Wisconsin Ag Connection - UW-Platteville Soils Team Ready for International Competition

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UW-Platteville Soils Team Ready for International Competition
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 11/07/2016

The collegiate soils team at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has placed second at the 60th annual Region III Collegiate Soils Competition in DeKalb, Illinois, allowing them to advance to the national competition which will take place next spring.

The team is also gearing up for a unique international opportunity, as Dr. Chris Baxter, professor of soil and crop science at UW-Platteville and advisor of the soils team, will take 10 students to Queenstown, New Zealand in December to compete in the soil judging competition. The UW-Platteville is the only college in the United States to participate in the competition.

"This is an outstanding opportunity for our students," said Baxter. "Not only will they get the opportunity to network with students and professionals from Australia and New Zealand, they will get a rare opportunity to study and learn about the geomorphology of the country from world experts. The students will also be able to learn about the country's rich cultural history and how New Zealand is coping with various competing land uses among its major industries, including agriculture, forestry, mining and tourism."

In order to prepare for the competition, the team has been meeting weekly for nearly three hours to practice techniques and learn terminology associated with describing and classifying soils.

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