The Montana State University Pesticide Education Program, with assistance from the Montana Department of Agriculture, is offering a pest management tour for pesticide applicators at 10 locations across eastern Montana from Oct. 4 through 8.

Those in the state’s Private Applicator Training District 4 need to earn six private applicator credits before Dec. 31 to avoid losing their certification, according to Cecil Tharp, MSU Extension pesticide education specialist. District 4 includes Carter, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, McCone, Phillips, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan, Treasure, Valley and Wibaux counties. Applicators can check their credits at https://mtplants.mt.gov/PesticideApplicator/ApplicationExternalSearch.aspx or contact their county MSU Extension office for license information.

There will be 10 onsite locations total, two for each day. Speakers will present on a variety of topics, including managing rodents; managing herbicide-resistant weeds; drought considerations when using pesticides; drought and weed management; preventing weed spread from hay shipments; and more. Presentations vary by location.

Representatives speaking on the tour include Tharp; Hayes Goosey, MSU Extension forage specialist; Tim Seipel, MSU cropland weed specialist; Noelle Orloff, MSU associate Extension associate specialist; Uta McKelvy, MSU associate Extension plant pathologist; and Stephen Vantassel, MDA vertebrate pest specialist.

Private applicators can attend morning or afternoon sessions for three credits or both sessions for six credits. More information, including commercial applicator credits, can be found at https://pesticides.montana.edu/events/2021pmt.html.  

COVID-19 protocols

All locations will follow MSU and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention policies requesting mask use while indoors. Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the two weeks prior to the event or who are experiencing cold- or flu-like symptoms should not attend.

The tour stops are listed here.

To register, contact the county Extension office where the event will occur (see details above) or online at https://www.pesticides.montana.edu/events/2020PMT.html.  

A detailed program agenda is available online at https://pesticides.montana.edu/events/2021pmt.html. Information is also available from local Extension agents. For other questions, contact Tharp at 406-994-5067 or [email protected].

The MSU Extension Pesticide Education Program is an educational program promoting the proper use of pesticides to protect public health and the environment. The program supports all applicators, businesses and homeowners by combining educational resources and knowledge from scientists, governmental agencies and the public.

Source: Montana State University, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.