Foundational Crop Scouting Training
Foundational Crop Scouting Training
Hybrid training designed for entry-level crop scouts with limited or no scouting experience or those looking for a refresher course in basic crop scouting skills.
Why scout field crops?
With today’s tight margins, proper crop scouting helps farmers detect pests early, make informed and cost-effective decisions, and optimize yields. This program will give participants take-home skills in:
- Soil, tissue, and insect sampling techniques
- Identifying weeds, diseases, and insect pests in forage and field crop systems
- Understanding nutrient deficiency symptoms, crop stand counts, crop staging
Who should attend?
We invite anyone looking for basic scout skills along with those working for crop consultants, industry agronomists, or ag service providers throughout Wisconsin to join us for this hybrid training opportunity. The program will provide crop scouts with the key foundational skills necessary for successfully scouting field crops including corn, soybeans and alfalfa.
Join us for weekly virtual lunch-and-learn webinars that introduce the fundamentals of field crop scouting and apply what you have learned with a half-day hands-on field training at one of the three University of Wisconsin Ag Research stations.
Foundational Crop Scouting Webinars
Catch up on recorded virtual lunch-and-learn webinars that introduce the fundamentals of field crop scouting.
Then, apply what you have learned with a half-day hands-on training in the field. Hands-on field day registration is below.
Crop Scouting Training Field Days
Apply what you learned in the Foundational Crop Scouting Training webinars with a half-day hands-on training in the field at one of the three University of Wisconsin Ag Research stations.
You do not need to attend the webinars to attend an in-person field day. All field days will have the same content, so you do not need to register for more than one.
2026 event details to be announced.
Crop Scouting Resources
We often share resources we post on the web in both our live webinars and in-person field days. You can find those materials here.
New Crop Scouting Resources Available: Field Scouting Report Template and Scouting Tools Checklist
The UW–Madison Division of Extension Crops and Soils Program has released two resources for field crop scouting: the Field Scouting Report Template and the Scouting Tools Checklist.