The Kansas State University Weed Science teams recently had a successful showing, placing first in numerous categories at the regional North Central Weed Science Society/Western Society of Weed Science Collegiate Contest. The event was co-hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, North Platte and Monsanto Co., at the Water Utilization Learning Center near Gothenburg, Nebraska.
K-State competed with two undergraduate teams and one graduate team. All team members are agronomy majors. One of the undergraduate teams took first place among all undergraduate teams competing in the contest. Members of that team and their hometowns included: Keren Duerksen, Newton; Trent Frye, Belleville; Sarah Zerger, Cheney; and Peter Bergkamp, Cheney.
Sarah Zerger placed first overall undergraduate, farmer problem solving and identification of herbicide symptomology. Keren Duerksen placed second overall undergraduate and first in weed identification.
This team also placed first in the Undergraduate Team Field Sprayer Calibration event. The other undergraduate team placed third among all undergraduate teams and members were Kaylin Fink, Chapman; Oakley Kauffman, Cheney; Dakota Came, Salina; and Hayden Heigele, Longford.
K-State also had the first place Graduate Team among teams competing in the Western division of the contest, with the following members: Tyler Meyeres, Vilas, Colorado; Lindsey Gastler, Martinsburg, Missouri; Larry ‘Joey’ Rains, Lone Jack, Missouri; and Luke Chism, Beloit. Chandrima Shyam, Durgapur, India, participated as an individual.
Meyeres placed first overall graduate score and Rains placed third overall graduate score. Individual event winners were Lindsey Gastler, weed identification, and Joey Rains, farmer problem solving event. This team also placed first in Graduate Team Field Sprayer Calibration event.
K-State Weed Science team coaches were Anita Dille, Kevin Donnelly, and Dallas Peterson.
The contest consists of four events: weed identification, farmer problem solving, written calibration problems and team field sprayer calibration, and identification of herbicide symptomology. Eighty-two students competed from 11 universities across the north central and western regions.
