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Farm and ranch seminar set Dec. 8 in Waco

published: November 30th 2022
by: Susan Himes
source: Texas AgriLife Today

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will hold the District 8 Farm and Ranch Seminar on Dec. 8 in Waco.

The event will be from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. at McLennan Community College Emergency Services Building, 7601 Steinbeck Bend Road.

The cost is $60. Participants can register by calling the AgriLife Extension office in McLennan County at 254-757-5180.  Lunch is included.

“This program is unique as it allows our commercial and non-commercial applicators an opportunity to get all their hours on one day,” said Shane McLellan, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Waco. “It also allows our private applicators the opportunity to acquire many hours in one day.”

A total of eight Texas Department of Agriculture, TDA, continuing education units are available for private applicator license holders- three general, two integrated pest management, two laws and regulations, and one drift management.

Seminar topics, speakers

• Pasture Management and Drought Recovery — Larry Redmon, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension program leader and associate head, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
• TDA Laws and Regulations — Don Renchie, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension pesticide safety program coordinator, Bryan-College Station.
• Pesticide Drift Management — Ben McKnight, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension state cotton specialist, Bryan-College Station.
• TDA Laws and Regulation Compliance — Elizabeth Prokop, pesticide certification and compliance coordinator, TDA, Austin.
• IPM Approach to Insect Management — David Kerns, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension state integrated pest management coordinator, Bryan-College Station.
• Alternative Herbicides for Weed Control in Pastures — Scott Nolte, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension state weed specialist, Bryan-College Station.
• External Parasite Control in Livestock — Sonja Swiger, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension entomologist, Stephenville.
• Identification and Management of Insects, Drought Stress/Recovery in Trees — David Appel, Ph.D., professor emeritus in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Bryan-College Station.

Opportunities to meet applicator requirements

The eight TDA continuing education units provide opportunities for applicators to renew or recertify their licenses, McLellan said.

Private applicator license holders must obtain 15 hours of continuing education units every five years to renew/recertify their license, including two hours of laws and regulations, two hours of integrated pest management and any mix of these and general hours to equal the required 15 hours of continuing education units.

Licensed commercial and non-commercial applicators are required to recertify every year by obtaining five continuing education credits with one credit each from two of the following categories: laws and regulations, integrated pest management or drift minimization. Licensed commercial and non-commercial applicators will be able to obtain their required five hours within the first five hours of the program.

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