Game on! New CSU-TAPS competition launches at ARDEC

The April 6 launch of a new Colorado State University-Testing Ag Performance Solutions program attracted an enthusiastic group of 60 people, welcomed by Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences James Pritchett. 

CSU-TAPS is a unique crop production contest. Rather than awarding prizes for top yields, TAPS rewards farm profitable and input use-efficient crop production management skills.  

The CSU-based Irrigation Innovation Consortium (IIC) is supporting the project as part of its research mission to promote the adoption of advanced and precision irrigation management tools and strategies. IIC is working with staff at the Agricultural Research, Development and Education Center South research farm, where the competition is being hosted.  

In all, 19 teams — including producers from the Front Range and northeastern Colorado and one team from Nebraska — will compete in CSU-TAPS throughout the 2023 growing season.  

The recent kickoff event provided an opportunity to go over and discuss competition rules and goals. This year’s participants have been assigned three random plots located on the same field at ARDEC. This approach distinguishes TAPS from other farming competitions that take place on-farm, where differences in soils, equipment and weather from one farm to another make evaluating management effectiveness almost impossible.

“TAPS represents a highly integrated approach to research and extension, targeting highly relevant management questions and challenges of mutual interest to producers, researchers, technology providers, state and federal agency staff, and many others.” - IIC Executive Director Tim Martin.