Land Judging FFA CDE Linsey Fowler

Contest Review  An entry consists of four participants  Four fields to be judged  Additional information provided at each pit  Twenty minutes per field  70 points possible per field (40 – Part 1 & 30 – Part 2)

Contest Review Cont…  Only clear plastic clipboards with a manila folder are permitted during the contest  Advisors may not inspect the contest sites until the contest is concluded  No cell phones &/or pagers are permitted during the contest

General Information  A pit will be excavated inside a staked area –Marked by four stakes flagged in white –Two additional slope stakes flagged in red and located 100 ft apart will be positioned inside the area to be judged. –Topsoil and subsoil samples will be made available for texture and permeability judgments.

Part 1 Surface Texture  Three classes: –Sandy –Loamy –Clayey  These classes have been further subdivided to into 5 classes: –Coarse –Moderately Coarse –Medium –Moderately Fine –Fine

Surface Texture CDE Textures USDA Textures

Surface Texture

Soil Permeability  Concerns water and air movement in the soil  Based upon structure, texture, cracking and other features  Sub-soil is usually the limiting layer –Rapid –Moderate –Slow –Very Slow

Depth of Soil  Determined by the total thickness of soil layers readily penetrated by plant roots –Deep Soils: > 40 inches deep –Moderately Deep Soils: inches deep –Shallow Soils: inches deep –Very Shallow Soils: < 10 inches deep

Slope  The number of feet fall per 100 feet -Nearly Level -Gently Sloping -Moderately Sloping -Strongly Sloping -Steep -Very Steep

Erosion  The removal of soil by water and wind -None to Slight -Moderate -Severe -Very Severe

Surface Runoff  Rapid: Surface water flows away rapidly  Moderate: Considered as “normal” runoff from soils with slopes of 1 to 3%  Slow: Surface water flows away slowly  Very Slow: Primarily includes soil having rapid permeability, but soil having moderate, slow or very slow permeability and slopes closely approaching zero percent may also be included in this category

Capability Classes  Eight land capability classes are recognized  Classes I-III have the fewest restrictions on use  Classes IV-VIII are most heavily restricted

Combination of Factors  Occasionally, individual factors may combine to warrant a higher capability class  Combinations are given on page 8 of the CDE rulebook

Part 2 Treatments  Treatments should be selected by considering soil characteristics, vegetative conditions inside the staked area (presence or absence of brush), and information presented on an “additional information sheet”

Vegetation, Mechanical, Fertilizer & Soil Amendments  For Croplands  For Pasture, Range, Wildlife, or Commercial Woodland  Control brush, terrace, drainage system, gullies, etc.  Apply lime, phosphate, potash, nitrogen

Invitational Contests  Tarleton State University (March)  Sul Ross State (April)  Clarendon College Judging Contests  Dublin NRCS Land & Range Contest (March)

Contests Continued  Area Contests: -1 & 2 – Texas Tech -2, 4, 5, 8 – Tarleton -9 – Sam Houston -3 – TAMU  State Contest – Tarleton State University (April)  National – Oklahoma City (May)

Important People to Know  Barney McClure – Cleburne FFA  Kiker – Anson FFA  David Weindorf – Tarleton State University   Grapeland FFA – 1 st at state & 2 nd at Nationals  Mt. Vernon – 2 nd at state & 3 rd at Nationals