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MU Extension will offer teleconference and mail options for private applicators during the COVID-19 emergency.

Mindy Ward, Editor, Missouri Ruralist

March 31, 2020

1 Min Read
Tractor spraying pesticides on soy field
SPRAY ON: People who need a commercial or noncommercial applicator license will have time under the new guidelines put out by the Missouri Department of Agriculture. fotokostic/Getty Images

The Missouri Department of Agriculture is extending certain pesticide applicator licenses because of canceled recertification trainings in the wake of COVID-19.

Many testing sites have temporarily closed. Chris Chinn, Missouri director of agriculture, said all certified commercial and noncommercial applicators, as well as certified public operators that have licenses expiring during this COVID-19 emergency, will have a one-year extension to allow them to attend a recertification program.

The department contracts with Pearson Professional Centers for its testing services. However, it temporarily closed all offices until April 16. The company says people can reschedule exams during this time, but there may be delays in the process.

The state is not granting an extension to recertification for licensed pesticide technicians.

The University of Missouri Extension just announced it will offer certified private applicators the opportunity to obtain their certification credit by teleconference or mail.

Here are the Missouri Department of Agriculture guidelines:

Certified commercial, noncommercial and public operators

  • The department is granting a one-year license extension for those whose recertification expires during the emergency period.

  • This extension is being provided for applicators and operators to attend a recertification program or reexamine.

  • Renewal cards still will be mailed. Applicators and operators should return the signed card with the license fee by their expiration date.

  • This extension does not apply to licensed pesticide technicians.

  • For a list of approved recertification programs, click here.

Certified private applicators

  • People seeking to obtain certification credit to renew or obtain a private applicator license have two options: a Zoom teleconference training presented by a University of Missouri Extension field agronomy specialist, or complete a 25-question study guide by mail.

  • To schedule a private applicator certification or recertification, producers should contact their local county Extension office, or click here.

About the Author(s)

Mindy Ward

Editor, Missouri Ruralist

Mindy resides on a small farm just outside of Holstein, Mo, about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis.

After graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism, she worked briefly at a public relations firm in Kansas City. Her husband’s career led the couple north to Minnesota.

There, she reported on large-scale production of corn, soybeans, sugar beets, and dairy, as well as, biofuels for The Land. After 10 years, the couple returned to Missouri and she began covering agriculture in the Show-Me State.

“In all my 15 years of writing about agriculture, I have found some of the most progressive thinkers are farmers,” she says. “They are constantly searching for ways to do more with less, improve their land and leave their legacy to the next generation.”

Mindy and her husband, Stacy, together with their daughters, Elisa and Cassidy, operate Showtime Farms in southern Warren County. The family spends a great deal of time caring for and showing Dorset, Oxford and crossbred sheep.

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