Topping off another excellent year, the NCTA Crops Judging team retained their 1st place title in the Crops contest and added the top spot in Precision Agriculture at the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Judging Conference hosted by West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas.
In the extensive Crops contest, students tackled questions on crop production, pest control, and soil science; solved real-world agronomic math problems; interpreted lab data and identified diseases, insects, and equipment; and identified 75 crop and weed samples by sight. The contest effectively draws upon certified agronomy standards, comprehensively testing participants' agronomic knowledge and field-ready skills.
The NCTA Crops team placed 1st overall, with individual Placings: 1st – Leah Schutz, Elwood; 4th – Sean Lucas, Bailey, CO; 5th – Owen Harb, Grand Island; 6th – Jay Mintling, Hayes Center; and 8th – Delany Salm, Kendall, WI.
Agronomy Professor Dr. Brad Ramsdale, coach, shared of the event, "The Crops contest was again a wonderful learning experience that challenged students in the diverse knowledge set required of a Certified Crop Advisor."
The Precision Agriculture competition tests participants' expertise in the latest technologies, problem-solving skills, and practical crop and livestock management applications.
The NCTA Precision Agriculture team placed 1st with the competitors Tyler Keener, Delany Salm, Leah Schutz, and Jay Mintling.
In keeping with NCTA's focus on student industry experiences, Ramsdale coordinated additional stops during the trip, sharing, "The team experienced some excellent agriculture tours that included McCarty Dairy, a 10,000 head operation near Rexford, KS; Quien Sabe Feedlot, and Quarterway Sustainable Cotton in the Texas Panhandle. West Texas also provided the opportunity for some hiking in the Paula Duro and Capstone Rock canyons."
Part of the University of Nebraska system, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is a two-year institution with a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology, and related industries. NCTA is known for its affordable tuition, high job-placement rate for its graduates, and student teams' success in competitive activities, including crops judging, ranch horse events, livestock judging, shotgun sports, stock dog trials, and intercollegiate rodeo. The college is consistently ranked as one of the best two-year schools in the nation.
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