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Illinois Extension Youth Crop Scouting Competition Grows Interest in Agricultural Careers

By Jenna Braasch

The Illinois Extension Youth Crop Scouting Competition provides youth the opportunity to learn what’s going on in crops today to strengthen tomorrow’s agricultural leaders. Having the skills to scout farm fields allows people to better understand what is happening with crop growth or yield stealers, including diseases, insects, and weeds. Preventive knowledge helps growers strategically make the best management decisions to maximize yields and profitability.

Both Illinois 4-H and Illinois Association FFA youth teams competing in the youth crop scouting competition on Aug. 4 at the University of Illinois Crop Sciences Research & Education Center in Champaign learned more about what’s going on in today’s farm fields than they arrived that morning.

Source : illinois.edu

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Residue Management

Video: Residue Management

Residue Management conservation practice manages the amount, orientation, and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the soil surface year-round while limiting soil-disturbing activities used to grow and harvest crops in systems where the field surface is tilled prior to planting. This video explores how Ryan McKenzie implemented this conservation practice on his farm in Samson, Alabama.

Practice benefits:

• Increases organic matter

• Improves air quality

• Decreases energy costs

• Reduces erosion

• Improves soil health

The Conservation at Work video series was created to increase producer awareness of common conservation practices and was filmed at various locations throughout the country. Because conservation plans are specific to the unique resource needs on each farm and also soil type, weather conditions, etc., these videos were designed to serve as a general guide to the benefits of soil and water conservation and landowners should contact their local USDA office for individual consultation.