It may not be your typical summer Olympic games, but for crop producers, it is a competition that will test their management skills.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Testing Ag Performance Solutions, or TAPS, program and the Nebraska Extension water and integrated cropping systems team brought their Crops Skills Challenge to Husker Harvest Days in 2022 for the first time.

The competition pitting farmers and other agriculture youth and professionals against each other is not only in physical farm skills, but also more in skills between the ears in crop production.

At last year’s show, more than 330 people participated over the three days, including 35 FFA teams, comprised of two to four high school students.

“Now that we have a year of this under our belts,” says Krystle Rhoades, UNL TAPS program manager, “we are going to make a few modifications to, hopefully, make it even better.”

Competition specifics

UNL TAPS will run the entire day this year, allowing people to stop and compete any time, rather than at set times, Rhoades says. “One set of awards will be given each day for a student division, and another set will be given for a non-student division.”

Participants can check their scores online, and the results will be announced each day on the TAPS social media outlets.

“We are moving to a different and larger location this year, which is going to allow us to expand the competition offerings some,” Rhoades says. “This year’s participants will be challenged in events focusing on aerial imagery, weed identification, entomology scouting, grain moisture and yield estimation, and water-use efficiency.”

TEST CROPS SKILLS: Farmers, FFA members and other ag professionals are invited to test their crop production skill set at the University of Nebraska TAPS Crops Skills Challenge all three days of the show, with prizes going out to the winners.

The siphon tubes, which were a fan favorite last year, will be available again for people to try their hand at, but this won’t be a part of the contest this year.

Rhoades says the UNL group helping to organize the event is also planning to compile an educational video providing answers following the event, so participants can learn more about the categories they participated in.

Win gift card

Growers aren’t just competing for bragging rights over their neighbors. There is prize money at stake in each division each day:

First place: $250 Amazon gift card

Second place: $150 gift card

Third place: $100 gift card

TAPS is an innovative, interactive competitive program developed by UNL and Nebraska Extension to bring together producers, Extension scientists, industry leaders, ag students and educators as part of a highly engaged, competitive network, focused on input-use efficiency and profitability in crop production.

In the past, TAPS has held similar events as part of the program’s annual summer field day at West Central Research and Extension Center at North Platte.

HERE’S YOUR SIGN: Look for the Crops Skills Challenge area to compete with other farmers on crop production skills.

So, how do your cropping skills match up? Stop by the booth, enter the contest and find out. Perhaps you can put some money in your pocket at the same time.

Learn more about the TAPS program at taps.unl.edu.