K-State Olathe and Agronomy Department to judge soybean contest

Thursday, February 2, 2012

by Kristi Northcutt

Kansas State University-Olathe will team with the Agronomy department at Kansas State University to present Willie and the Beanstalk, a contest for the largest soybean plant.

Contest registration will begin on Friday, February 3 with judging to take place at K-State Olathe April 28.

Open to middle school, high school, 4-H and/or FFA teams interested in the scientific principles surrounding plant growth, “Willie and the Beanstalk” is a challenge to grow the largest soybean plant in a 40-day span and document the effort.

Beginning on a common seed day, contestants will grow a soybean plant for 40 days, documenting their activity, and bring their entry to K-State Olathe for judging. Prizes will be awarded for top entries in each judging category and all entrants will earn a t-shirt.

To encourage participation in Johnson County, ten “Willie and the Beanstalk” classroom scholarship kits will be available to Johnson County teams. Each kit contains enough material for 28 students and includes: soybeans, 14 4-inch pots, one 10-pound bag of potting soil. These kits are on a first-come, first-serve basis. To apply, click here.

To find out more information, contact Micheal Strohschein, Director of K-12 Science Education Partnerships at K-State Olathe, by email or call (913) 307-7342.

A downloadble flyer with more information can be found here.

Kansas State University-Olathe advances the mission of Kansas State University by integrating education, research and entrepreneurship, focused on animal health, food safety and security.