District 5 Winter Newsletter

Dear Private Applicators, 

You are now in the first year of your five-year recertification cycle. You have until December 31, 2027 to obtain the six required recertification credits in order to renew your license for the next cycle. We encourage applicators to get these credits throughout the cycle and not all in the last year. View instructions on looking up courses available for credits online.

If you did not make the recertification requirements there are a few options to get your license active again. You can attend an Initial Private Applicator Training or take a closed book exam at your local Extension office. You can take the exam at any time at an Extension office near you. Contact your local MSU Extension PAT Coordinator.

It is a good practice to send in your renewal application as soon as possible to have your license processed prior to the growing season. If you did not receive the renewal letter in the mail, please contact your local Extension agent or MSU PEP.

District 5 Initial Private Applicator Trainings

Fergus, Yellowstone, Big Horn and Judith Basin County Extension offices are hosting Initial Private Applicator Trainings in March and April 2023. Initial Private Applicator Trainings are all-day programs covering the basics of pesticide use followed by an ungraded 50-question exam. Completion of the program meets the requirements to obtain a Montana Private Applicator License to apply restricted use pesticides on land you own, rent or lease, while receiving many valuable pesticide education opportunities. 

  • March 21 - Lewistown, Fergus County
  • March 22 - Billings, Yellowstone County
  • March 23 - Hardin, Big Horn County
  • April 6 - Stanford, Judith Basin County

For more information and to register please visit MSU PEP's event webpage. 

Urban Pesticide Education Tour: April 21, Billings

MSU PEP is offering an urban pesticide training on April 21 in Billings to assist homeowners, gardeners, and other urban pesticide applicators in understanding the basics of using pesticides. This includes how to select the proper pesticide, reading and understanding the pesticide product label, how to manage pests, calibrating sprayers properly, pesticide safety, and avoiding non-target impacts. This training will offer private and commercial applicator credits.

  • Location: MetraPark 4-H Building, 308 6th Ave N, Billings, MT
  • Agenda: 8 am to 12:30 pm
  • Fee: $15
  • Registration: Register online by April 14th or contact Amy Bowser at (406) 994-5178, or [email protected].

More information including a full agenda is available online. 

Precision Ag Survey

MSU is creating a new Precision Agriculture Program and needs your help! Please help them determine what precision agricultural topics are relevant to Montana agricultural producers by filling out an online survey. 

Pulse Crop Survey

The Pulse Crop Survey is an annual survey of pulse crop growers and consultants about pulse crop diseases and their management, conducted by Montana State University. Through this survey we aim to understand which resources pulse growers and consultants seek out for information, which diseases challenge pulse crop production, which integrated pest management practices are implemented, and how effective they are perceived to be.

Please consider participating in this survey. Your participation in this survey will help us identify research needs and resources needed to support economic and sustainable pulse crop production in the Northern Great Plains and Pacific Northwest. Your participation in this survey is entirely voluntary and anonymous. This survey should only take 10 minutes of your time.

You will find the survey at this weblink: https://bit.ly/Pulses2023

Upcoming Webinars for Recertification Credits

The following list of webinars available for private applicator credits are hosted by various organizations. Please use the information provided to register for each event. This list is not comprehensive. Webinars are added as they are sent to the MDA for approval. View the instructions to search for more webinars. 

Upcoming Onsite Events in District 5

The following list of private applicator events are hosted by various organizations in your district. Please use the provided contact information for each event to register and obtain more information. This list is not comprehensive and only represents a few currently approved courses. Courses are added as they are sent to the MDA for approval. Use the MDA Course Locator to search for more events.

Online Credit Opportunities

There are 195 online private applicator credit opportunities available over a broad array of topics. This is a great platform for receiving last minute credits, or for education targeting specialized topics. View the Instructions for Using the MDA Course Locator Tool to learn how to search for online classes.

Recent Publications and News Updates

 

Private applicator District 5 recertification cycle

 

Montana Private Applicator District 5 consists of the following counties and reservations in Southeast Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Crow Reservation, Fergus, Golden Valley, Judith Basin, Musselshell, Northern Cheyenne Reservation, Petroleum, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Wheatland, and Yellowstone. 

 

MSU Extension Pesticide Education Program 
P.O. Box 172900 Bozeman, MT 59717-2900
406-994-5067 or 406-994-5178
[email protected]
https://www.montana.edu/extension/pesticides/ 

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