Continuing Education Units for Private and Commercial Applicator License
You can always tell when we are getting close to February, because many folks start realizing their Private Applicator license is about to expire and they are short on the required continuing education units required to keep their license. Several years ago, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) moved new applicators expiration to February on the 5th year anniversary of their license.
If you have a Private Applicator Certificate or a Private Applicator License, then you are required to have 15 hours of Continuing Education Units every 5 years. Of the 15-hour total, you must receive a minimum of 2 hours of Laws and Regulations (L&R) and 2 hours of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). If you have a Commercial License, you are required to have 5 hours every year including 1 L&R and 1 IPM. For private license holders, if you fail to get the required hours by the anniversary date of your license you have one year to renew with a late fee. After one year, folks with a private applicator license will be required to re-train and re-test. Whichever license you may have with the new testing procedures and requirements, you do not really want to risk letting it run out.
We always offer several programs throughout the year that not only provide great education, but also an opportunity to get those CEU’s. One excellent program we have coming up that is designed to help everyone get needed hours and keep up on the latest pesticide technology and laws is the “Comanche County Crops Program.” This crop program is packed with excellent information and lots of CEU’s. The program will be held Friday, February 21st at the Comanche Community Center, 101 Indian Creek Drive. Registration will begin at 8:30 and the program will run from 9:00 AM until 3 p.m. We will be offering 5 total CEU’s: 3 L&R’s, 1 IPM, and 1 Drift. We will also be providing Auxin Training for those that might need it. There is a $50.00 fee and lunch will be provided.
Here is the line-up for this program: “Auxin Training”- Dr. Scott Nolte “Native Pecan IPM”- IPM agent Kyle Slusher “ TDA Sprayer Maintenance and Drift Management”- Kyle Thompson, TDA “TDA Laws and Regulations”- Jason Jones “Legal Feral Hog Control Methods and Toxicants”James Allen, Texas A&M NRI This will be very valuable training for both private applicators and commercial applicators. All the speakers are excellent, and the presentations will be aweinspiring for all participants. For more information or to pre-register for these programs, please call the Comanche County Agents office (325)-356-2539. You can also find the agenda on our FB page: Comanche County Agriculture.