Arizona Agricultural Pesticide Applicator Continuing Education Courses

Annual bluegrass has historically been an important weed of many, if not most, commodity and specialty crops. The extensive reliance upon herbicides as the primary means of control has led to an almost overwhelming presence of herbicide resistance. This course will discuss the currently reported cases of annual bluegrass resistance to various herbicides and how to develop an effective herbicide program.

When pesticide applications become necessary for good turf management, it's important to understand how the application equipment works and how to properly calibrate the equipment. This course will provide turf managers with an understanding of the most common types of equipment used for pesticide applications on turf and how to properly calibrate the equipment.

Pest management of ornamental plants involves multiple steps from growing a healthy plant that is more resistant to pest damage to correctly identifying the problem when present. This course will cover the most common pests of ornamental plants.

Managing weeds in a turf stand can be a tricky proposition. Often times the client fails to recognize that the presence of weeds in a turf stand is the result of poor turf, not the cause. This course will provide applicators with a working knowledge of weed biology, weed identification, and how herbicides work.

Turf responds best to consistent cultural practices including mowing, irrigating, and fertilizing. But as turf managers know, there is a right way and a wrong way to do these. This course covers the dos and don'ts of good cultural practices that will result in a healthy vigorous turf that will be enjoyed for years.

This course teaches the basics of pest and disease management in enclosed spaces where exposure is increased, and the different tools and techniques needed to successfully control the environment.

This course covers Respiratory Protection, Personal Protective Equipment & Emergency Response, Pesticide Application Procedures, Pesticide Formulations, Pesticide Hazards & First Aid, Pesticides in the Environment, Planning the Pesticide Application, and Transportation, Storage, Security, & Professional Conduct.

IPM of ornamental plants involves multiple steps; producing a healthy plant, correctly identifying the problem, recognizing that there will always be some pests and damage, and only using pesticides as a last resort. This course teaches the basics of pest and disease management for ornamental plants, and the different tools and techniques needed to successfully provide your clients with a healthy and attractive landscape.

As a turf manager, you'll need to be more than someone who just applies pesticides. Good turf management requires the use of all the tools in the toolbox. This course will touch on the best practice cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical controls for turf management.

This course, which is approved by the Arizona Department of Agriculture, discusses benefits and considerations for pesticide applicators in Arizona who are developing an agricultural integrated pest management (IPM) program. Topics include a variety of pest management methods, such as mechanical and cultural control, augmentation, pesticide use, and sanitation.

When pesticide applications become necessary for good ornamental plant management it's important to understand how application equipment works and how to properly calibrate the equipment. This course will discuss the most common types of equipment used for pesticide applications on ornamental plants, the way to calculate the volume of solution needed, and how to properly calculate the flow rate of the equipment.

This course examines ways Arizona pest managers can protect people and the environment from pesticide hazards through safe and legal pesticide use. The course emphasizes elements of safe handling and application, including management plans and pesticide alternatives. Learn best practices for public and environmental safety like posting notifications and public warning signs.

Pesticides are designed to be toxic so they can control pests (e.g., plants, insects, rodents, fungi, and bacteria) while not harming non-target organisms and anyone else exposed to the product. Pesticide users need to be concerned with the hazards associated with exposure to the chemical and not just the toxicity of the pesticide.

Applicators and the public share concerns about how pesticides may harm the environment. Initially, hazards to humans were the primary reason the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to classify a pesticide as a restricted-use product.

This course provides an outline of the primary concerns of the bee-keeping industry including colony collapse disorder (CCD), factors affecting honey bee decline, invasive insects, fungal disease, best practices for pollinator stewardship, and minimizing pesticide risks for pollinators.

Labels are increasing in complexity and depth of information. It is never suggested that anyone try to memorize a pesticide label. By reviewing parts of a label and recognizing label language and use, we hope that you feel more comfortable with the information on pesticide labels and feel confident in understanding the information the present.

When the pesticide label requires a respirator it's important to know how to use a respirator safely. This course outlines the types of respirators available, proper fit, and inspection/maintenance requirements.

This course teaches Arizona pest managers about the classifications and hazards of pesticides. You will learn how to recognize the toxicity danger pesticides present to humans, pets, wildlife and the environment, plus the categories and designations of various pesticides.

In the last ten years, there has been a resurgence of treated seed use, largely due to the advent of improved chemical performance. We as agricultural producers are obviously concerned about the more modern applications of these processes. This course outlines the benefits and risks associated with treated seed products.

There are a variety of diseases, disorders, insects, and vertebrate pests that can cause problems in turfgrass. This course will give applicators and turf managers an overview of these common pests and strategies for their management.