Youth Test Pest Management Skills During 2022 Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competition

AMES, Iowa – Youth in grades 7-12 from throughout Iowa examined their built-in pest administration expertise via a number of duties and challenges, each within the area and within the classroom, in the course of the twelfth annual Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competitors on July 28.

The occasion, hosted by the Iowa State College Built-in Pest Administration Program and Iowa 4-H Youth Improvement, supplied youth with the chance to work with and be taught from Iowa State college, employees, agronomists and professionals in crop-related careers. Groups competed on the Discipline Extension Schooling Laboratory in Boone. The groups ready months prematurely for an opportunity to win money prizes and a possibility to compete with groups from Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Indiana on the Regional Crop Scouting Competitors on Sept. 15 at Purdue College in Indiana.

The annual competitors examined and elevated college students’ information within the areas of IPM, crop progress and pest identification, in addition to demonstrated the numerous careers out there in agriculture, in keeping with Maya Hayslett, crop science youth training specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach.

Discipline stations targeted on crop administration of corn and soybeans and included subjects on bugs, weeds, ailments, abiotic damage, pesticide use and sprayer calibration, cowl crops, progress levels and crop morphology. Specialists examined every group’s information on the subject and supplied suggestions and dialogue on their solutions. As well as, youth got a written take a look at to guage their understanding of IPM ideas and finest practices to make sure particular person group member mastery. After judging was full, youth loved lunch and team-building actions so teenagers who traveled from everywhere in the state might get to know one another.

“The aim of the Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competitors is to teach Iowa youth on the fundamentals of built-in pest administration, fostering a lifetime of understanding concerning the ideas and significance of IPM, and thus bettering high quality of life by growing financial returns and decreasing the unintended environmental impacts of agriculture,” Hayslett famous. “It additionally offers youth with the chance to work together with ag professionals.”  

A choose on the competitors commented, “The Iowa Youth Scouting Competitors offers youth with a possibility to showcase their information about corn and soybean manufacturing administration. Maybe extra vital, nonetheless, is the profit to work together with ag manufacturing specialists from ISU and business to be taught concerning the dozens of careers out there in agriculture.”  

Receiving first place on this competitors was Clayton County Staff Quantity 2, adopted by Clayton County Staff No 1 in second place. Clayton County groups have been led by Joe and Suzanne Shirbroun. Clayton County Staff Quantity 2 members are Nick Deitchler, Ben Gibson and Jake Schilling. Clayton County Staff No 1 members are Lane Orr, Tristan Weigand and Keaton Klingman. These high two groups from Clayton County will probably be advancing to the regional competitors.

The East Pottawattamie County group led by Tom Tougher took third place. Members are Roman Scheffler, Collin Tougher, Parker Weirich and Abbie Willet.

The Royal Farmers from Cherokee County led by Ann and Jeff Goth got here in fourth. Members are Derek Goth and Kaden Galles.

These high 4 profitable groups obtained a money prize for his or her accomplishments.

Awards, lunch and different occasion assist have been made attainable by the next sponsors: Corteva Agriscience, Iowa 4-H Basis, Bayer, United Soybean Board, Syngenta, Iowa Impartial Crop Consultants Affiliation, Iowa Licensed Crop Advisors, and Environmental Tillage Programs.

Study extra concerning the Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competitors by visiting the IPM web site.

Shareable photograph and caption: Crop Scouting Competitors first place group Clayton County 2 (left to proper) Jake Schilling, Nick Deitchler, and Ben Gibson. Photograph courtesy of Lexa Krause.