SDSU Soil Team Wins Regional Contest

By Scout Nelson

The South Dakota State University (SDSU) Soil Judging Team has achieved first place in the National Collegiate Soil Judging Region 5 competition, earning both team and individual honors.

The event featured nine university teams from South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. The top performance qualifies the SDSU team for the upcoming national contest at North Carolina State University, hosted by the Soil Science Society of America.

Desmith is appreciative of this experiential learning. "Being part of the soil judging team has been an amazing opportunity to apply what I have learned in the classroom to the field,” Desmith said. “It has deepened my understanding of soil and land management while providing valuable experience that I can draw on in my future career in agriculture."

Interaction with soil scientists who set up and judge the contests is beneficial. “We often get the opportunity to meet the landowners and the Natural Resources Conservation Service soil scientists who help set up the contest,” Osterloh said. “Students not only get to see what a soil scientist does, but they are actually doing a simplified version of what a professional soil scientist does for a living. It's a great experience for any level of professional development.”

Students judged soils across several categories, including landscape, morphology, hydraulic properties, taxonomy, and site interpretation. Each team’s results were verified through multiple grading checks, ensuring accuracy and fairness.

Karen Sanguinet, head of the Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science, congratulated the team for their achievement, saying she looks forward to seeing them compete nationally.

The SDSU Soil Judging Team includes students from various majors such as agronomy, agricultural education, natural resources, and engineering. The program offers hands-on field experience and fosters teamwork, scientific observation, and professional growth in agriculture.

Photo Credit: south-dakota-state-university