Jessica Epps, junior animal science major from Georgetown, Texas received first place in the undergraduate research poster competition at the SAAS Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Jessica’s research examined commercially available soil testing kits and compared their results to professional soil labs at TAMU and LSU.
“We found that the soil testing kits underestimate when measuring phosphorus, potassium, and pH, but were accurate for low levels of nitrates,” said Jessica. “Additionally, we found unexpected differences between the two professional labs for five of the seven nutrients compared.”
Jessica plans to attend graduate school after ACU and feels that presenting at the undergraduate level will prepare her for future studies.
“Presenting at the SAAS Conference was less stressful than I thought it would be and more like carrying on a conversation with the judge,” said Jessica. “I was also able to talk to numerous other people in the agronomy field, which was very valuable.”