FFA Agronomy Career Development Events
The Agronomy portion of the Kansas State Career Development Events in Agriculture provides an opportunity for high school students to improve their agronomic knowledge and skills. District and State Agronomy events are held each year with the State event hosted by the Agronomy Department at Kansas State University in late April or early May. The Agronomy Event consists of four parts:
- Identification of plants and seeds of important Kansas crops and weeds.
- Grain Grading and Seed Analysis of important Kansas crops.
- Agronomic Quiz focused on basic principles of crop production and soil management, plus calculations related to agronomic practices (fertilizer application, seeding rates, harvest losses, yield estimation, sprayer calibration, etc.). Focus will be on the major grain crops (wheat, corn, sorghum, soybean, sunflowers, canola) and forages (alfalfa, fescue, bromegrass, native range) grown in Kansas. Questions may include topics related to preserving environmental quality, water quality, soil conservation, and sustainability.
- Soils, Fertilizers, Crops, and Herbicides Practicum where students will perform simple analyses or answer questions. Students may have to: identify fertilizer products, insects, diseases, feed ingredients, and agronomic equipment; interpret herbicide, seed, and fertilizer labels or soil test analyses; perform soil texture analysis, interpret soil survey information; name common nutrient deficiencies shown on crop plants; identify crop growth stages or common plant structures, etc.