Virtual continuing education trainings slated for February

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Travis County will present a virtual Texas Department of Agriculture, TDA, continuing education unit training conference Feb. 23-25

The conference will provide a total of 15 private applicator continuing education units over the three-day period.

“These trainings will address a variety of topics related to private pesticide applications, including integrated pest control, weed and brush control, Texas Department of Agriculture laws and regulations, establishing warm-season forages, external parasite management, prescribed burns, controlling invasive plants and more,” said Noel Troxclair, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Travis County. 

Troxclair said the online trainings are available to anyone needing TDA continuing education units for their private applicator license.

Registration is $30 for one day, $50 for two days and $75 for all three days. The deadline to register for all these trainings is Feb. 21. On Feb. 22, paid registrants will be emailed instructions to access the online training. 

A full agenda for each of the three days can also be found under the additional information tab on the registration site. Each day’s training will include a short mid-morning break and lunch break.

The time frame, topics, number of CEUs and category, and presenters for each day will be:  

Feb. 23 from 7:45 a.m.-2 p.m.

— TDA Laws and Regulations and Update, one laws and regulations, Elizabeth Prokop, certification and compliance specialist, TDA, Austin.  

— Use of Transgenic Varieties for Management of Pests of Cotton, one general, Ben McKnight, Ph.D,, AgriLife Extension statewide cotton specialist, Bryan-College Station.

— Weed Control in Row Crops and Small Grains, one general, Joshua McGinty, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, Corpus Christi.

— Addressing Herbicide Resistance Issues, one integrated pest management, Scott Nolte, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension state weed specialist, Bryan-College Station.

— IPM for Hemp, one integrated pest management, Tom Isakeit, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension plant pathologist, Bryan-College Station; Holly Davis, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension entomologist, Weslaco; and Calvin Trostle, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, Lubbock.

Feb. 24 from 7:45 a.m.-3 p.m.

— Establishment of Warm-Season Forages and Weed Control, one general, Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension forage specialist, Overton.

— Prescribed Fire as a Pasture and Range Management Tool, one integrated pest management, Morgan Treadwell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range specialist, San Angelo.   

— Identification and Management of External Livestock Parasites/Disease Vectors, one general, Sonja Swiger, Ph.D, AgriLife Extension veterinary entomologist, Stephenville.

— Managing Livestock Parasites Using Non-Chemical Approaches, one integrated pest management, Joe Paschal, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension livestock specialist, Corpus Christi.

— Using Available Technology: Improving Beef Profitability, Joshua Eilers, founder of Ranger Cattle LLC, Austin.

— TDA Laws and Regulations and Updates, one laws and regulations, Perry Cervantes, coordinator for Pesticide Certification and Compliance Program, TDA, Austin.

Feb. 25 from 7:45 a.m.-2 p.m.

— Managing Unwanted Brush on Small Farms/Ranches, one integrated pest management, Megan Clayton, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range specialist, Corpus Christi.

— An Integrated Approach to Managing Invasive Plants, one integrated pest management, Barron Rector, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range specialist, Bryan-College Station.  

— Environmental Fate of Herbicides, one general, Mark Matocha, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agricultural and environmental safety specialist, Bryan-College Station.

— TDA Laws and Regulations and Updates, one laws and regulations, Elizabeth Prokop, certification and compliance specialist, TDA, Austin.

— Managing Wild Pigs, one integrated pest management. John Tomecek, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist, Thrall.