Still need pesticide recertification credits? More credit options are available from Penn State if you haven’t hopped online and attended a class.

And if you live and work in Delaware, you have an additional year to get caught up on your three-year continuing education credits if your current certificate expires in May.

Penn State has developed a mix-and-match set of correspondence courses using a series of pesticide applicator recertification workbooks, available for purchase at the pesticide applicator website or by calling 1-877-345-0691. They cost $10, plus tax. Shipping and handling is free through March 31.

To browse the available workbooks, visit the Extension guides and publications website.

For private category 01 and 18 credits, the forage diseases workbook is available. The soybean diseases workbook will be available later this month.

For private category 03 and 18 credits, the tomato diseases and pumpkin diseases workbooks are available.

Workbooks providing two core credits include adjuvants and pesticides, pesticide record keeping, and pesticide spill protocol. The pollinators and pesticides workbook provides one core credit. This would be ideal for anyone who needs an odd number of core credits to satisfy their license requirements.

The grain and rodent burrow fumigation workbook offers two category 20 commodity and space fumigation credits, as well as two category 18 credits. Please note that the grain and rodent burrow fumigation workbook does not provide private category credits. Private applicators with category 20 on their license will earn two category 20 credits.

To earn credits with a workbook, an applicator must read the workbook and complete the 10-question quiz, then mail it back in the postage paid envelope provided in the workbook. You must get seven out of 10 questions right and will have three chances to pass the quiz.

Allow three to six weeks from the time you mail the quiz until your credits are assigned to your license.

For those comfortable accessing learning materials online, you can take the agronomic pesticide update webinar. The agronomic pesticide update webinar offers two core credits and two private category 01 and 18 credits. Each webinar is $10, and recordings will be available until April 30.

For the quiz, you must get seven out of 10 questions right and will have three chances to pass it.

Webinars will be held on the following dates and times:

• 10 a.m. Feb. 11: forage pests

• 10 a.m. Feb. 25: soybeans, slugs and cover crops

• 7 p.m. March 11: corn and other grains

If you need just one or two credits to round out your applicator license renewal, other online courses are available. They are about $15 per credit, and there is a wide selection of offerings.

There also will be drive-in pesticide updates available at select locations. The cost is $10 and registration is required; no “walk-ins” are permitted. Most offerings will be agronomic pesticide update webinars in mid-to late February.

A drive-in event will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 23 at Haar’s Drive-in, 185 Logan Road, Dillsburg, Pa. Another drive-in event will be from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Bedford County Fairgrounds, 108 Telegraph Road, Bedford, Pa.

Extension granted in Delaware

Some Delaware producers have been prevented from gaining the credits needed to maintain their nutrient management or pesticide certifications due to pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture is offering extensions and COVID-19 credit exemptions, depending on the type of recertification, to accommodate people who have exhausted all options in earning their continuing education credits.

At this month’s Delaware Nutrient Management Commission meeting, Michael Scuse, ag secretary, asked the commissioners to consider extending the time commercial and private nutrient handlers and nutrient generators have to accumulate six credit hours of continuing education.

The commissioners voted and approved an extension increasing the time from three to four years for those certificates expiring on May 1, 2021.

University of Delaware nutrient management staff have held a record number of virtual events throughout the past year, as well as increased on-demand education from their website in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, aiding the roughly 1,800 certificate holders in keeping up with their credits. 

Additionally, course packets are available with materials eligible for up to six credits that can be mailed to farmers for free if they have difficulty connecting to online resources.

For more information or to obtain a packet, certified individuals can contact Hilary Gibson or Sydney Riggi at the Kent County Cooperative Extension Office at 302-730-4000 or email [email protected].

Commercial and private pesticide applicators who have explored all training options and are still falling short of the quota needed must contact the DDA pesticides section by the extension date of March 31. Applicators can review their credits at dda.force.com/pesticide.

Pesticide applicators can request a COVID-19 credit exemption by calling Kenda Galipo at 302-698-4571. 

Source: Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension and Delaware Department of Agriculture, which are 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.