Pesticide

Paulding County a host for Ohio Department of Agriculture Pesticide/Fertilizer Testing on February 7, February 23 and March 8

Testing for Private and Commercial Pesticide, Fertilizer Applicator License will take place on February 7, February 23, and March 8 in Paulding County at the Extension Office. While our office does not administer the test, we are the host and will do our best to provide you with information. Testing will start at 10:00 AM. You must pre-register via ODA’s website HERE. You will need to click the exam registration tab and choose exam by location as to where you want to sign up. Multiple exams may be taken during a session. Additionally, the Ohio Fertilizer Certification test is given at these locations.

General Information: Ohio Department of Agriculture offers an in-person testing option for Private and Commercial Pesticides examinations for 2023. Pre-registering with the Ohio Department of Agriculture is mandatory.

Day of in-person testing reminders: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ohio Department of Agriculture asks that every person taking the exam do a self-check before entering ODA’s campus or regional exam location. If you are feeling sick, please reschedule your exam.

  • Photo IDs will be required.
  • Pencils and calculators will be provided.

 

Need to check your pesticide test scores?  Go to this link: https://agri.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/oda/divisions/plant-health/pesticides/exam-results

Notes for Pesticide Testing Applicants must be 18 years of age and have a valid ID through the state of Ohio or potential for state reciprocity. Register via the ODA website.

New Pesticide Applicator Crash Course Open for Registration

As advertised in the NW Ohio Newsletter in 2023 a New Pesticide Applicator class. This class will help new pesticide applicators prepare for the Ohio Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator license test in CORE and cereal and grain crops (private category 1/commercial category 2c) as well as recordkeeping after you have obtained the license. Study guides will be provided with registration along with other resources. Study books from the OSU Extension Publications store are available at an additional cost. The books can be ordered via our office by calling (419)399-8225 or by ordering online at https://extensionpubs.osu.edu/. An additional study by the participants is encouraged beyond the two hours spent in class. Although this class will help prepare participants in Core (applying pesticides properly and safely) and Category 1 (Grain & Cereal Crops), other resources will be made available for additional study in other certification categories.

The class will be held on Thursday, February 16 from 9:30 AM-12:00 PM. The class will be held in person.

Location: Paulding County Extension Office, 503 Fairground Drive, Paulding, OH 45879

Cost: $25

Registration information: RSVP is mandatory with the deadline of February 15. Seating is limited. No walk-ins are available.

Registration link: https://go.osu.edu/23pestcrash or you can register via the QR Code below.

January 31 – Private Pesticide Re-Certification and Private/Commercial Fertilizer Re-Certification registration open.

By now many of you who are up for certification for Private Pesticide or Commercial/Private Fertilizer (Category 15) are receiving letters your renewal letters from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. If you have completed your total hours for re-certification, you may mail the invoice and payment into ODA for the $30. This is called the RENEWAL fee. Many times this is confusing as you only do this once every three years. (There is also an option to pay the RENEWAL online at https://www.planthealthrenewal.agri.ohio.gov/ApplicatorPrivate/. To pay online with a debit/credit card, you will need to have the control ID/number on the back of your card. Unfortunately, if your card is worn out, and you can’t read the number, our office does not have access to it.  You would need to call ODA.)

If you have not taken the RE-CERTIFICATION classes, Paulding County is offering the class on Tuesday, January 31 (Fertilizer at 8:30 AM and Pesticide at 9:30 AM). The classes are $35 for Pesticides and $10 for fertilizer (If you need both, $45).  Online registration is required for the class. The link to register is http://go.osu.edu/PauldingPATFERT23.  You may send in registration and payment to Sarah Noggle, ATTN: PAT/FERT,  503 Fairground Drive, Paulding, OH 45879. You will need to print and include the following registration form with your payment. 2023 Paulding PAT and FERT Registration Flyer Debit/Credit card payments are available for 2023 but you must use the online registration.

If you have any questions please email Sarah at noggle.17@osu.edu

NW Ohio Newsletter Events

Please call the office or email noggle.17@osu.edu to register for events, or to find out about program changes, etc. 

Events: Please note all events are subject to change.  To see our full NW Ohio Newsletter with events for the area, click NW Ohio Newsletter 2023

Continue reading →

2022 Pesticide Disposal for Farmers

ODA has announced the 2022 pesticide disposal dates and locations for farmers.

“The program assists farmers with a free of charge, safe and environmentally responsible disposal of unusable, outdated pesticides. No household or non-farm pesticides are accepted, nor are pesticides accepted from commercial companies.”

  • August 17, 2022 – Van Wert County
  • August 24, 2022 – Erie County
  • August 30, 2022 – Greene County

For more information see the link:  https://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/plant-health/pesticides/disposal

Why Should You Calibrate Your Sprayer Even If it has a Rate Controller?

By:  Erdal Ozkan

Whenever I give a presentation about the need to calibrate a sprayer and how to do it, there is always someone asking me this same question: “I have a rate controller in the cab that regulates the flow rate of the sprayer regardless of the changes in sprayer ground speed. I just enter the gallons per acre application rate, and the controller does the rest, just like cruise control in a car. So, should I still calibrate the sprayer? The answer is, Yes, a calibration should be done. Although the rate controllers do an excellent job of regulating the flow rate of nozzles to keep the application rate constant regardless of the changes in travel speed, a manual calibration at least once a year is needed for two reasons: 1) to ensure the rate controller is functioning properly, 2) the rate controller is not forced to operate outside the pressure operating range for the nozzles on the sprayer boom. Let me elaborate on both points I made and share with you the reasons why a manual calibration of a sprayer is a good idea.

  1. If you are stopped by a police officer for speeding, telling the police officer that the car was in cruise control set to the speed limit will not get you out of getting a ticket. Cruise controls go bad, and so will the rate controllers. That is why it is best to manually check the flow rate of nozzles to make sure the gallons per acre application rate you enter on the controller matches the gallons per acre rate provided by the nozzles.
  2. Your controller may be in good shape, but if the ground speed sensor is giving inaccurate data to the controller, it will not work accurately. For example, if the speed sensor works based on revolutions of the tractor wheels, the ground speed determined may not be accurate, because of the slippage that may occur under some ground conditions. Even the tire pressure being off just a few psi may change the tire revolutions per minute leading to erroneous travel speed readings. Continue reading →

Williams County Private Pesticide and Fertilizer Recertification Meeting on March 21

Do you have a Private Pesticide Applicator’s License and/or Fertilizer Certification expiring in 2022 and missed our Paulding County Re-certification? These opportunities are getting limited. If so, register for the Williams County re-certification session on March 21 at the Veterans Memorial Building.

Fertilizer recertification (Category 15) will be from 5 – 6 pm and pesticide recertification (CORE & Categories 1-6) from 6 – 9 pm. Pre-registration is required at go.osu.edu/williamspat or 419-636-5608. Registration cost is $10 for fertilizer recertification and $35 for pesticide recertification and includes educational materials and refreshments. This is separate from the ODA $30 license renewal fee. Can’t attend? Check out https://pested.osu.edu/Recert/maumeevalley for more recertification opportunities.

Join us for the New Pesticide Applicator “Crash Course” on Thursday, February 17

As advertised in the NW Ohio Newsletter. This class will help new pesticide applicators prepare for the Ohio Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator license test in CORE and cereal and grain crops (private category 1/commercial category 2c). Study guides will be provided with registration along with other resources. Study books from the OSU Extension Publications store are available at an additional cost. An additional study by the participants is encouraged beyond the two hours spent in class. Although this class will help prepare participants in Core (applying
pesticides properly and safety) and Category 1 (Grain & Cereal Crops), other resources will be made available for additional study in other certification categories.

The class will be held on Thursday, February 17 from 9:30 AM-11:30 AM. The class will be held in person.

Location: Paulding County Extension Office, 503 Fairground Drive, Paulding, OH 45879

Cost: $25

Registration information: RSVP mandatory with the deadline, February 16. Seating is limited. No walk-ins are available.

Registration link: http://go.osu.edu/22PestCrash

Shortage of Fungicides for Fruit Crop Growers

From Melanie Ivey, OARDC Plant Pathology

As with many other commodities, there is a shortage of fungicides (and herbicides), in particular Captan, for the beginning of the 2022 fruit crop season.  Since Captan is the backbone fungicide for many fruit crops growers will need to prepare a Plan B in case these two products do not arrive in time for the first early season sprays.  For apple, peach, cherry, grape, and blueberry, Captan can be replaced with Ziram.  A spreader/sticker can be added to Ziram to improve its efficacy.  I attached a copy of the Ziram 76DF Label.  The rates for Ziram are not the same as Captan so growers will need to refer to the label.  Remember the label is the law! For growers who have strawberries, they should consult the Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide to select an alternative to Captan.

Growers should also anticipate a significant increase in prices for all fungicides. 🙁

Let’s hope we don’t have to move to Plan B and the products will arrive before the buds break!

Registration is REQUIRED for January 18 Pesticide and Fertilizer Recertification

Greetings all,

Registration is required for the January 18, Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertification in Paulding County.  We now have a link to register online and we now also have a credit card payment option. You must have an email address to pay by credit card.

The link to our registration is http://go.osu.edu/2022PauldingPATFERT

You may also use the following QR code by scanning to your phone:

As a reminder: Fertilizer Recertification will begin at 8:30 AM and Pesticide Recertification will begin at 9:30 AM. We will conclude at 12:45 PM. Our location address for GPS is 503 Fairground Drive, Paulding, OH 45879.

Upcoming Paulding County Private Pesticide and Fertilizer RE-Certification.

Happy Holidays!! By now many of you who are up for certification for Private Pesticide or Commercial/Private Fertilizer (Category 15) are receiving letters your renewal letters from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. If you have completed your total hours for re-certification, you may mail the invoice and payment into ODA for the $30. There is also an option to pay online at https://www.planthealthrenewal.agri.ohio.gov/ApplicatorPrivate/. To pay online with a debit/credit card, you will need to have the control ID/number on the back of your card. Unfortunately, if your card is worn out, and you can’t read the number, our office does not have access to those.  You would need to call ODA.

If you have not taken the classes, Paulding County is offering the class on Tuesday, January 18 (Fertilizer at 8:30 AM and Pesticide at 9:30 AM). The classes are $35 for Pesticides and $10 for fertilizer (If you need both, $45).  You may send in registration and payment to Sarah Noggle, ATTN: PAT/FERT,  503 Fairground Drive, Paulding, OH 45879. You will need to print and include the following registration form with your payment. Pesticide and Fertilizer Recertification Flyer – 2022  Our office can’t take credit card payments at this time.

Our offices are closed from December 23 to December 30 so if you have any questions please email Sarah at noggle.17@osu.edu

Farm Science Review Tickets Still Available until Monday

Picture courtesy of Farm Science Review

There is still time until Monday to get tickets. The 59th annual Farm Science Review is set for September 21-23 at Ohio State’s Molly Caren Agricultural Center, 135 State Route 38, near London. The full program is located at https://fsr.osu.edu/sites/fsr/files/imce/Information/FSR%202021%20Full%20Program%20with%20Maps%20Gatefold.pdf 

Featured at the event will be more than 100 educational sessions, including “Ask the Expert” talks; 600 exhibits; the most comprehensive field crop demonstrations in the United States; a career exploration fair; and immersive virtual reality videos of agricultural activities.

This year’s Farm Science Review will also feature a new online component called “Farm Science Review Live.”

Hours for Farm Science Review are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 21–22 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 23.

Tickets are available at our office, $7 each. Either cash or check payable to OSU Extension Paulding County is accepted. Tickets are $10 at the gate. Ages 5 and under are free admittance. Currently, the Paulding County Office is back in our offices after our remodel. You will see a new facelift in the office. Please ask Katie for tickets.

Will a Second Fungicide be Worth the Cost for Tar Spot Management?

Please note: While I have not observed Tar spot in Paulding County, we have had many reports of Tar spot in Hardin and Hancock Counties, and in previous years in Fulton County. Please contact Sarah Noggle if you believe you have Tar spot.  

CPN 2018. Published August 19, 2021. DOI: doi.org/10.31274/cpn-20210820-1

By:  Darcy Telenko, Purdue University; Martin Chilvers, Michigan State University; Alison Robertson, Iowa State University; Albert Tenuta, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs; and Damon Smith, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Tar spot has quickly become a widespread concern on corn this season (2021) across much of the upper Midwest U.S. and portions of Ontario, Canada. This is especially concerning after reasonably localized epidemics resulted in low or no yield reductions over the past two seasons. This season the tar spot fungus has infected corn plants early and is rapidly increasing in many areas of the upper Midwest corn belt. The speed at which the epidemic is now moving and the crop growth stage across much of these acres (ranging from tassel to early dough) has resulted in questions about what in-season management approaches might provide an economic benefit.

Characteristic tar spot signs on a corn leaf. Image: Darcy Telenko

When is the best time to apply a fungicide for tar spot management?

Like most of the other diseases of corn, the timing of fungicide application to hedge your bets against tar spot generally is at tasseling (VT) to the silking (R1) growth stage. Recent regional research has demonstrated that while there might be little yield benefit with an application at the V6 growth stage, a single application of fungicide at VT-R1 on average can result in as much as 7 bushels or more yield compared to not treating. This is compared to just 2-3 bushels at the V6 timing and suggests that farmers are more likely to recover their fungicide costs if applying just one application at VT-R1. In the absence of tar spot and southern rust, spraying at V6 AND VT-R1 also has not resulted in economically positive returns. This practice, on average only results in an additional 1 bushel of yield compared to one application at VT-R1. There is no considerable return on investment (ROI) with two-pass fungicide programs for many corn diseases. But what about the tar spot situation this season? What do the data say about a second fungicide application to manage tar spot if I have already sprayed at VT-R1 and the disease is continuing to increase?

Continue reading →

Private Pesticide Recertification Deadline is July 1 – In Person Training in Paulding County June 24

There are two options for last chance re-certification for Paulding County Fertilizer or Private Pesticide applicators. Private pesticide and fertilizer applicators who expired either in March 2020 or 2021 have until July 1 to recertify and renew.

  1. In-Person option on Thursday, June 24 – 8:00 AM – Fertilizer Recertification ($10) 9:15 AM – Pesticide Recertification ($35).  Please call the office at 419-399-8225 to register. Ask for Sarah Noggle
  2.   A self-paced online recertification course is available at https://pested.osu.edu/onlinerecert. You can also access the course by clicking the purple box titled “Self-Paced Recertification Courses” at pested.osu.edu (see screenshot image below).

Continue reading →

Call for Cooperators – 2021 On-Farm Research

By Rachel Cochran, Water Quality Extension Associate, and Sarah Noggle, Extension Educator

As we begin to approach Spring planting, it’s important to think about the intricacies of the growing season – what fertilizer to use, how much to apply, how to apply it, etc.  If you’re unsure what rate would most benefit your crop while earning you the largest profit, on-farm research may be a good way for you to determine that. If you’re unsure what effects different management practices are having on the health of your soil, on-farm research may be a helpful tool. For almost any question you may have about your operation, an on-farm research trial may be a good way to better understand what the best practices may be for your farm.

This year, we plan to continue the eFields Soil Health Study that was started in 2020. In this study, soil samples are pulled from three depths: 0-4”, 0-6”, and 0-8” within a field. A variety of different tests are then performed on that soil, including routine nutrient analysis, pH, Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), total organic matter, aggregate stability, and Permanganate Oxidizable Carbon (POXC). The results of these tests will be grouped with fields of similar management and published in the 2021 eFields book and will help to give you a snapshot of the health of your soil.

OSU Extension Paulding County is here to help you find out what’s best for your operation, whether it be through sharing of information or planning of research trials on your farm. Reach out to Sarah Noggle, Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator, or Rachel Cochran, Water Quality Extension Associate, if you’re interested in doing any type of on-farm research this growing season. We will be happy to set up a trial for you to get the answers you need.

Contact our office at (419) 399-8225, or email noggle.17@osu.edu or cochran.474@osu.edu for more information.

Question of the Week: Pesticide Recordkeeping forms for Dicamba

Question of the Week:  Where can I find the Dicamba recordkeeping forms or the training websites.

Answer:  The general recordkeeping forms are located at https://pested.osu.edu/sites/pested/files/imce/Dicamba_requiredRecords.pdf. Other Dicamba training information is located (including training) https://pested.osu.edu/DicambaRestricitions.

2021 Weed Control Guide and NEW Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations Now Available

Are you looking for up-to-date weed control or fertility information before planting season? The OSU Extension Paulding County Office now has copies of the 2021 Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois Weed Control Guide and Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybean, Wheat, and Alfalfa available for purchase.

The 2021 Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois Weed Control Guide explains the importance of weed control and gives suggestions on herbicide management strategies for corn, soybeans, small grains, and forages. Also included are special sections on marestail, Palmer amaranth, and waterhemp. An index to all tables regarding herbicides is listed on the back cover for easy navigation and quick referencing. The cost of the publication is $17.25 plus $1.25 in tax making the total for the booklet $18.50.

The updated Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations for Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, and Alfalfa reflects changes in regional field crop production practices,  including general reductions in tillage and crop rotations, greater plant populations and grain yields, new pests and diseases, and the emergence of precision soil sampling and fertilizer rate and placement technologies. The updated fertilizer recommendations aim to aid farmers in managing mineral fertilizer sources in field crop systems as judiciously and profitably as possible. The cost of the publication is $9.00 plus $.65 tax making the total for the booklet $9.65.

Both publications are available for purchase by either cash or check at the OSU Extension Paulding County Office (1425 East High Street, Suite 112, Bryan) Tuesday – Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., no appointment necessary. To pick up an order call office associate, Katie Gorrell or email her at gorrell.42@osu.edu. Please call ANR Extension Educator Sarah Noggle at (419) 399-8225 with any questions specific to the publications.

DiCamba Applicator Training

The questions of the week last week were: “Where can I find the DiCamba training and does OSU Extension Offer this training? Is the Dicamba training a part of my recent Pesticide Recertification?”

Answer: Unfortunately, our OSU Extension Offices across the state are no able to teach the DiCamba Trainings. This training is also not a part of the Ohio Department of Agriculture Pesticide Recertification classes primarily taught by OSU Extension Offices across the state. Below are the links to complete the training online.

As the spring season approaches, it’s crucial to remember that training is mandatory for any use of dicamba products. Links to the dicamba manufacturer applicator trainings are available below.

Scout now for cressleaf groundsel in hayfields, or pay the price in May

Cressleaf GroundselBy Mark Sulc, OSU

Some hay producers have been unpleasantly surprised in the past when cressleaf groundsel infestations became evident in their hay fields in May prior to first cutting.  Cressleaf groundsel in hay or silage is toxic to animals, and infested areas of the field should not be harvested and fed.  Groundsel is a winter annual, emerging in late summer into fall when it develops into a rosette that overwinters.  Growth restarts in spring, with stem elongation and an eventual height of up to several feet tall.  The weed becomes evident in hayfields when it becomes taller than the alfalfa/grass and develops bright yellow flowers in May.  The problem with passively waiting until this point to discover that the hay is infested with groundsel is that: 1) it’s too late to control it with herbicides; and 2) hay from infested areas has to be discarded instead of sold or fed, and large plant skeletons are still toxic even if herbicides were effective on them.  Groundsel plants finish their life cycle in late spring, once they flower and go to seed, so it should not be a problem in subsequent cuttings. Continue reading →

Burndown Herbicides for No-till Wheat

High-Yield Wheat: No-Till Can Boost Yields - AgWebBy Mark Loux, OSU

Herbicide options for burndown of existing weeds prior to planting of no-till wheat include glyphosate, Gramoxone, Sharpen, and dicamba.  Among these, the combination of glyphosate and Sharpen probably provides the best combination of efficacy on marestail, flexibility in application timing, and residual control.  Dicamba labels have the following restriction on preplant applications – “allow 10 days between application and planting for each 0.25 lb ai/A used”.  A rate of 0.5 lb ai/A would therefore need to be applied at least 20 days before planting.  We do not know of any 2,4-D product labels that support the use of 2,4-D prior to or at the time wheat planting.  There is some risk of stand reduction and injury to wheat from applications of 2,4-D too close to the time of planting.  Liberty and other glufosinate products are also not labeled for use as a burndown treatment for wheat.  Sharpen should provide limited residual control of winter annuals that emerge after herbicide application, and the rate can be increased from 1 to 2 oz/A to improve the length of residual.  Gramoxone should also effectively control small seedlings of marestail and other winter annuals.  Be sure to use the appropriate adjuvants with any of these, and increase spray volume to 15 to 20 GPA to ensure adequate coverage with Sharpen or Gramoxone.

There are several effective postemergence herbicide treatments for wheat that can be applied in November to control these weeds, in fields where preplant burndown treatments are not used.  The most effective postemergence treatments include Huskie, Quelex, or mixtures of dicamba with either Peak, tribenuron (Express, etc), or a tribenuron/thifensulfuron premix (Harmony Xtra, etc).  We discourage the application of 2,4-D to emerged wheat in the fall due to the risk of injury and yield reduction.