SDSU Soil Judging Team

South Dakota State University

college of agriculture & biological sciences

Soil Judging Team

April 30, 2009

South Dakota State University Soil Judging Team – 11th Place

On April 1-3, 2009 the South Dakota State University Soil Judging Team participated in the American Society of Agronomy Student Activities Subdivision National Collegiate Soil Judging Contest hosted by Southwest Missouri State University at Springfield, MO. Soil judging provides practical experience in evaluating the physical and chemical properties of soils important in making land use decisions. Soil forming factors (including site characteristics), soil classification, land use interpretations, and soil morphology are all key parts of the judging process. Twenty-four teams from across the United States qualified for the national contest. More than 40 universities and colleges are involved with soil judging in the US. Kansas State University placed first with 3105 points, Purdue University placed second with 3084 points, and SDSU placed 11th with 2983 points out of a possible 3850 points. In the individual part of the contest Brad Heyne placed fourth with 873 points out of 1050 possible points, only 15 points from first place. Matt Hansen placed 30th with 818 points. Other team members include Jared Knips, Daniel Clay, Darin Kopplin, and Nick Hibma. Carrie Werkmeister-Karki is the Assistant Coach and Doug Malo is the Coach of the SDSU Soil Judging Team.