“The students have a limited amount of time to solve a problem,” says Tardif, “that’s like real life; they have to figure it out.” Team members started practicing at weekly sessions during the school year and continued into the summer — which demanded a significant commitment since many of the students were busy working at internships, summer jobs, or on their family farms over the summer months. INDUSTRY SUPPORT Tardif says that industry support has been critical to the ongoing success of the weeds team, with sponsorship coming from organizations like Grain Farmers of Ontario. Syngenta Canada’s contribution as a cohost and volunteer support from more than 70 people from across the industry helped make the 2022 event a success. “It is exciting to see these future weed scientists in action. It is really encouraging for our industry and for farmers who will ultimately benefit from their skills,” says Harold Wright, president of the Canadian Weed Science Society and technical research and development manager with Syngenta Canada. One of the volunteers at the event was Dr. Clarence Swanton, a UofG Professor Emeritus, who coached the team through the 80’s until his retirement in 2019. As part of the in-field problem solving event, Swanton role-played as a farmer experiencing a herbicide failure. As he explained in a video with RealAgriculture.com, his job was to “…get the students to sleuth out exactly what happened, to give me a solution to do today as a grower, and what I need to do next year.” UofG undergraduate student Sophia Marsig, now in her final year studying agricultural science, says that the in-field problem solving event was the one she enjoyed — and learned from — the most. “I’ve never had that experience, interacting with a grower like that,” she says. “I was able to apply my knowledge and past experience to a real-life scenario.” Marsig’s team went on to place third in the undergraduate team category. l ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 29 NOVEMBER 2022 Guelph students placed second and third in the undergraduate team categories, with graduate students Karen Reymer and Corine Bateman taking home second and third place in the individual category. A well-managed farm calms the mind. Peace of mind is possible with AgExpert. Simple, secure software for the farm that connects your field data to your finances, accurately. Knowing what’s in the fields, and in the books, can help you have more success and less stress. Start for free or upgrade to premium. AgExpert.ca 85371-5_FCC_AgExpert_2022_StressFree_4-687x6-062.indd 1 2022-09-09 8:59 AM
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