Welcome to Training Module Mania!, a monthly supplement from the PSEP Office that will explore each training topic (‘module’) of private applicator training and the resources available to Educators for delivering that topic. Our goal with this series of articles is to help you find the training materials you need and examine how best to use them. This month, we will focus on the Pesticides module.
Pesticides are remarkably diverse, and they can be classified and subclassified in several ways. What type of pest do they control? How do their active ingredients work? In what form are they sold? How do they interact with other pesticides or additives? What risks do they pose to human health or the environment? These questions are of supreme importance to pesticide applicators.
While one does not need a degree in chemistry to be a successful applicator, familiarity with pesticide formulations, physical/chemical compatibility, modes of action and resistance management, and pesticide persistence and residues are critical to making both short- and long-term pest management decisions. Materials available for teaching the Pesticides module are:
• PowerPoint presentation (available on OneDrive/SharePoint)
• Video version of the PowerPoint presentation (available on OneDrive/SharePoint)
• Activity – Jar Test to Determine Compatibility for Tank Mixes (In-Service Manual, page 82-86*; accompanying PowerPoint slides available on OneDrive/SharePoint)
• Activity – Tank Mix Compatibility Kit and Mixing Order (In-Service Manual, page 90-93; accompanying worksheet, “Mixing Order and Amount Worksheet,” available on OneDrive/SharePoint)
• Activity – How Resistance to a Pesticide Develops (In-Service Manual, page 86-90)
• Activity – Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Formulations (available on OneDrive/SharePoint)
• Activity – Measuring Dry Formulations (available on OneDrive/SharePoint)
• Video segments, including Glyphosate Stewardship, Herbicide Resistance, How to Manage Insect Resistance in Bt Crops, Insecticide Resistance Management from IRAC, and Tank Mixing. (available on OneDrive/SharePoint; see pages 49-53 in the In-Service Manual for a complete list of supplementary video segments with descriptions, sorted by training module.)
The In-Service Manual provides a comprehensive checklist of topics that, by law, must be covered in private applicator training. This checklist is found in Appendix A, pages 44-45. Immediately after this checklist, on pages 46-47, is a Curriculum Table of available training materials, sorted by module. Use the requirements checklist and Curriculum Table to plan your training sessions.
The PowerPoint presentation for the Pesticides module is one of a set of nine that cover everything required for private applicator training. Thus, if you so desire, you can simply present these nine slide decks and fulfill the requirements for certifying/recertifying private applicators. However, you may find that replacing some PowerPoints with activities, videos, and discussions increases the impact and engagement of your training sessions.
Another important note on the PowerPoint presentations: you can often find presenter notes below the slides that explain the slide creator’s intent and offer suggestions for how to discuss concepts. These notes can be extremely helpful to the presenter.
During the second half of 2020, Educators and the PSEP Office developed a set of videos covering each of the nine module PowerPoint presentations discussed above. If you feel uncomfortable lecturing on a certain module, or if you need a break during a training session, you can choose to play a module’s video instead of presenting it yourself. The video for the Pesticides module features Melissa Bartels.
Several activities are available to help you teach the Pesticides module. The Jar Test to Determine Compatibility for Tank Mixes activity offers six different demonstrations you can use to illustrate incompatibilities encountered by pesticide applicators. This activity is extensive, and you will likely wish to choose one or two parts of it on which to focus instead of going through every demonstration. Prior to your training session, practice some of the demonstrations to determine which might work best for you and to familiarize yourself with the procedure. A supplemental PowerPoint presentation is available to be used in conjunction with this activity if you so choose.
Similar to the Jar Test activity above, the Tank Mix Compatibility Kit and Mixing Order activity touches on compatibility issues. Using the Precision Labs Test Kit and a worksheet (OneDrive/SharePoint), applicators work to determine proper ratios of tank mix partners and carrier, as well as correct mixing order. Finally, Precision Labs’ free Mix Tank App, which can help determine the best mixing order for tank partners, can be demonstrated. As with the Jar Test activity, it is a good idea to practice this activity ahead of time.
Pesticide resistance is a growing problem in Nebraska agriculture. The activity How Resistance to a Pesticide Develops, created by Jenny Rees, helps learners understand what leads to pesticide resistance and what can be done to prevent or slow the development of resistance.
Two new activities, provided by Jenny Weber (Arizona PSEP Coordinator), are also available for your use. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Formulations activity pairs nicely with the Pesticide module PowerPoint. The idea behind this activity is to have participants create “commercials” for different pesticide formulations, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of each type. This may be a fun way to cover formulations, and is certainly more interactive than the PowerPoint alone.
The Measuring Dry Formulations activity highlights the differences between mixing/loading dry products and liquid products, specifically the fact that dry product rates are typically given in weight as opposed to volume. Trying to measure out a dry formulation using a liquid measuring cup’s markings can lead to over- or under-applications.
In addition to activities, several supplementary videos are available to you for this module. See above, or the In-Service Manual, for a list.
Pesticide safety education is a worthwhile endeavor. Our job as educators is to engage the audience and build their appreciation for the responsibilities they assume when using pesticides. Across the nation, Pesticide Safety Education Programs have the mission of encouraging the judicious use of pesticides. This mission protects human health, the environment, and our producers’ bottom lines.
*References to In-Service Manual page numbers are for the 2022 edition. These page numbers may fluctuate from year to year.