Pest management tour slated for north-central Montana

From MSU News Service

BOZEMAN —Montana State University Extension pesticide education and integrated pest management programs are offering a pest management tour across north-central Montana Oct. 5-9 for private and commercial pesticide applicator certification credits.

The tour targets counties in Montana that are in the final year of the private applicator recertification cycle, including Chouteau, Glacier, Pondera, Teton, Cascade, Toole, Liberty, Hill and Blaine counties. The program will feature presentations from MSU Extension specialists who will highlight research and management in calibration techniques, livestock insect pests, cropland insect pests, plant disease management cheatgrass, herbicide resistance, forage pest management and other cropland weeds. MSU speakers include Fabian Menalled, cropland weed specialist; Jane Mangold, rangeland weed specialist; Emily Glunk, forage specialist; Kevin Wanner, crop insect specialist; Noelle Orloff, plant diagnostician; Greg Johnson, veterinary entomologist; and Cecil Tharp, pesticide education specialist.

Private applicators who work in the nine-county region of the tour are required to obtain six private applicator recertification credits by Jan. 1 to requalify for the next certification cycle. MSU Extension manages the private applicator certification program.

Participation in the tour will offer credits for private, commercial and governmental applicators. Private applicators can attend a morning-only or afternoon-only session for three credits, or both for six credits. Two commercial/government applicator credits will be offered in the categories of demonstration and research, dealer and agriculture plant pest for attending either a morning or afternoon session.

Cecil Tharp, MSU pesticide education specialist, said the tour is an opportunity for private pesticide applicators to obtain recertification credits before the Jan. 1 deadline.

“This is likely a last-chance opportunity for private applicators in north-central Montana to obtain credits before the end of their certification cycle,” Tharp said.  

The local chedule is as follows:

Oct. 5

• Chinook: Wallner Hall, 337 Ohio St. Contact Ben Hauptman of Blaine County Extension at 406-357-3200. There is no fee to participate, and participants will be responsible for their own lunch. The session starts at 8:40 a.m.  

• Havre: MSU Northern Agricultural Research Center. Contact Nicole Gray of Hill County Extension at 406-231-5150. The fee is $10 and a catered lunch is available. The session starts at 8:40 a.m.

Oct. 6

• Chester: Our Savior’s Lutheran Fellowship Hall, 10 E. Madison Ave. Contact Jesse Fulbright of Liberty County Extension at 406-759-5625. There is no fee to participate, and participants will be responsible for their own lunch. The session starts at 9 a.m.

Oct. 9

• Fort Benton: Ag Center, 1205 20th St. Pre-register by contacting Tyler Lane of Chouteau Extension at 406-622-3751 by Oct. 5. There is no fee to participate, and lunch is free for participants. The session starts at 9 a.m.

For a detailed agenda of the tour and speakers, visit http://www.pesticides.montana.edu and select 2015 Pest Management Tour, or contact your local Extension agent for further information. Pesticide applicator credits can be viewed online at https://app.mt.gov/pest/index.