Private Applicator Training/testing Set for May 2 in San Angelo

Apr 10, 2014

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Angelo State University’s agriculture department will conduct a training May 2 for individuals needing a Texas Department of Agriculture private applicators license.

The training and subsequent testing will begin at 1 p.m. in room 263 of Angelo State’s Vincent Nursing and Physical Science Building, 2333 Vanderventer Street in San Angelo.

Josh Blanek, AgriLife Extension agent in Tom Green County, said individual registration is $50 if received before April 25 and includes study materials.

To register and for more information, call the AgriLife Extension office in Tom Green County at 325-659-6523.

“The instruction will last about three and a half hours,” Blanek said. “The training is meant to give participants the needed information they’ll require to take the private applicator license test, which will be administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture immediately following the training.

“This is a prime opportunity for those needing a private applicators license to obtain one. A valid private pesticide applicators license is required for agricultural producers and landowners who apply restricted use pesticides to their own property.”

Blanek stressed the training is only for those needing the initial required license, thus no continuing education units will be offered.

Source:agrilife.org

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.