Virginia Tech Crops Judging Team

The Virginia Tech Crops Judging was established in 1989. Ozzie Abaye started coaching the team in 1992. The need for students who are trained in identification of crops, weeds and crop diseases as well as grain grading and seed analysis is evident. Various private companies and industries have consistently expressed interest in hiring these students. Training at Virginia Tech includes trips to the national contests in Chicago and Kansas City and Australia for the international crops judging contests.

The 2019 participants were: Lucy Adamson, Wade Reiter and Carter Phillips (Kansas City and Chicago), Eli Hoar and Owen Turner (Chicago) all from School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. Wade Reiter’s father Scott Reiter and uncle Mark Reiter were crops judgers. Last week, at the national Crops Judging Contests in Kansas City and Chicago, the team received 3rd place in Plant and Seed Identification and 4 th place in Seed Analysis for purity. Additionally, Wade Reiter and Lucy Adamson placed in the top 10 individuals in Plant and Seed Identification, Seed Analysis for Purity and Commercial Grain Grading. Way to go HOKIES!