AMES, Iowa — The annual weed identification contest at the Iowa State Fair will be held Friday, Aug. 13 from 9-11:30 a.m. in front of the John Deere Agriculture Building.
Organized by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the contest offers fun competition for the whole family with three divisions (Future Agronomists – youth under age 19; General and Professional). Following the contest, winners will be announced at the 3 p.m. awards ceremony inside the John Deere Agricultural Building.
The top five winners in each division will walk away with a cash prize and a coveted Iowa State Fair ribbon. Future agronomists will identify 20 common Iowa weeds, those in the general division will identify 30 weeds, and professionals will identify all 30, plus five extra-challenging Iowa weeds.
“We’re excited to be back at the fair this year and invite all weed identification enthusiasts to see how their ID skills stack up against the best,” said Meaghan Anderson, extension field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and contest organizer. “If you aren’t ready now, there’s plenty of time to study up and improve your skills!”
“This is a great way for participants to test and improve their knowledge of weed identification,” said Bob Hartzler, professor emeritus at Iowa State University and retired extension weed specialist. “Identification is key to managing weeds, and it’s easy to misidentify certain weeds if we don’t study them closely.”
For more information on the contest, contact Anderson at mjanders@iastate.edu. Not sure you’re ready for the big day? Use the ID resources listed below to study up in advance:
- Weed Identification Field Guide – 2nd Edition, $5-$10
- University of Missouri Weed ID Guide
- Michigan State University Turf Weeds
- University of Illinois Weed Identification page
- iNaturalist app available for Apple and Android devices or at iNaturalist.org
— Meaghan Anderson, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
For more news from Iowa, click here.
