State Fair Eligible. Any individual in the Conversation, Environment 1, 2 or 3, Range, Reading the Range1, Using Nebraska Range 2, Crop Production or Field Crop projects may exhibit a weed book or weed display. At least 15 of the specimens must represent this year’s work. For assistance identifying plants, participants can use Nebraska Department of Agriculture’s Weeds of Nebraska and the Great Plains (1994) or Weeds of the Great Plains (2003).
Premium: Purple $4.00; Blue $3.50; Red $3.00; White $2.50
Books – Classes 1-2:
- Plants must be mounted on sheets that are no larger than 14” wide by 14” high. Proper plant mount should include root as well as stem and leaf tissue. Plants should be glued rather than taped and the mounts should be protected with a clear cover.
- Exhibits will be judged based on completeness of plant mount, accuracy of identification, label, neatness, and conformity to exhibit requirements. Refer to Scoresheet SF261.
- Each completed mount must have the following information: 1) Scientific name (in italic or underlined), with authority, 2) Common name, 3) County of collection, 4) Collection date, 5) Collector’s name, 6) Personal collection number indicating the order that plants were collected in your personal collection, 7) Other information depending on class selected, i.e. noxious, life form, grazing response, value and importance, life span, major types of range plants, season of growth, origin. This information should be typed or printed neatly.
Class No.
G 751 1 WEED IDENTIFICATION BOOK - A collection of a minimum of 15 plant mounts including at least two of the following prohibited noxious weeds (Canada thistle, leafy spurge, musk thistle, plumeless thistle, purple loosestrife, diffuse knapweed, spotted knapweed, Japanese knotweed, bohemian knotweed, giant knotweed, sericea lespedeza or phragmites), and at least three weeds that are a problem primarily in lawns.
G 751 2 LIFE SPAN BOOK - A collection of 7 perennials, 1 biennial and 7 annual weeds.
Displays – Class 3:
- The purpose of the display is to tell an educational story to those that view the display. The display is a visual representation (pictures, charts, graphs) no larger than 28” by 28” on plywood or poster board. The display should be neatly titled.
- Make sure to label display with exhibitor’s name, address, and county on back side. Explain pictures and graphs clearly and concisely. Refer to Scoresheet 259.
- Each display must have a one-page essay explaining why the exhibitor chose the area of display and what they learned from their project. Include any references used.
- The essay should be in a clear plastic cover with the exhibitor's name outside.
G 751 3 WEED DISPLAY - The purpose of this class is to allow original and creative exhibits that contain educational information about weeds, such as interesting information about a weed species, the effects of weed control, herbicide resistant weeds, what makes a weed a weed, or uses for weeds.