The Illinois Youth Crop Scouting Competition is a one-day, hands-on contest that gives teams of students from across the state the chance to test their agronomic knowledge directly in the field. Knowing how to properly scout corn, soybean, or any commercial crop field is essential for understanding plant growth and identifying potential threats to yields and profitability. Effective scouting provides farmers an early look at crop development, insect or weed pressures, and other field conditions so they can make informed and timely management decisions.
Teams of 2 to 5 high-school-aged youth (grades 9-12 in spring 2026) accompanied by an adult coach will rotate through 10 outdoor stations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign South Farm fields. They will test their skills in areas such as weed, insect, and disease identification; determining corn and soybean growth stages; assessing abiotic injury; pesticide application; and integrated pest management. Teams are scored by judges including University faculty, graduate students, specialists, and Extension educators. Cash prizes for the top four scoring teams. The top two teams will also advance to compete against students in other states and represent Illinois at the regional competition. For a bonus in 2026 – Illinois is the regional host! Our advancing teams won’t have to travel far to compete at the next level.
For event details or to register teams by July 1st, visit go.illinois.edu/CropScouting. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, contact Meagan Diss at mcdiss@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet access needs.
We hope to see your team in the field this summer!
Best regards,
Meagan
Meagan Diss
Commercial Agriculture Specialist
Illinois Extension
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
321 210thAvenue
Monmouth, IL 61462
217-300-5386 | mcdiss@illinois.edu
extension.illinois.edu|aces.illinois.edu
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