Youth Crop Scouting Competition

About the Competition
competitors

The purpose of the competition is to

  • Provide students an opportunity to learn crop scouting and principles of integrated pest management (IPM) for corn and soybeans in Nebraska,
  • To obtain knowledge and skills that will be helpful in future careers
  • Demonstrate newer crop scouting technologies.

CASH PRIZES AVAILABLE!

  • First place- $500
  • Second Place- $250
  • Third Place- $100

Print Program Details and Registration Form!

2023 Competition is Sponsored by: 

  • Nebraska Independent Crop Consultant Association
  • Ward Laboratories Inc.
  • Nebraska Soybean Board
  • UNL's Doctor of Plant Health Program

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: 

Brandy VanDeWalle
Extension Educator
brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu
(402) 759-3712

4-H winners

Colfax County 4-H team #2 received second place at the Regional Youth Crop Scouting Competition in 2023.

The 2019 Crop Scouting Contest winners and a photo overview of the day's event.

2023 Crop Scouting Competition


For 2023, there will be the opportunity for youth to "Ask An Agronomist" questions about weeds, diseases, insects and other general scouting information to help them prepare for the competition.
Participants can join this summer to learn about Weeds, Growth Staging, Insects, Diseases & General Scouting Info

Nebraska Extension is pleased to offer the 9th annual Crop Scouting Competition for Nebraska youth  on August 2nd.

  • Program for 4-H or FFA Youth who have completed 5-12th grades.
  • Team coaches can be extension faculty/staff, ag teachers, agronomists, or interested community members.

Registration has closed!

Click here to register your team (limited to 10 teams)

The competition consists of: 

  • a team gaming quiz
  • field stations via zoom (corn/soybean diseases, abiotic/biotic problems, soybean/corn insects, corn/soybean growth staging, weed ID, nutrient mgmt., research, and general scouting)

Opportunities For Youth This Year

We are providing, "Office hours with an Agronomist". Join us July 25, 2023 at 6pm for an hour with our UNL Agronomists. Nebraska Extension agronomist/specialists will share some scouting information and answer your questions. If you missed the "Ask an Agronomist" session, here is the recording. 

Nebraska Extension is also pleased to announce that we will be hosting the 2023 Regional Youth Crop Scouting Competition at ENREC on September 18, 2023.

Related Articles

Tammy Mittelstet on RFD-TV

Mittelstet Talks Nebraska Ag Education with RFD-TV

November 17, 2023
In this RFD-TV segment, Tammy Mittelstet, CASNR statewide education and careers pathways coordinator, discusses the educational programs offered across the state to prepare K-12 students for ag-related careers.

Read more

Colfax County #2 team listens to educator in field
Colfax County #2 team members participate in a discussion during the 2023 Regional Youth Crop Scouting Competition. After winning first place in the state competition, the team placed second in regionals.

Future Agronomists at Work

September 29, 2023
All Nebraska youth who participated in the 2023 Regional Youth Crop Scouting Competition earned accolades for exhibiting their knowledge and skills in nine separate crop scouting exercises throughout the contest. 

Read more

Competition participants in group photo
Eight teams comprised of Nebraska youth competed in this year's Nebraska Youth Crop Scouting Competition.

Nebraska Youth Crop Scouting Competition Results

August 17, 2023
Following their third place victory in 2022, the Colfax County 4-H #2 team claimed first place honors in this year's competition, securing the opportunity to compete at regionals in September.

Read more

Competition flyer

10th Annual Youth Crop Scouting Competition Registration Open

May 4, 2023
The Aug. 2 competition will feature events on crop staging, patterns of crop injury, disease, insect and weed seedling identification, pesticide safety, nutrient disorders and herbicide injury.

Read more

Kids in tractor
For safety training, Nebraska teens will have two locations to choose from — North Platte and Grand Island — and eight locations where they can take the final tractor driving test to receive certification. See testing sites and registration information below.

2023 Tractor Safety Training for Teens Kicks Off in May

March 29, 2023
Two training locations and eight testing sites will be available to Nebraska teens seeking tractor and equipment safety certification.

Read more