AGRONOMY
C. INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES
3. Rotational Practicums (Total Possible 300 points)
ODD YEARS EVEN YEARS
Seed Analysis Grain Grading Fertilizer Herbicide & Pesticide
Insects Disorders
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a. Seed Analysis – (100 points)
Contestants will find and identify crop and weed seeds in a base sample of a common crop.
1. Four samples will be analyzed in 45 minutes.
100 points total (25 points per sample).
2. The samples will be selected from the follow- ing crops: alfalfa,barley, grain sorghum., hard red winter wheat, oat and soybean. The seed quantities before the addition of impurities will be 5 grams of alfalfa,30 grams of barley, grain sorghum and wheat and 65 g rams of soybean.
3. Contestants will be provided forceps,flat-sided sticks, magnifying lenses and an analysis board provided to aid in seed analysis separation.
4. Admixtures will be named according to common names as in the identification list except as in rule number seven, special rules for specific crops.
5 . The con testants must classify all seeds mixed with the base sample. The seed wi ll be cl a s s i f i ed as ei t h er a) Crop and/or Va ri eti e s , or b) Weed s . 6. No less than three seeds of any impurity will
be added to a sample. All crop and weed seeds must be mature. Only impurities listed as per- missible on the identification list may be used.
7. Special rules for specific crops:
Wheat – Base material will be any pure sam - ple of hard red winter wheat.
a. Hard red spring or soft red winter wheat will not be used as mixtures in hard red winter wheat. Two or more red wheat will not be used as admixtures in the same sample or another crop.
b. Wheat types used as admixtures in other crops will be identified only as red wheat, white wheat, and durum wheat.
Oat – Base material will be any pure sample of white or yellow oat.
a. Gray, black and hulled oat will not be used as admixtures in oat or other crop samples.
b. White and yellow oat will not be inter- mixed.
c. any cultivated oat found as an admixture in other crop samples will be identified only as oats.
Grain sorghum – Base material will be any pure sample of yellow grain sorghum.
a. Sudangrass must be shown in the glume.
Alfalfa – Base material will be any pure sam- ple of alfalfa.
a. Sweetclover will not be used as an admix- ture in alfalfa.
Soybean – Base material will be any yellow soybean variety.
a. Variety mixtures will not be used.
Scoring system for seed analysis:
1. The total score per sample will be 25 points.
2. Points will be allotted for proper identification of the seed based on the numb er of impurities that are in the sample.
3. Points will be deducted for listing impurities that are not in the sample
b. Fertilizer Practicum – (100 points)
E ach participant wi ll be given two samples of s oi l . Pa rticipants are to com p l ete the fo ll owing for each s a m p l e .
1. Perform a rapid field test for nitrogen, phos- phorous, potassium, and pH.
2. Written recommendation for additives.
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c. Insect Identification – (100 points)
1. Ten samples will be identified according to insect name, life cycle, economic impact and mouthpart. (Id 4 points, 2 points life cycle, 2 points for economic effect, and 2 points mouthpart = 10 total)
2. List of insects for identification:
Aphids Whitefly Alfalfa Weevil Grasshopper Boll weevil Cricket Japanese beetle Cutworms Honeybee Lady bird beetle Green lacewing Stink bug Army worm Lygus
Spotted cucumber beetle Beanleaf beetle
Chinch bug
European corn borer Corn ear worm Wireworm Flea beetle Assassin bug Spittle bug Blister beetle Mexican bean beetle tobacco/tomato horn worm Potato beetle
Leafhopper Leaf skeletonizer Boll worm
3. Possible life cycles for insects:
Life cycle Complete Incomplete None
4. Economic Impact:
None or predatory Destruction of fruit/flower
Destruction of vegetative parts (roots & leaves) Destruction by removal of plant fluids
d. Grain Grading – (100 points)
Participants will determine the grade of wheat, corn or soybeans. Grain grading will be done in accordance with the Official U.S. Standards for Grain.
1. Two samples will be graded in 45 minutes.
Each sample is worth 50 points.
2. Participants will be given a base sample to determine the class and/or subclass of grain.
3. Participants will be provided written informa- tion about grain samples (i.e. test weight, moisture, odor and special grade information).
4. Participants will be given visual samples of heat damaged kernels, foreign material, splits, broken corn and foreign material,shrunken and broken kernels, defects total, and dockage in a vacuum-sealed package. Raw weights of each defect will be g iven and participants will calculate the percentage of each based on the flow chart provided.
5. Participants will complete the Grain Grading Answer Sheet using only the appropriate spaces.
6. Upon completion of the grain grading the participant will determine a price for that grain based on discounts and premiums provided on the discount schedule.
7. Not all classes, subclasses and special grades included in the Official U.S.Standards for Grain will be used in the CDE. The following classes, subclasses,special grades and other special rules will apply:
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Corn
a. Class – White, Yellow or Mixed.
Determined by inspection of the base sample or from any visual factors in the sealed bag.
b. Special grade - Infested.
Soybean
a. Class – Yellow or Mixed. Determined by inspection of the base sample or from any visual factors in the sealed bag .
b. Special grades – Garlicky, Infested or Purple mottled or stained.
c. Soybean of other colors is not a grading factor for the class of Mixed Soybeans.
Wheat
a. Class – Hard Red Winter, Soft Red Winter and Hard Red Spring.
b. Subclass – Dark Northern Spring, Northern Spring and Red Spring are used when grading hard red spring wheat.
c. Special grades – Ergoty, Garlicky, Infested, Light Smutty, Smutty and Treated.
8 . For the special grade infe s ted live weevils wi ll i n clu de ri ce weevi l s , gra n a ry weevi l s , cowpe a weevi l s ,m a i ze weevils and lesser grain borers . Ot h er live insects inju rious to stored grains wi ll i n clu de An go u m ois grain moth, Indian meal- m o t h , s aw - too t h ed grain beet l e , con f u s ed flour beet l e , red flour beet l e , vetch bru chids and the l a rvae of a ny of these insect s . In s ect infe s t a ti on wi ll be given as wri t ten inform a ti on .
9. For the special grade Garlicky, 3 green garlic bulblets equals 3 dry or partly dry bulblets.
Green bulblets have retained all their husks.
Dry or partly dry bulblets have lost all or par t of their husks.
e. Herbicide and Pesticide Practicum (100 points) Each participant will be given two samples.
Participants are to complete the following for each sample:
1. Label, proper use, handling (content).
2. Student receives a field scout report. They will prepare a written recommendation to respond to the report. The student will be provided with labels and a scouting report.
f. Disorders – (100 points)
1. Ten samples will be identified according to name, cause, and damage (6 points identifica- tion of disorder, 2 points for causing agent, bacteria,fungi, virus, nutritional, mechanical, cultural or nematodes, 2 points for damage, none, destruction of fruit or flower, destruc- tion of vegetative parts, blockage of vascular bundles.
Possible Disorders - N, P, K deficiencies Powdery mildew Smut
Root rot Ergot
Stalk rots (gibberella and charcoal) Rusts
Galls Cankers Blight Frost
Wind damage Drought Hail Herbicide
Wilts (fusiarium, verticullum) Mosaics (TMV)
Scab Fe Chlorosis Scale Mold
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V. TIEBREAKERS
If ties occur for team awards the following events will be used to determine the placings:
1. Team Activity 2. Total Written Exam
If ties occur for individual awards the following events will be used to determine the placings:
1. Written Exam
2. Total Annual Practicum 3. Total Rotational Practicums
VI. AWARDS
Awards will be presented at an awards ceremony. Awards are presented to teams as well as individuals based upon their rankings. Awards are sponsored by a cooperating industry sponsor(s) as a Special Project, and/or by the general fund of the National FFA Foundation.
VII. REFERENCES:
This list of references is not intended to be inclusive. Other sources may be utilized and teachers are encouraged to make use of the very best instructional materials available.
The following list contains references that may prove helpful during event preparation.
Ohio Agronomy Guide- Ohio Extension University of Arizona, College of Agriculture - Plant Growth and Development
Plant Production Management Weeds
Insects
Corn and Soybean Field Guide– Purdue Extension Nasco References
Oklahoma State University, Cooperative Extension Service – L-216 Corn Kernel damage
L- 215 Soybean Kernel damage L- 213 Wheat Kernel damage
Kansas State University, Agronomy Department Grain Grading Manual for wheat, corn and soybean University of Illinois, College of Agriculture -
Crop Plant Booklet Weed Plant Booklet Field Scouting Manual