Nakayla Lestina, a senior at Dove Creek High School, placed third in Zoology, Division 2 at the National FFA Agriscience Fair, which was held during the 84th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. Her project was titled, Biological Control of Tamarisk: Phase II Diorhadba Elongata Adults vs. Larvae. The project was designed to see which stage (adult beetles or larvae) would be the most effective in defoliating tamarisk, along with documenting the overwinter survival and the potential spread of the beetles from the original release site that was used in Phase I.
The National FFA Agriscience Fair is a competition for members of FFA who have an interest in the science and technology of agriculture. Members can compete in one of the five categories: Biochemistry/FoodScience/Microbiology; Botany; Engineering; Environmental Sciences; or Zoology. For a member to qualify to participate in the fair, the member must: be in grades 7-12; conduct a scientific research project pertaining to the agriculture or food science industries, and present their finding to a panel of judges with a display and a report; be selected as the state winner at their state agriscience fairs; submit their full written report and application to the National FFA Organization, postmarked by July 15; and be selected as one of the top 15 in their respective category and division.
Each member who participates in the fair is given a gold, silver, or bronze rating and receives a pin. The top three projects in each of the five categories also receives a cash award (1st $350; 2nd $200; 3rd $100).
The National FFA Agriscience Fair is sponsored by Syngenta and Cargill as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.