Summer Experience!

Hey there everyone!!

Hopefully you had an amazing summer and are ready to get back into the swing of school. My name is Karson Kamman, I am a junior in  Agronomy with a concentration in Business & Marketing. Reflecting on the internship I had this summer, I can honestly say the classes I took prior to this summer within Agronomy benefited me more than I could have ever imagined. So, I am looking forward to getting this semester started, knowing the classes I am taking this year are full of opportunities for me to learn valuable information that I can take into future internships and jobs.


This summer I had the opportunity to to work at the BASF Midwest Research Farm, located outside of Champaign, IL. My position I was hired for was labeled as a Field Biology Intern, but the vast number of responsibilities and opportunities I was presented with was much more than that. Myself, along with three other interns in my same position were given a select number of different trials within the marketing and biology side of the farm to maintain and keep track of all summer. From looking at different prescription application groupings, with BASF products, as well as  competitor products, to managing a high yielding corn fertigation trial, I had the opportunity to take complete control of my trials I was given. This included planting and applying whatever the prescribed chemicals needed throughout the summer. With every application came multiple steps of ratings, for what percent control there was with the vast number of weeds, as well as crop response to the different doses applied. These different trials allowed me to be in a field looking at crops and weeds each and every day, and being able to relate the different site of actions and product combinations to the large number of different control results. Having these trials kept me busy and seeing a lot of variation throughout the farm, but my main focus for the summer was my corn fertigation trial.

I had the opportunity to be in charge of the largest trial on the farm, looking at the differences between dryland, irriagted, and fertigated, with multiple different fungicide and insecticide prescription applications. Each week I pulled tissue and soil samples throughout the three blocks, looking at what was lacking macro and micro nutrient wise, then being able to apply what was needed to specific plots throughout the blocks. Unfortunately, I will not be there to see the yield results, but am looking forward to being apart of the conversation this winter at meetings they will hold to discus the results that they came up with.

Beneficially for us, for doing all this hard work, we got to show it off throughout the summer. Bringing in a lot of tours and discussing with them what we were seeing and the results we had at that point. Was an amazing opportunity to socialize and get in front of a large number of industry people. The more hands you can shake and the relationships you can build the better off you will be, throughout the years to come.

I urge you, if you have any questions or are interested in hearing more about the BASF internship, please contact me. I would be happy to talk. Hopefully everyone has a wonderful semester, and good luck to everyone at the upcoming career fair this fall!

Thanks,
Karson Kamman
kamman0@purdue.edu