HANKINSON, N.D. 鈥� As Emma Kratcha rode along with her father while he combined a soybean field, she found inspiration in the patches of ground that simply were not growing and yielding as well as the rest of the field.
That inspiration helped Kratcha become a Regeneron scholar, an accolade that only 300 students in the nation were awarded this year.
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鈥淎 couple of years ago I was riding with my dad in this field that just doesn鈥檛 produce soybeans as well,鈥� Kratcha said. 鈥淚t got me thinking, I had done some research with soil microorganisms in the past. So I thought, 鈥榃hat if you could turn it into a plot for microorganisms to develop and harvest those microorganisms off?鈥� So you鈥檙e still getting the benefit from that piece of land, as opposed to some years when it鈥檚 unprofitable.鈥�
Kratcha has grown up immersed in the agriculture industry, her family farming a variety of row crops. Using her knowledge and research, she put together the presentation that would be honored, titled, "Soil Farms: A New Approach to Cropland Restoration."
Kratcha said her father had thought about enrolling the field into the Conservation Reserve Program. The time commitment that decision would involve was a driving force behind her research.
In her research, Kratcha tested how prairie soil impacts the microbiological health in a variety of soils, such as sandy, silty soil and a clay type soil.
Kratcha鈥檚 father was excited with his daughter鈥檚 research and her diligence to the problem she saw on the farm. Kratcha was excited with her findings, but receiving the news that she was an official Regeneron scholar was icing on the cake.
鈥淚 was absolutely shocked and super excited,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud, I didn鈥檛 think I would get this far. I am just so grateful. It鈥檚 super awesome.鈥�
The Society for Science puts on the Regeneron Science Talent Search, which it calls the nation's oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors.
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"The Regeneron Science Talent Search provides students a national stage to present original research and celebrates the hard work and novel discoveries of young scientists who are bringing a fresh perspective to significant global challenges," .
The 300 winners this year were selected out of 1,805 applications from 603 high schools across 46 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and eight other countries. The scholars and their schools will be awarded $2,000 each.
While Kratcha dedicates a good amount of time to scientific research, she is also involved in a plethora of activities and clubs within Hankinson Public 歪歪漫画s. She participates on the drama team, student council, science fair program, speech, music and other activities. Kratcha is a senior and will graduate this spring, with the intention of studying environmental science and continuing her research.
Kratcha was not the only one with ag-based projects. Other crop and farming projects came from other regions in the country.
鈥淎gricultural research just like mine being recognized by Regeneron Science Search is a huge step for agricultural research being more focused on. Agriculture is where our food comes from and there is a lot of science that goes into it,鈥� Kratcha said.
Kratcha is thankful for all the help she had along the way with her research and of course is thankful for that one combine ride that planted the seed for her research.
