2013 State FFA Crops ContestInsect Practicum Key

Name: _____________________________________FFA Chapter: _______________________________Contestant No.: ______________________________

All questions are worth 3 points, except questions 6 and 7 which are worth 4 points each.

1. Insect damage often reflects the style of feeding done by the insect. For example, wilting would be caused by insects with piercing and sucking mouthparts while those with biting and chewing mouthparts would cause defoliation. What kind of damage would you expect to see from Japanese beetles?

a. defoliationb. leaf dropc. stem clippingd. wilting

2. Crop rotation is an example of what kind of pest management tactic?a. biological controlb. cultural controlc. genetic controld. pheremonal control

3. For crop rotation to work well, the pest must:a. have a very limited host rangeb. a relatively immobile feeding stagec. both of the aboved. neither, crop rotation will function well regardless

4. Corn rootworm adults damage corn by:a. clipping silks, thereby reducing fertilization so ears don't completely fillb. direct feeding on kernels, decreasing the amount of harvestable grainc. feeding and tunneling in the roots of the plantd. feeding on root hairs causing premature termination of root development

5. A two-year rotation of corn and soybean has historically been used as a control for corn rootworm. In this management tactic, rootworms overwintering in last year's corn will emerge this year into soybean, which they cannot eat. This tactic is now less effective in some production areas. Why?

a. corn rootworm have developed alternate hosts, breaking the lack of food caused by the rotationb. corn rootworm strains have developed that remain in the egg stage for two years, defeating the crop rotationc. more mobile corn rootworm larvae have developed that can travel to neighboring corn fieldsd. rootworm strains have developed that can feed on soybean

Scouting for injurious crop pests is a standard best management practice. The objective of scouting for insects is to identify the insects present in your fields, determine which ones are or may become a problem, and assess numbers and damage so a decision on action can be made. This means sampling for insects and examining plants.

6. While it is thought soybean aphids first colonize large fields on the southern edge, they are not there for very long and disperse readily across the whole field. What sampling pattern would be appropriate to scout for soybean aphid?

a. follow a box pattern - walking the perimeter of the fieldb. follow a W pattern across the field - entering at one end of the field and exiting at the same endc. scout along one transect from the southern edge to the middle of the fieldd. scout only the southern edge of fields

7. There are five grasshopper species in Minnesota that tend to be agricultural pests, none of them like to lay eggs in tilled soil. If you were scouting for them in the spring, what pattern would likely be most useful?

a. follow a box pattern - walking the perimeter of the fieldb. follow a W pattern across the field - entering at one end of the field and exiting at the same endc. follow an X pattern across the field - diagonally crossing the field in two directionsd. follow a Z pattern across the field - entering at one end of the field and exiting at opposite corner

8. At what frequency should scouting be done?a. dailyb. weeklyc. monthlyd. it depends on the crop stage and growing conditions

9. The economic damage caused by the European corn borer is due to:a. destruction of vegetative plant partsb. flower destructionc. kernel feeding in storaged. removal of plant fluids

10. European corn borer can be controlled by: a. early planting b. growing Bt corn hybridsc. maintaining at least a 2-year crop rotation d. none of the above

11. The most important insect pest of soybean in the northern Great Plains is currently soybean aphid. This invasive species was first reported in 1999. The most important damage caused by soybean aphid to commercial soybean is by:

a. defoliationb. disease transmissionc. flower destructiond. sap feeding

12. The damaging stage of soybean aphid is the larvae.a. trueb. false

13. Why?a. aphids have nymphs, not larvaeb. aphid larvae don’t feedc. aphid larvae are the reproductive staged. aphid larvae are present only in the winter

14. The economic threshold for controlling soybean aphid with insecticides recommended by university extension services in all soybean producing states is:

a. 50 aphids per plant when any plants have aphidsb. 100 aphids per plant when at least 25% of plants have aphidsc. 250 aphids per plant when most plants have aphidsd. treat when any aphids are present

15. Insects pests of stored grain are more likely to present problems under which conditionsa. high temperature and high moistureb. high temperature and low moisturec. low temperature and high moistured. low temperature and low moisture

16. Which of the following is not an important stored grain insect:a. bruchid weevilb. cereal leaf beetlec. indian meal mothd. sawtoothed grain beetle

2013 State FFA Crops ContestSoils Practicum Key

Name: _____________________________________FFA Chapter: _______________________________Contestant No.: ______________________________

Questions 1-4 (3 pts each):

1. Most agricultural land in Minnesota would be classified as:a. I-IIIb. II-IVc. VI-VIIId. VII-VIII

2. In the USDA Land Capability Classification, subclass “e” stands for soils with:a. climate limitationsb. excessive wetnessc. high erosion susceptibilityd. limitations in the rooting zone

3. In the USDA Land Capability Classification, subclass “w” stands for soils with:a. climate limitationsb. excessive wetnessc. high erosion susceptibilityd. limitations in the rooting zone

4. A section consists of how many acres?a. 40b. 80c. 160d. 640

For Questions 5-7, use the provided Figure 1 of Nicollet County, MN and the accompanying descriptive data (4 pts each):

5. The city of Nicollet is predominantly located in:a. T109N R28W Section 4b. T109N R28W Section 19c. T109N R28W Section 24d. T109N R28W Section 36

6. There are __ sections within a township.a. 4b. 8c. 32d. 36

7. Which of the soils has the fewest restrictions for Land Capability class?a. Blue Earth mucky silt loamb. Lester loamc. Le Sueur clay loamd. Webster clay loam

For Questions 8-12, use the provided Figure 2 (the soil map of T110N R27W Section 22 of Nicollet County, MN) and the accompanying descriptive data (4 pts each):

8. Based on the map features and described soil types, which soil map unit symbol represents soil that could be described as peat?

a. 35b. L85Ac. 86

d. 112

9. Which soil type is most productive for both corn and soybeans?a. Canisteo clay loamb. Le Sueur clay loamc. Nicollet clay loamd. Webster clay loam

10. The most productive soil types in this map are colored:a. light blue b. dark blue c. brown d. red

11. The least productive soil types in this map are colored:a. light blue b. dark blue c. brown d. red

12. From a soil conservation standpoint, which of the following soil map unit symbols represent soil that would benefit most from conservation tillage?

a. 35 b. L83A c. 106B d. 221

For questions 13-14, refer to the soil textural triangle below (3 pts each):

13. A soil with 30% clay, 40% sand, and 30% silt would be classified as:a. clay loamb. loamc. sandy clay loamd. silty clay loam

14. Which of the following soil types would you expect to have the best drainage?a. loamy sandb. sandy clay c. sandy clay loamd. sandy loam

Soil Textural Triangle (for questions 12-14)

Key2013 State FFA Crops Contest

Grain Grading

Sample 1. Barley

Observation Information: Sample is primarily Six-rowed barley with white aleurone layers

Information No./Percent Grading factor U.S. GradeTest weight 47.5 lbs/bu. Test weight per bushel U.S. No. 1Moisture 12.5% N/ASuitable malting type 100% Suitable malting type U.S. No. 1Dockage 0.7% N/A Dockage 0.7%Skinned and broken kernels

3.0% Skinned and broken kernels U.S. No. 1

Diseased barley 2.1% Damaged kernels U.S. No. 2Barley that passes through a 5/64 x ¾ slotted-hole sieve

8.0% Thin barley U.S. No. 2

Grade: U.S. No. 2 Six-rowed Malting Barley, Dockage 0.7%

Factor(s): Damaged Kernels, Thin Barley

Sample 2. Yellow Soybean

Information No./Percent Grading factor U.S. GradeTest Weight 58.5 N/AMoisture 9.4% N/ASplits 8.0% Splits U.S. No. 1Material passing through an 8/64 round-hole sieve

1.0 % Foreign materialU.S. No. 2

Field Corn 0.2% Foreign material

Grade: U.S. No. 2 Yellow Soybeans

Factors: Foreign material

Sample 3. Hard Red Spring Wheat

Information No./Percent Grading factor U.S. GradeDockage 0.7% NA Dockage 1.2%Dark hard vitreous kernels 80% Dark Northern SpringDurum kernels 1.3% Contrasting classes U.S. No. 2Dockage-free work sample information:Test weight 61.2 lbs/bu U.S. No. 1Material through 0.064 x 3/8 oblong hole seive

2.8% Shrunken and Broken Kernels

U.S. No. 1

Sprouted hard red spring wheat 0.4%Damaged Kernels Total U.S. No. 2Scab (disease) damaged wheat 3.0%

Hard white wheat 2.5% Wheat of Other Classes (Total) (1.3+2.5=3.8)

U.S. No. 2

Total defects 2.8% + 3.4% = 6.2% U.S. No. 3

Grade: U.S. No. 3 Dark Northern Spring Wheat, Dockage 1.2%

Factors: Defects (Total)