Recap of the ASA–SSSA Region 6 Soils Contest

Abstract

Cal Poly's soil judging team collaborate at the group judging pit. Photo by Irfan Ainuddin. The ASA–SSSA Region 6 Soil Judging Contest was held 3 Mar. 2018, in Butte County, CA. This was the third ASA-SSSA Region 6 contest in as many years since being revitalized in 2016. This year's contest was coordinated by Dr. Garrett Liles, Assistant Professor of Soil Science at California State University–Chico (Chico State) and Chair-Elect of SSSA's Soil Education and Outreach Division. The ASA-SSSA Region 6 Soil Judging contest capped a successful three-day “soil-ebration” in Butte County where Dr. Liles and Chico State hosted the California Soil Survey Cooperators Meeting and the Professional Soil Scientists Association of California's (PSSAC) annual field tour. This multi-day event successfully brought together National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) cooperators and stakeholders to exchange ideas and identify opportunities for collaboration through presentations, open dialog, and experiencing the dynamic landscapes at the interface of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges in the Northern Sacramento Valley. Aligning the soil judging contest with the NCSS meeting and PSSAC field tour was a very efficient and effective way for soil science professionals to connect with students majoring in agriculture, earth sciences, and related fields. The Region 6 Soil Judging Contest marked another year of growth and popularity for this hands-on educational and skill-building experience in the western U.S. This year, the number of participating universities increased to four with Humboldt State University joining California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), California State University–Fresno (Fresno State), and Chico State—all returning from last year's competition. The University of California at Riverside also sent students, for the second consecutive year, where they, too, learned and gained knowledge of soils and geomorphology. Butte Community College provided the contest site with many Butte students there to observe soil judging in action. In total, 26 students participated in the judging competition with Cal Poly winning the team judging portion and Fresno State winning the group judging event. The top five individuals were awarded trophy plaques for their individual achievements. The regional contest was also a qualifier for nationals, with Cal Poly and Fresno State advancing to the National Contest, which was held in Martin, TN, 18–23 March (see related article on previous page).