U of G Weeds Team does it again at national competition

University of Guelph agricultural students, collectively known as the ‘Weeds Team,' brought back some big wins after competing in the National Weed Science Contest in Union City, Tennessee, last month.

There were 17 local grad and undergrad students who took part in the competition held July 25-27 testing their skills on weed identification, herbicide symptomology, sprayer calibration and farmer-problems solving.

As the only Canadian team, students from the department of plant agriculture competed against multiple schools in the U.S. including, Penn State, Cornell, Ohio State and Louisiana State.

With 15 undergraduate teams, 37 graduate teams, and over 250 participants, the University of Guelph undergraduate team ended up winning nationally in their division.

“We had 17 competitors on our Weeds Team this year. Three were grad students, and the other 14 were under grad students,” said Francois Tardif, a U of G professor specializing in weed sciences and coach of the university's team.

“They were competing as teams of three and four students. In total, I had five undergrad teams and one grad team. The team that won the most, was the undergrad team.”

Tardif says it does take a lot of preparation and a commitment from students to compete in the contest.

“So, it’s of course, enjoyable to see students win and to see their surprise when they realize that they won. It’s not like a race where you can see the finish. You are judged and then you just hope for the best,” Tardif said.

“We had great success this year with our wins. The students were thrilled.”

Last year, was the first time the University of Guelph hosted since 2000, when the event was held at the Elora Research Station.

The Weed Science Society of America is a non-profit professional society that promotes research, education, and awareness of weeds in managed and natural ecosystems.

"The society is an international organization, and they have four regional societies. There’s the northeastern, the north central, the southern and the western," Every summer, three of those societies organize a regional contest," Tardif said.

“Traditionally, being in Guelph, we are closer to the northeast so that is the region we compete in. This year, we went to Tennessee because that was where the national contest was held.”

The purpose of this national contest is to provide a competitive educational experience where students can broaden their applied skills in weed science.

The contest provides an opportunity for students to meet and interact with each other, be exposed to researchers from other universities and industries, and apply what they have learned using a contest to measure their capabilities.

The competition has been around since the 1980s, with a different location chosen each year.

“I have taken part in many. My first involvement was in 1996 or 1997. There was another professor that was a coach and so and I helped as an assistant coach. Between 1999 and 2004 I was the main coach. And then I took over the team in 2017,” Tardif said.

“What I enjoy the most is to see the engagement of the students. It’s a learning activity but not like learning where they are sitting in the classroom. It’s more hands on and practical, so students are really eager to take part,” Tardif said.

Tardif says after competing, many students see the value of the experience.

"It is something recognized in the workplace. When they go out and begin to work, they will see that a lot of people have gone though the Weeds Team experience in the past."

And, Tardif says, employers recognize that.

“This is something students want to do on their own. They don’t get a credit for it. They do it out of their own motivation and ultimately, they gain more skills and knowledge," he said.

"Those that take part are very grateful for the opportunity. Many have said that it was one of the best experiences that they had at university.”   

To see the full list if winners, visit here.