By Sydney Peterson and Maya Hayslett
On July 24, youth from around the state enjoyed a fun day in the field at the Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competition. Eleven youth teams in grades 7-12 traveled to Wyffels Hybrids in Ames to test their integrated pest management skills through several tasks and challenges.
The event, hosted by the Iowa State University Integrated Pest Management Program and Iowa 4-H Youth Development, provided youth with the opportunity to work with and learn from agronomists and professionals in crop-related careers. The teams prepared months in advance for a chance to win cash prizes and an opportunity to compete with teams from Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kentucky and Indiana at the Regional Crop Scouting Competition on Sept. 13, also in Ames.
Iowa State University faculty and staff, as well as industry professionals, served as judges at each of the eight field stations. Field stations focused on crop management of corn and soybeans. Each station included insects, weeds, diseases, abiotic injury, pesticide use and sprayer calibration, cover crops, crop growth stages and modern scouting tools. Specialists tested each team's knowledge on the topic but also took the time to talk with the youth and answer questions.
Source : iastate.edu