NIU Geography Students Qualify for National Soil Judging Competition

A team of NIU students qualified for the American Society of Agronomy's (ASA) national soil judging contest after placing first and third in the regional group and team competitions (respectively) hosted by the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point this week. NIU's soil judging team consisted of undergraduate geography and geology students and was "coached" by Associate Professor Mike Konen, with assistance from geography graduate students Jericho Winter and Zach Ankrom.

The ASA soil judging contests challenge competitors to correctly identify and classify the properties of selected soil horizons as well as interpret the suitability of the soils for various land use activities. Preparation for the regional competition involved classroom-based examination of geologic and soil maps and four days of field-based preparation near Tomahawk, Wisconsin.

The competition provided an opportunity for NIU students to not only hone their applied soil science skills--which are much sought after by universities, government agencies, and agricultural and environmental consulting companies--but also develop constructive relationships with students from neighboring universities. The six-person NIU team is currently preparing for the national competition which will be located in Missouri in spring 2009.

See more pictures taken at the regional competition.