The Montana State University Extension Pesticide Education Program will conduct a pest management tour for pesticide applicators at nine locations across northcentral Montana from September 29 to October 3.
The tour will make stops in Havre, Chinook, Chester, Shelby, Cut Bank, Conrad, Choteau, Great Falls and Fort Benton. Presentations at each location will cover topics such as grasshopper management, alfalfa insect pest management, crop disease management in small grains, herbicide resistant weeds, weed management in crop rotation systems, Richardson’s ground squirrel management, managing drift and carryover of pesticides, pesticide performance and water quality concerns, new technologies for targeted weed control, the use of spot spray systems for weed control and regulatory updates on pesticide education. The specific presentations will vary by location.
Speakers scheduled for the tour include Ricardo Pinto (MSU Precision Agriculture Research and MSU Extension specialist), Tim Seipel (MSU Extension cropland weed specialist), Stephen Vantassel (Montana Department of Agriculture vertebrate pest specialist), Cecil Tharp (MSU Extension pesticide education specialist), Tiziana Oppedisano (MSU Extension agronomic entomologist) and Raissa Debacker (MSU Extension plant pathologist).
Private applicators can earn three credits by attending either a morning or afternoon session or six credits by attending both sessions. Commercial applicator credits are also available; details can be found on the Pest Management Tour website.
Cecil Tharp noted that private applicators licensed in Private Applicator Training District 3 must obtain six private applicator credits before December 31 to maintain their certification. Applicators can check their current credit status online via the MSU Pesticide Education Program website by selecting “license and credit search” and entering their license number. They may also contact their local MSU Extension office for assistance with licensing information.
The cost to attend most sessions is $10 or $15 depending on the location; lunch is provided at all but one stop. Registration deadlines vary by site:
– Havre: September 29 at the 4-H Chuckwagon ($10; register by September 22)
– Chinook: September 29 at Blaine County Fairgrounds ($10; register by September 24)
– Chester: September 30 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church ($10; register by September 26)
– Shelby: September 30 at Comfort Inn ($15; register by September 26)
– Cut Bank: October 1 at Glacier County Library ($15; register by September 26)
– Conrad: October 1 at Moose Lodge ($10; register by September 15)
– Choteau: October 2 at Choteau Baptist Church ($10; register by September 29)
– Great Falls: October 2 at Holiday Inn ($30; register by September 30)
– Fort Benton: October 3 at Ag Center (free; no registration required)
A full agenda with starting times is available online at https://www.montana.edu/extension/pesticides/events/pmt.html. Local MSU Extension offices can provide additional information. For further questions about the program or licensing requirements, contact Cecil Tharp at ctharp@montana.edu or call (406)994-5067.
According to organizers, “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.”
