout the Field Extension Education Lab. Iowa State University and Purdue University extension specialists served as judges at each field station, which tested each team’s knowledge of insects, weeds, diseases, deficiencies, growth stages and crop disorders. The overall goal of the competition is for youth to learn more about integrated pest management and scouting, and have the chance to learn and interact with extension specialists.
Sponsors for this regional event included DuPont Pioneer, Iowa Soybean Association On-Farm Network, Environmental Tillage Systems Inc., C8MP Ltd., Nebraska Extension, Purdue Extension and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Locally, the Nebraska Independent Crop Consultant Association sponsored teams to participate at regionals.
Overall, 111 youth participated in all three state crop scouting competitions in the Midwest this year. Next year, the top two teams from the Iowa Crop Scouting Competition will travel to Indiana for the 2017 regional competition.
First Place: Clayton County
Students: Max Gibson, Ted Hilgerson, Andrey Shirbroun, Cole Deitchler and Matt Whittle (Clayton County 4-H members)
Coaches: Joe and Suzanne Shirbroun, Pioneer seed dealers, in Farmersburg, Iowa.
Second Place: Kuhlmann Seed
Students: Brady Fredericks, Hannah Holdsworth, Connor Garrett and Emily Boettger
Coach: Randall Kuhlmann of Kuhlmann Seed in Denison, Iowa.
[PHOTO] Clayton County Team, By Brandon Kleinke
[PHOTO] Kuhlmann Seed Team, By Brandon Kleinke