West Virginia Category 4A - Ornamental & Turf Outdoors Recertification Bundle
This course bundle is geared toward the Ornamental & Turf Outdoor Commercial Applicator (Category 4A). This course bundle contains 20 credits of education that have been approved for category 4A as approved by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.
BUNDLE CONTENTS:
- Common Ornamental Plant Pests – 6 credits
- IPM for Turf Management – 2 credits
- Cultural Practices for Turf Management – 2 credits
- Common Turfgrass Weeds – 2 credits
- Turfgrass Disease, Insect, and Vertebrate Pests – 2 credits
- Application Equipment and Calibration – 2 credits
- IPM for Ornamental Plant Pest Management – 2 credits
- Ornamental Pesticide Application Equipment and Calibration – 2 credits
Common Ornamental Plant Pests
Course Description
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.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Identify common landscape weeks and outline how to manage them.
- Identify common plant disorders and identify how to avoid them in the future.
- Identify common plant diseases and outline how to manage them.
- Describe nematode damage and explain why sampling prior to planting is important.
- Identify common vertebrate and invertebrate pests and outline the best management strategy for each.
IPM for Turf Management
Course Description
Integrated Pest Management of turfgrasses 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 turfgrass, and the different tools and techniques needed to successfully provide your clients with a healthy and attractive turf stand.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Understand the settings and ecosystems of a turf stand
- Gain an understanding of the issues involved in controlling pests and disease in managed turfgrass
- Tailor a management strategy that addresses the unique needs of turfgrass
Cultural Practices for Turf Management
Course Description
Turf responds best to consistent cultural practices – mowing, irrigating, and fertilizing. A consistent mowing height that is appropriate for the variety of turf, good irrigation, and proper fertilization will result in a healthy vigorous turf that will be enjoyed for years.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Discuss adverse turf conditions and how to correct them
- Recognize common turf problems and how to remedy them
- Tailor a management strategy that addresses the unique needs of turfgrass
Common Turfgrass Weeds
Course Description
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. Correct identification of the problem weed is a must of developing a management strategy, as is a working knowledge of weed biology and how herbicides work. This course will provide applicators with a good foundation from which to build their knowledge.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Explain the major similarities and differences between weeds and turf
- Identify common turfgrass weeds
- Explain how herbicides work
Turfgrass Disease, Insect, and Vertebrate Pests
Course Description
There are a variety of diseases, disorder, insects and vertebrate pests that can cause problems in turfgrass. Being able to correctly identify these common turfgrass maladies is of utmost importance to turfgrass managers. This course will look at the common diseases and disorder found in turf, and cover the situations and environmental conditions favorable to those diseases. The course also covers common insect and vertebrate pests and how to manage them.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Identify a disease, describe favorable disease conditions, and recommend treatment strategies for each disease
- Identify common insect turf pests and recommend treatment strategies
- Recognize the preferred habitat for common vertebrate pests and be able to recommend the appropriate deterrent or management strategy
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
IPM for Ornamental Plant Pest Management
Course Description
Integrated Pest Management 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.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Discuss several ways to track pest development
- Outline the issues involved in controlling pests and disease in managed landscape situations
- Tailor a management strategy that addresses the unique needs of each ornamental planting
Ornamental Pesticide Application Equipment and Calibration
Course Description
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. Accurate measurement of the area to be treated or the number of plants to be treated and properly calibrated equipment are critical to successful control of the pest as well as staying within label requirements. 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.
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