By Andi Anderson
The 2025 Iowa Youth Crop Scouting Competition will take place on July 24 at Wyffels Hybrids in Ames, offering middle and high school students a unique opportunity to explore agriculture and agronomy through hands-on experiences. Registration is open until July 1 for teams of students in grades 7 to 12.
Organized by Iowa 4-H and Iowa State University’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program, this annual event is designed to help youth learn the fundamentals of crop scouting while working together as a team.
Participants rotate through various field stations and are judged on their ability to identify crop issues such as diseases, insects, weed species, and growth stages. They also learn about sprayer calibration, pesticide usage, and cover crops.
Each station is led by experts from ISU and agriculture professionals, giving students the chance to learn directly from industry leaders.
“Teams prepare in advance to build knowledge of pest identification, crop management, and scouting techniques,” said Maya Hayslett, crop science youth education specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach.
Winners are selected based on their performance at the stations. The top four teams receive cash prizes, and the top two teams advance to the regional competition against other Midwest states in September.
Students will also enjoy lunch from Hickory Park, network with peers across Iowa, and visit the ISU agronomy and agricultural engineering departments to explore career options.
Resources like a coach’s guide, study materials, and last year’s event recap video are available online to help students prepare.
This event is supported by sponsors such as Corteva, Bayer, Syngenta, Wyffels Hybrids, and others who are committed to supporting future leaders in agriculture.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-poike
Categories: Iowa, Rural Lifestyle