One of the many challenges to Horticulture and Agriculture agents is the need for pesticide education. Our culture promotes the idea that there is a product in a bottle or a bag somewhere that will cure whatever ails your plants. This concept is pervasive; in 2012, the EPA estimated that $25,000,000,000 was spent on the purchase of herbicides alone.

The use of pesticides is not new. 4500 years ago, Sumerians used sulphur compounds to manage insects and mites. Colonists used arsenic to control ants. In the 1880s, California fruit growers gassed trees with hydrogen cyanide. DDT was used to de-louse soldiers in WWII. In the 1940s, new pesticides became “agricultural miracles”, increasing yields and reducing food costs. There was little understanding of the side-effects of their use, however, either to the environment or to applicators. In 1964, the USDA started a Pesticide Safety Program to enhance understanding of pesticide labels. In the 1970s state education and certification programs were created to instruct users, and purchase of riskier pesticides was restricted to those with appropriate training and certification.

The need for pesticide training is still huge. More pesticides are available than ever before. Pesticides are safer, but many are created for specific uses, and must be applied in very exacting ways for efficacy or to minimize pathogen resistance. I get regular questions from residents that show me they don't know much of this. Every pesticide user needs to understand correct pesticide use.

Kentucky’s Pesticide Safety Education Program is regulated by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, but is brought to the public through Extension. There are two kinds of applicator’s licenses: Commercial, for persons who want to buy restricted-use pesticides, and use those as part of their jobs; Private, for those who wish to buy restricted use pesticides for use on their own farms. It is the responsibility of County Extension Agents to offer training and testing on a regular basis. Additionally, pesticide education is woven into many plans of work—dealing with invasive organisms, growing specific crops, Master Gardener training, forest health, and more.

Kenton County had not offered the Private Pesticide Applicator training since before I arrived. There were applicators whose licenses had expired, and I wished to encourage re-certification. A refresher course is valuable even if you have worked with pesticides for many years. There are 23 Private Pesticide Applicator license holders in the county; each license is good for three years, and individual license expire in various years. Six people attended the Private Pesticide Applicator training this past winter. Five are involved in farming and ranching, and were renewing their licenses. One was a Master Gardener desiring additional instruction. 

Training lasted an afternoon, and featured UK-provided videos, my PowerPoints, and discussion. Content was also prepared in consultation with UK specialists. Topics included pesticide laws, efficacy, IPM, labels, pollinator protection, and more. Each participant took pre- and post-tests of 26 questions each. Students scored an average of 84% on the pre-tests, with scores ranging from 73% to 96%. On the post-test, scores averaged 99%, none lower than 96%. Comments were positive; they enjoyed the training and discussion, felt the class was worthwhile, and had their individual questions answered. All six obtained their licenses.