The "GRASSLAND EVALUATION CONTEST GUIDE" will provide additional
details as to how the GRASSLAND EVALUATION CONTEST is to be set up
and conducted at the contest site. All contestants should
familiarize themselves with this information along with these
CONTEST RULES (reviewed annually).
RULES DURING COMPETITION:
- A contest team will consist of a maximum of four (4) or a minimum of three (3) students who are
currently enrolled at the high school level (FFA or 4H). If less than three members of a
qualifying team competing at district are present they may enter and compete as individuals
at state contest. Only one scoring team per FFA chapter or 4H club (or group) will be
allowed to compete, however, additional teams are encouraged to participate. The scoring
team must be designated prior to the start of the contest.
- Contestants will be supplied score cards, appropriate maps or
aerial photos and any necessary information. All score cards, maps
and aerial photos will be collected at each judging site.
- Contestants will fill out their name, school name, and/or
student ID number on score sheet. If all three items are left off
the score sheet the individual will receive a zero (0) on their
score sheet. If any of the three items are filled in - the judging
team will try to find out whose it is.
- Contestants will be allowed twenty-five (25) minutes to judge
each of the four (4) segments of the contest with three (3) minutes
to move between judging sites. Total contest time is approximately
two (2) hours.
- Contestants may use non-programmable hand-held calculators.
Each participant will furnish their own pencils, calculator and clip
board.
- Contestants will NOT be allowed to:
- talk to anyone during the contest or use other printed materials for reference.
- touch plants used for the plant identification.
- leave the contest site during the contest. There will be NO exceptions.
- step into or touch plants within the 50 X 50 ft. plots.
- Only contestants and officials will be allowed within the
contest area during the contest.
- Judge's decisions will be final concerning any questions
involving the contest.
SCORING RULES AND ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:
- The winning team will be determined by adding together
the highest three (3) team member's scores.
- In case of a tie score, the Plant I.D. score will be used to
determine the winner.
Should this score also result in a tie, the Grassland Condition
Score will be used followed by a "coin-flip" in the event of another
tie.
- Each of the six (6) District Contests may send four (4) FFA and
four (4) 4-H top scoring teams to the State Contest.
- Each team (both FFA and 4-H) must compete within their Vocational
Education District boundary.
- The highest scoring three-member FFA &/or 4H team(s) at the
State Contest will become the State Champion Team(s)
- The five highest scoring teams (FFA &/or 4H) will be eligible to
represent Missouri at the Mid-America Grassland Evaluation Contest.
Should any team be unable to attend, the instructor is asked to
provide notice at least sixty (60) days prior to the Mid-America
Contest.
- Members of the 4-H and FFA first place teams in the State
Grassland Evaluation Contest will not be eligible to participate in
the next year's contest.
- Questions to committee members will no longer be accepted after
District Contests are over.
SCORE CARD CLARIFICATION NOTES:
- Plant Identification: This part of the contest involves two
answers (common name and life cycle) for each of the twenty-five
plants. Both answers must be correct for the question to be
considered as correct. If the plant falls in both life cycle
categories, either one or both can be marked to be considered correct.
- Grassland Condition: Question no. 3, "Matching Livestock &
Forage". The answer to this question must be within a ten percent
(10%) range of the final correct answer determined by the judges at
the contest site -- within five percent (5%) above or five percent
(5%) below the correct answer.
- Soils: Contestants will determine "soil slope" from designated
stakes located at or near the "soils" site. Elevations will not be
given.
DISTRICT & STATE RULES REVISED: August 2009
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