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Hannah and Hadleigh Baker, freshmen at Mountain Home Junior High School, were recently named 2022 Soybean Scholars by the Soybean Science Challenge, a program sponsored by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board. Their recognition comes after completing six online classes and winning the Soybean Science Challenge award at the FFA State Agriscience Fair for a science project focusing on soybeans.
“The Soybean Science Challenge is an opportunity for students to learn more about the top row crop in Arkansas and about agriculture’s importance to the Arkansas economy,” said Julie Robinson, administrator of the Soybean Science Challenge and associate professor at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “Students also learn about career opportunities available to them in the agriculture industry that aren’t on a farm but still make a big impact.”
The Bakers’ project asked what type of fertilizer would best meet the requirement soybeans must reach to maximum soil potential. In their experiment, they compared the difference in early soybean growth and the germination rate with no fertilizer or nutrient altercations to common industrial fertilizer and turkey litter over a 19-day period. The results matched their hypothesis. Poultry litter had the best germination rate and growth. The Bakers and their teachers, Josh Baker and Carson White, won a $300 cash prize for winning the award.
The Soybean Science Challenge encourages Arkansas junior high and high school students to use soybeans and agriculture sustainability as the basis for their science fair project. In the process, students learn about soybeans, agriculture and other current soil, water, seed, disease and insect issues that impact production outcomes and agricultural sustainability. The 2023 Soybean Science Challenge is open to interested Arkansas students. For additional information on the Soybean Science Challenge and the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board, visit www.TheMiracleBean.com.
