Clinton County CES

Title:

Producer and Consumer Safety

MAP:

Chemical Management

Agents Involved:

C. Guffey

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Integrated Pest Management

Situation:

Chemical application at its best is simultaneously safe, effective, economical, and environmentally-conscious. Achieving each of these attributes for plant pest management is an ongoing educational process for a variety of applicator groups, including farm managers and workers, gardeners, crop advisors, point-of-sale employees, and industry and government agency representatives. This process will include educational sessions, hands-on demonstrations, test plots, coordinated recommendations, and site-specific farm visits by various extension personnel. In addition to timely and relevant updates on new chemicals, focus areas are chemical safety, efficacious usage, and integration of diversified approaches alongside chemicals. Attention to these foci will benefit not only applicators, but anyone who comes in contact with agricultural fields or uses Kentucky food, fuel, and fiber crops as part of everyday life.

Long-Term Outcomes:

•Reduction of drift related complaints and damage.

•Improve sustainability of animal livestock production systems.

•Reduction in rate of pesticide resistance development in pests, weeds, pathogens.

•Improve sustainability of crop production systems

Intermediate Outcomes:

•Design effective spray schedules for plant pest management.

•Designing effective administration schedules.

•Use diagnostic services to identify insects, disease, weeds

•Calibrate sprayer, select appropriate nozzles and pressure, test spray water

Initial Outcomes:

•Observe proper chemical handling, storage, and cleanup in home, farm, or business.

•Increase homeowner/general public awareness of safe livestock medication procedures.

•Demonstrate proper use of sprayers and equipment related to application (calibration, nozzle selection, boom height, etc.)

•Understanding IPM (triggers to spray, thresholds, etc.)

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Proper chemical handling, storage, and cleanup in home, farm, or business

Indicator: producers participating in pesticide container recycling program

Method: KY Dept. of Ag

Timeline: Summer

Initial Outcome: Using Diagnostic services to identify insects, disease and weeds.

Indicator: number of calls and visits related to ID of insects, weeds or disease.

Method: farm visits and calls

Timeline: on-going

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: All Producers

Project or Activity: Private Applicator Training

Content or Curriculum: Private Applicator Training Materials

Inputs: UK specialists & industry professionals

Date: As Needed

Audience: Bee Keepers

Project or Activity: Education Series 

Content or Curriculum: Beginning Beekeeping, producing queens, insect management.

Inputs: UK specialists & industry professionals

Date: Winter 19

Audience: All Producers

Project or Activity: CAIP (cost-share) Trainings

Content or Curriculum: Various Topics

Inputs: UK specialists & industry professionals

Date: As Needed 

Audience: Tobacco Producers

Project or Activity: GAP Training

Content or Curriculum: GAP Training Materials

Inputs: UK specialists & industry professionals

Date: Winter 19

Audience: All Producers 

Project or Activity: On-farm sprayer calibration demonstration

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications 

Inputs: Specialist and Agent 

Date: Winter 19