Don’t miss out on the 2026 Field Crops Scouting School
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EmailHeld in Frankenmuth, the Field Crops Scouting School is designed for interns and entry level scouts to learn the basics of identification, walking patterns, scouting tools and more.
The third annual Michigan State University Extension Field Crops Scouting School starts in just a few weeks on May 21! It will be held at the MSU Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center, 3775 S Reese Rd, Frankenmuth, MI 48734. If you have interns or entry level scouts, send them to this scouting training that will cover all the basics of scouting, plus tips and tricks from experienced crop scouters. The past two years, 100% of participants who completed the post-survey said they would recommend this program to their employers or fellow co-workers.
Scouting School extends over three dates during different parts of the growing season to give participants timely, in-season training with the pests they will be seeing in the field around that time. Keep in mind that no two seasons are the same. Throughout the three sessions, MSU Extension field crops educators with years of scouting experience will be helping and teaching in addition to MSU Extension specialists.
Participants will move through this three-part training program in a cohort throughout the growing season. The sessions will be held:
- May 21, 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Lunch included
- Basics covered: weed ID, scouting patterns, nutrient deficiencies, etc.
- Wheat scouting: staging wheat, wheat diseases, any nutrient deficiencies, etc. in our wheat plots
- June 18, 12 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- Disease scouting (corn, soybeans, wheat) with Marty Chilvers, PhD, MSU Extension plant pathologist
- July 16, 12 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- Disease scouting with Marty Chilvers, PhD, MSU Extension plant pathologist
- Insect scouting (damage, egg masses, etc.) with Chris DiFonzo, PhD, MSU Extension field crops entomologist
The cost for the Scouting School is $150 and includes a light snack every day, lunch the first day, various reference materials and a fun scouting tool or two. Registration is limited to 30 individuals to keep a small cohort and group feel. This will allow for plenty of hands-on opportunities and time to talk to the Extension educators and specialists when scouting.
Register yourself or your company interns
If you need help registering, please contact Diana Marruso at 989-672-3870. If you have questions on the program content, please reach out to Jenna Falor at falorjen@msu.edu or Nicolle Ritchie at ritchi67@msu.edu.
