University of Arkansas Weed Team Takes First at Southern Weed Contest

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Carlos Schaedler (alternate), Justin Devore (alternate), Reiofeli Salas (alternate), Dr. Jason Norsworthy (coach), Griff Griffith, Chase Bell, Dr. Dick Oliver (coach), Brent Johnson, Dr. Nilda Burgos (coach), and Josh Wilson

The University of Arkansas Weed Team again won first place at the annual Southern Weed Science Society Weed Contest held Aug. 3 and 4, at the Agriculture Learning Center, Scott, Miss., and sponsored by Monsanto Company.

This is the second time in its 30 years of participation that the Arkansas team has taken the first-place "Broken Hoe" award for nine consecutive years, and it has won first place a total of 24 times in that 30 years.

The contest is an intensive series of timed events involving many aspects of weed management techniques, including weed and herbicide symptomology, mathematical problems, sprayer calibration, and problem solving in a field situation. Team members were Brent Johnson (M.S.), Griff Griffith (Ph.D.), Chase Bell (M.S.), Josh Wilson (M.S.), and team alternates, who compete in all individual events, were Justin Devore (M.S.), Reiofeli Salas (M.S.), and Carlos Schaedler (Ph.D.). In individual rankings, these students placed first through fourth, sixth, and eighth and ninth place individual, respectively.

In specific events, Bell, Johnson, Salas and Wilson were awarded high individual for field problem-solving, math problems, weed identification, and herbicide symptomology, respectively. Faculty coaches for the team were Nilda Burgos, Jason Norsworthy, and Dick Oliver.