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Taking Pesticide Safety Education and Soil Test Interpretation Online in the North

Agronomy & Pest Management

Casey Matney
Agriculture & Horticulture Agent
Soldotna

Abstract

While pesticides can present significant risks to people and the environment, they still play important roles in pest management programs.  The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) research and outreach programs at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) contributes greatly to minimizing risks and reducing pesticide use in Alaska.  To reduce risks to people and the environment and to address public concerns regarding pesticide use, the UAF IPM Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) develops training programs and materials to teach pesticide handlers to use pesticides to their maximum effectiveness while constantly seeking to minimize nontarget exposures to people, animals, soil, air, and waterways. These goals complement the regulatory efforts of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Pesticide Control Program to assure safe and responsible handling of all pesticides in our state.  Recently, the UAF IPM team has taken all PSEP training and certified pesticide applicator training online.  We have also improved soil test interpretation through the offering of web-based interactive forms to reduce agent workloads and improve uniformity of response.  This presentation will discuss the lessons learned during these online implementations as well as survey results from participants.

Authors: Casey Matney
  1. Casey Matney Agriculture & Horticulture Agent, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska, 99669