Insect pests can ravage crops and gardens leaving just bare stalks of what once was a healthy plant. A segment of the pest management tour will deal with garden and horticultural pests.
The Montana State University Pesticide Education and Integrated Pest Management Programs will offer a 2011 Pest Management Tour for private, commercial, and government applicators in eastern Montana. The tour will cover a ten-county area over a five-day time period, Oct. 3-7. The information provided will include a variety of topics, and participants who attend the full day will receive six credits towards certification.
“The 2011 Pest Management Tour will cover many subject areas of local interest, including urban/horticultural pests, cropland weeds, pesticide safety, plant pathology, recordkeeping, agricultural pesticide storage and security, and the impact of pesticides in the environment,” says Cecil Tharp, MSU pesticide education specialist. “MSU representatives speaking at the tour include Fabian Menalled, MSU cropland weed specialist; Mary Burrows, MSU plant pathologist; Rande Roth, MDA agricultural officer; Diana DeYoung, MDA agricultural officer; Michaela Hystad, MDA agricultural officer, and me.”
Private applicators can choose to attend either the morning or afternoon sessions to earn a total of three credits, or to attend the whole day, which will gain them six credits towards certification. Commercial and government applicators also are welcome to attend.“ The Pest Management Tour will be offering government/commercial recertification credits in the categories of Dealer, Demonstration and Research, Agricultural Plant Pest Control, Right of Way, and Special Utility Pest and Regulatory Weed Pest Control,” says Tharp.
Organizers planned this tour to specifically reach areas in Montana whose applicators need recertification credits. “This tour is designed to target regions in Montana that are in the final year of the private recertification cycle,” Tharp comments. “Private applicator licenses in Region 4 will expire on Jan. 1, 2012. Applicators within this region must attain six private applicator credits to re-quality into the next recertification cycle. Region 4 includes Roosevelt, Daniels, Valley, Philips, Garfield, McCone, Dawson, Wibaux, Fallon, Carter and Custer counties.”
The tour will cover ten counties over a five-day period. The tour begins on Oct. 3 and will cover Daniels and Roosevelt counties. One session will be held at the Froid Community Center and the other at the Nemont Friendship Room, Scobey. People may contact Ann Ronning at 406-787-5312 for information on the Froid meeting, and contact Nicole Winkler, 406-487-2861 for further information on the Scobey session.
The tour moves to Valley and Phillips counties on Oct. 4, with one session held at the Cottonwood Inn, Glasgow, and the other session scheduled at the Great Northern Hotel, Malta. People may contact Shelley Mills at 406-228-6241for further information on the Glasgow session and Marko Manoukian at 406-654-2543 for more information on the session scheduled for Malta.
On Oct. 5, the tour moves to Garfield and McCone counties. One session will be held at the McCone County Fairgrounds, Circle, and the other at VFW Hall, Jordan. People may contact Ken Nelson at 406-485-2605 for more information on the Circle tour, and Eric Miller at 406-557-2770 for information on the session scheduled for Jordan.
Oct. 6 sees the tour move to Custer County and Fallon/Carter counties. One session will be held at the Eagles Club, Miles City, and the other will be held at The Garage, Baker. Contact Christina McRae 406-874-3370 for information on the session scheduled for Miles City or Elin Westover at 406-778-3431 for information on the Baker tour.
The tour winds up on Oct. 7 at Dawson and Wibaux counties. No location had been set for these sessions at press time, but interested people can contact Bruce Smith, 406-377-4277 for information on the session scheduled for Glendive and Dave Bertelsen at 406-796-2486 for further information on the Wibaux session.
Interested people can also see a detailed program agenda at http://www.pesticides.montana.edu. People also may visit with local extension agents for further information on location and pre-registration.
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