Crops Judging Team stands out for student-focused instructional approach

Garrett Kuss, coach of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Crops Judging Team, empowers his students to guide the club’s instructional focus. The result: increased value for team members in preparing them for a career in agronomy. 

“Many of the members are strongly self-motivated to want to do well,” said Kuss, a Doctor of Plant Health student. “So, we let the students decide — where am I lacking, where am I struggling? And that's how we build our curriculum.” 

The range of agronomic topics students must tackle is sweeping, encompassing soil properties, plant anatomy and growth, pest management, cropping systems, field mapping and weather dynamics.

A student might have little experience with sprayer calibration, for example, said Kuss, a Seward, Nebraska, native.

“So, we know that's what we're going to cover in curriculum,” he said. “It's been really cool to see a lot of the older kids, who have taken a lot of the 400-level classes, be able to teach some of the freshmen.” 

Thayer Jonak, a senior agronomy major from Grand Island, Nebraska, said he has found his extracurricular experience on the crops team “incredibly valuable.” 

“Getting to regularly use the information I’m learning from other courses on the crops team helps me further my understanding of concepts,” he said. “For me, the crops team helps bring all my learning full circle, from education to practicality in the field.” 

On Feb. 15, the Husker team hosted more than 100 crops team students and coaches from seven two- or four-year schools for a regional crops judging competition. In four stations in Plant Science Hall and Keim Hall, students tested their knowledge via an agronomic exam, ag-focused math exam, plant and seed identification exam and lab practical with questions on topics such as weed science, entomology and plant pathology.

Teams hailed from schools including Iowa State University, Kansas State University, Oklahoma Panhandle State University and West Texas A&M University. 

Each year, the UNL Crops Judging Team travels to two regional spring contests and two national (spring and fall) contests in association with the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture organization and the Students of Agronomy, Soils and Environmental Sciences program.

Participation in crops judging provides students with practical preparation for a range of careers. The wide-ranging exams during competitions cover every aspect of being an agronomist and scouting in the fields, Kuss said.

“Any question that a customer might come to you or someone in Extension might come to you, that's what we’re testing on,” he said.

Jonak praises Kuss’ teaching approach, especially his ability to listen to feedback from team members.

Rather than focusing above all on winning competitions, “we decided collectively as a team that we would strive to improve as always, but at a pace that fits our schedules,” Jonak said. “We feel that taking things slow and not burning out allows us all to enjoy participating and look forward to showing up every week.”

Don Lee, a professor of agronomy and horticulture specializing in plant breeding and genetics, said Kuss has greatly advanced as an agronomist and coach over the past two years.

“He's so good at teaching those little, insightful things that help our team out,” said Lee, who has helped the club for the past several years. 

A spirit of camaraderie consistently stands out for the crops team, he said.

“(Team members) are spending time every week reviewing what they’re learning in classes, sharing with the other team members what they are currently learning in classes,” he said. “They’re going above and beyond.”

That dedication, plus the breadth of instruction, boosts the value for team members, Kuss said. 

“As far as preparing yourself for the real world and trying to get a job after college, I think this is the best place a student could be,” he said.