Nevada Category A Principal Applicator Bundle - Agricultural
This course bundle is designed for the Nevada Principle Applicator. The course bundle contains 6 credits of continuing education Nevada Department of Agriculture approved courses with an emphasis on agricultural pest management including one hour of laws and regulations. Please click on course details for a list of specific courses.
BUNDLE CONTENTS
General Course
- Pesticide Hazards and First Aid – 1 credit
Agricultural Pest Management Courses
- Pest Identification: Corn, Soybean, and Grain Sorghum – 2 credits
- Pest Identification: Rice, Cotton, and Peanut – 1 credit
- Seed Treatment Product Safety – 1 credit
- Pollinator Stewardship – 1 credit
Pesticide Hazards and First Aid
Course Description
Pesticides are designed to be toxic to living organisms so they can control pests (e.g., plants, insects, rodents,
fungi, and bacteria). At the same time, pesticides must be used with special care to avoid harming nontarget organisms, including pesticide applicators, handlers, and anyone else exposed to the product. Pesticides can have both short-term
and long-term effects on humans. As a result, pesticide users need to be concerned with the hazards associated
with exposure to the chemical and not exclusively with the toxicity of the pesticide.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Identify common exposure routes for various pesticides and application methods.
- Discuss the appropriate first aid response to oral, ocular, dermal, and inhalation exposures to pesticides.
- Explain the hazard level classification system for pesticides, including the corresponding signal words.
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.
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.
Seed Treatment Product Safety
Course Description
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, not only because they have been found to be beneficial to early crop protection but especially because they have been of concern to the safety of humans and the environment. This course will outline the benefits and risks associated with treated seed products.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Weigh the benefits of treated seed products against the concerns for both human and environmental safety.
- Outline the different types of seed treatment methods, dressings and manufacturing processes.
- Be able to describe and integrate important safety guidelines based on EPA risk assessment recommendations.
- Describe the environmental impact of seed treatment processes, and best practices as environmental stewards.
Pollinator Stewardship
Course Description
Honey Bee Stewardship. The primary concern plaguing the beekeeping 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 honeybee 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.
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Identify the factors that contribute to colony collapse disorder.
- Recognize the importance of beekeeper/grower communication.
- Describe the importance of pollinators in agriculture and why protecting native pollinators is of great concern.
- Outline the federal and state enforcement and compliance procedure as related to pollinator safety and alternatives to hard chemicals.