Quiz Bowl
CANVAS attendance is required to enter the Quiz Bowl
2026 Quiz Bowl contest guidelines
Purpose
The Quiz Bowl is a fun contest that challenges students with quick wit and general agronomy, crops, and soils knowledge—with bragging rights and a trophy to the winning team!
Both single-university and multi-university teams will compete to showcase their Ag knowledge, ability to work as a team, and showcase their school spirit.
Awards & recognition
The top university team will take home the Quiz Bowl trophy and bragging rights!
- Registration for CANVAS is required to participate.
- One four-member (4) team is eligible to register from each university. If more students wish to participate, up to four (4) additional students from each university are eligible to join multi-university teams.
- Teams are allowed to switch team members prior to the contest deadline. Teams should edit their registration by having the team captain edit the submission through the email link sent to the original submitter.
- SASES club advisors may register on behalf of their students, provided student emails are used in registration. Registration must be complete for the contest and required questions and answers are submitted by the October 1, 2026 deadline to participate.
Please note the following requirements for eligibility:
- University teams will be required to submit five (5) questions and answers in the crops and agronomy category and five (5) questions and answers in the soils and environment category.
- Additionally, two (2) optional questions and answers can be submitted. Please do not submit ai-generated questions and answers – this is your chance to share your favorite topics from classes or applied experiences important to you.
Requirements
- The bracket will be generated at random and the competition will proceed until there is one winning team.
- The number of questions per round and specific details of the question format will be provided at the beginning of the Quiz Bowl session.
- There will be one judge from each discipline: Agronomy, Crop Science, and Soil Science.
- When answers do not match the given answers, but may still technically be correct, the judges will decide if the answer is acceptable.
- All decisions by the judges are final.
- University teams will be required to submit five (5) questions and answers in the crops and agronomy category and five (5) questions in the soils and environment category.
- Additionally, two (2) optional questions and answers can be submitted.
- Students wishing to become members of a multi-university team are required to submit two (2) questions and answers in the category of their choice and have the option to submit two (2) additional questions and answers.
Submissions
Contest submissions closed on October 1, 2026. You must complete your registration by the deadline to be eligible to participate.
Failure to send in complete questions and answers by the deadline may forfeit your place in the competition.
These are samples of the types of questions used for past contests. These are NOT the actual questions, but to provide examples of what to expect.
Q: Mollisols form in what ecosystem?
A: Grassland
Q: Charles and Lily Pleas purchased this plant at a world fair as an ornamental. Once its palatability was discovered, it was later grown as a forage crop. Today, it is one of the most invasive plants in the south.
What plant ate the south?
A: Kudzu
Q: What is a diagnostic surface horizon of mineral soil that is dark colored and relatively thick, contains at least 0.6% organic carbon, is not massive and hard when dry, has a base saturation of more than 50%, has less than 250 mg/kg P2O5 soluble in 1% citric acid, and is dominantly saturated with bivalent cations?
A: Mollic epipedon
Q: What is the taxonomic name of the grass family?
A: Poaceae
Q: What is the bacterial conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gas that is lost from the soil: it occurs primarily under waterlogged, anaerobic soils?
A: Denitrification
Q: What is the patented trade name used for crops genetically engineered for resistance to glufosinate?
A: LibertyLink®
Q: What signal word will be on the label if the pesticide is moderately toxic?
A: Warning
Q: What is a key characteristic vegetative distinction between a grass and a sedge?
A: Sedges have solid, triangular stems
Q: What micronutrient is important in alfalfa production? A deficiency results in yellow to reddish-yellow discoloration of the upper leaflets. This element has an atomic number of 5.
A: Boron
Contacts
Contest Chair: Dr. Nicholas Heller, Illinois State University | Send Message
ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Contact: Student Programs | Send Message
1st Place went to the Texas A&M University team
1st Place went to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls team
1st Place went to the Oklahoma State University team
