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Georgia Category 21 - Agricultural Plant Bundle

This course bundle is geared toward the agricultural commercial applicator. The course bundle contains 10 credits of agricultural plant (category 21) training. Topics include common pests of corn, soybean, grain sorghum, rice, cotton and peanuts, pollinator health, common application equipment and calibration, integrated pest management, insect sampling, and a brief overview of how fungicides work.

BUNDLE CONTENTS:

  • Balancing Pest Management and Pollinator Health – 2 credits
  • Pest Identification: Corn, Soybean, and Grain Sorghum – 2 credits
  • Pest Identification: Rice, Cotton, and Peanut – 1 credit
  • Application Equipment and Calibration – 1 credit
  • Pollinator Stewardship – 1 credit
  • Identification and Control Noxious Weeds – 1 credit
  • Respiratory Protection – 1 credit
  • IPM, Insect Sampling, and Calibration – 1 credit

 

Balancing Pest Management and Pollinator Health

Course Description

Balancing the need to manage agricultural pests with pollinator health is dependent on cooperation between beekeepers, farmers and pesticide applicators. This course outlines the importance of honey bees honey bee decline, and discusses some pollinator myths. Finally, the strategies required to coordinate the efforts of farmers, beekeepers and applicators is discussed.

After completing this participants will be able to:

  • Gain an understanding of the issues surrounding pollinator importance, decline and health.
  • Tailor a management strategy that addresses the cooperation between farmers, beekeepers, and applicators.

Pest Identification: Corn, Soybean and Grain Sorghum

Course Description

Corn Insect Pests. This course goes over in detail the many insects that threaten corn yield. Each species is identified according to various stages of maturity, the signs and symptoms exhibited, and the type of biological, cultural or chemical control recommended for each.

Soybean Insect Pests. This course details the various types of insects that affect soybeans, including early-season insect pests, stem and petiole feeders, and defoliators. Treatment and control strategies for specified insects within these groups are detailed throughout this lesson.

Grain Sorghum Insect Pests. Sorghum represents a large portion of the U.S. export industry. It is a versatile crop that is used as a grain, forage or sweet crop. It is subject to infestation by a variety of insect pests. Good production practices can help reduce infestation when sampled regularly from emergence to maturity. This course will outline how to manage for these pests in a timely and efficient way.

While working through this course attendants will learn specifics on:

  • The major pests currently affecting corn crops in the United States today.
  • How to develop strategies to manage and control corn insect pests.
  • Early season insect pests: how to recognize, control and prevent
  • Multiple soybean fruit and pod feeders, the extent of damage each causes, and prevention techniques
  • Identify the different groups of grain sorghum pests and which insects within those groups are most harmful.
  • Identify the vegetative and grain-filling stages of plant growth.

Pest Identification: Rice, Cotton, and Peanuts

Course Description

Rice Insect Pests. This section details the major and the minor pests commonly associated with rice crops. These include weevils, stink bugs, armyworms, aphids, borers, midges and more. Students will learn to identify insects at various stages of maturity and to recognize specific insects based on the damage done to the crop.

Cotton Insect Pest and Management Strategies. This section will demonstrate how to identify insect pests in cotton, and outline the most common management strategies. Major insect pests in cotton include thrips, plant bugs, stink bugs, bollworm, budworm, beet armyworm, fall armyworm, spider mites, and others.

Peanut Insect Pests.  This section will cover the major pests commonly associated with peanut crops. These include thrips, cutworms, lesser cornstalk borer, threecornered alfalfa hopper, rednecked peanutworm, peanut burrower bug, and several defoliators.

After completing this course participants will be able to:

  • Outline the most common insect pests of rice, the damage they cause, and prevention methods for each.
  • Describe the impact these pests have on the yield and quality of rice grain.
  • Identify various insect pests typically found in cotton.
  • Develop management strategies to control these pests.
  • Discuss the most common insect pests of peanuts, the damage they cause, and prevention methods for each.

Application Equipment and Calibration

Course Description

When pesticide applications become necessary for good turf management, it’s important to understand how application equipment works and how to properly calibrate the equipment. An accurate measurement of the area to be treated and properly calibrated equipment are critical to applying pesticides within an acceptable range of the label requirements. This course will discuss the most common types of equipment used for pesticide applications on turf, the way to calculate the area of an irregularly shaped space, and how to properly calculate the flow rate of the equipment.

After completing this course participants will be able to:

  • Describe the different types of equipment used in pesticide applications
  • Accurately calculate the square footage of irregular areas
  • Accurately calibrate common application equipment

Pollinator Stewardship

Course Description

Honey Bee Stewardship. The primary concern plaguing the bee keeping industry is the decline of honey bees around the world. Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is the leading cause behind this steady decline in honey bee numbers. There are a number of different factors affecting this decline. This course provides an outline of the best practices concerning honey bee stewardship.

Minimizing Pesticide Risk for Pollinators. Whether applying pesticides in the home garden or in a commercial setting, many of the chemical pesticides used to control insects, fungal disease, and even weeds can hurt non-target pollinating insects, such as bees and butterflies. This section will ensure your ability to effectively and efficiently apply pesticides without harming beneficial insects.

Participants in this course will be able to:

  • Gain an understanding of the factors that contribute to colony collapse disorder.
  • Recognize the importance of beekeeper/grower communication.
  • The importance of pollinators in agriculture and why protecting native pollinators is of great concern.
  • The federal and state enforcement and compliance procedure as related to pollinator safety and alternatives to hard chemicals.

Identification & Control of Noxious Weeds

Course Description

Managing noxious weeds can be a tricky proposition. Applicators need to be aware of both the federal and state noxious weed lists and how that affects management tactics. This course covers several weeds on the federal noxious weeds list as well as other noxious weeds found throughout the southeastern United States.

After completing this course participants will be able to:

  • Identify common noxious weeds the southeastern United States
  • Recommend the proper treatment strategies for each noxious weed identified

Respiratory Protection

Course Description

Respirators protect workers against insufficient oxygen environments, harmful dusts, fogs, smokes, mists, gases, vapors, and sprays. These hazards may cause cancer, lung impairment, diseases, or death. Some pesticide labels require the use of a respirator as part of the personal protective equipment. This course outlines the types of respirators available, proper fit, and inspection/maintenance requirements.

After completing this course participants will be able to:

  • Discuss the different types of respirators and when to use each type
  • Describe the steps of a successful fit test
  • Outline the necessary care and maintenance required for each type of respirator

IPM, Insect Sampling, and Calibration

Course Description

Integrated Pest Management. Integrated Pest Management, or “IPM” for short, is an environmentally sound approach to controlling a pest population through common sense methods. Each control method will be addressed and defined in this presentation. IPM is a strategy focusing on the long-term prevention of pests or their damage through the use of multiple techniques.

Insect Sampling Techniques for Row Crops.  An important concern in agriculture management is minimizing insecticide use and controlling costs. The frequency of sampling is critical to making appropriate insect management decisions. These decisions should be made based on established treatment thresholds.

Pesticide Calibration. Calibration ensures that your equipment delivers the correct amount of pesticide uniformly across your field or target area and if done incorrectly or not at all has major consequences. It can mean the difference between control or failure of a pesticide. This course ensures you will be able to accurately calibrate using many types of application methods: broadcast application, banded application, multiple nozzles per row, and in-furrow applications.

After completing this course participants will be able to:

  • Monitor and control pests through cultural, biological, mechanical, chemical, genetic, and host plant resistance methods.
  • Describe resistance, how it develops, and integrative ways it can be managed.
  • Describe the different of calibration types and why it is so important to calibrate before pesticide application occurs.
  • Become familiar with specific details and mathematical instructions on how to perform broadcast applications, banded applications, multiple nozzles per row, and in-furrow applications.