Land Judging

Land judging contests provide high school students with the opportunity to gain a better understanding of soil structure and land evaluation in a competitive setting. The contests strengthen each participant’s ability to recognize the physical features of the soil, determine land capability for crop production, and evaluate management practices needed for proper stewardship. The land evaluation process provides a setting for students to investigate the soils in their region, the environment that surrounds them, and their effect on their daily lives.

Through land judging contests, students assimilate important information about the world they live in. Their understanding of the soil and its relationship to plants, water and air are improved. The students look at a number of factors in land judging – depth of soil, surface texture, permeability, slope, erosion, and organic matter. They also develop a knowledge of land treatment practices and where those practices can best be applied.

For more information, visit the NARD website.