Florida Category 10 - Demonstration and Research Bundle

This course bundle is designed for the Florida Private Demonstration and Research applicator but also counts towards 4 CEUs in category 1A1, 2 CEUs in category 1C, and 1 CEU in categories 03 and 21. This bundle should be paired with a core bundle to meet recertification requirements. All courses are approved by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Agricultural Environmental Services. Please click on course details for a list and description of courses.

BUNDLE CONTENTS:

Demonstration and Research (Category 10) CEUs:

• Pest Identification: Corn, Soybean and Grain Sorghum – 2 CEUs
• Pest Identification: Rice, Cotton and Peanut – 1 CEU
• Annual Bluegrass Resistance Management – 1 CEU

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 these pests in a timely and efficient way.

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.

Annual Bluegrass Resistance Management

This course is approved for 1 CEU in the following categories:

Maximum CEUs earned: 1

Course Description

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. There are very few commonly utilized herbicides that annual bluegrass has not evolved resistance to – albeit often in isolated or unique populations. However, the worrying trend is that for some turf scenarios, we no longer have effective chemical means of controlling annual bluegrass. This course will discuss the currently reported cases of annual bluegrass resistance to various herbicides and how to develop an effective herbicide program.

After completing this course participants will be able to:

• Discuss herbicide resistance best management practices
• Distinguish between the different classes of herbicides and their different sites of action
• Describe how herbicide resistance is developed and how it can be avoided