Certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator Course Offered in February

Jan 22, 2025

By Angela Rieck-Hinz and Meaghan Anderson et.al

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and Iowa Central Community College are offering a four-day workshop that will prepare attendees to become certified as Commercial Pesticide Applicators.

This course will focus on materials needed to take the Iowa Core Manual Exam and Categories 1A (Ag Weed Control), 1B (Ag Insect Control) and 1C (Ag Disease Control). In addition, this material will cover local context and real-life application of insect, weed and disease management. Course information will be presented by ISU Extension and Outreach field agronomists.

The course will take place Feb. 18-21 at the Iowa Central Community College East Campus located at 2031 Quail Ave., Fort Dodge, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day.

“Agribusiness retail outlets are in need of a certified workforce to meet the seasonal demands of pesticide applications” said Aaron Saeugling, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “This course will help develop that workforce for future employment.”

The curriculum and supporting materials are offered in the form of PowerPoints, worksheets, demonstrations and activities. Participant engagement will provide a variety of learning opportunities through activities, hands-on demonstrations and real-life scenarios.

Tuition for the class is $749 and includes the Core, 1A, 1B and 1C manuals as well as other resource materials. Particpants will have the opportunity to take the certification exams each afternoon at the Iowa Central Community College testing center at no additional cost.

To register, please contact Iowa Central Community College at 515-574-1293 or go to the Iowa Central Community College registration page. Questions may be sent to noncredit@iowacentral.edu. Registration for this course closes on Feb. 11.

Source : iastate.edu

Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?