ODA Pesticide Collection – Putnam County

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (May 3, 2023) – The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) will be sponsoring three collection events for farmers wishing to dispose of unwanted pesticides. This year, the collections are happening in Morgan, Putnam, and Miami counties on the following days and locations:

• August 9, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.: Morgan County, Morgan County Fairgrounds
2760 South Riverside Drive, McConnelsville, Ohio 43756

• August 10, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.: Putnam County, Putnam County Fairgrounds, Gate 5
1206 East Second Street, Ottawa, Ohio 45856

• August 22, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.: Miami County, Miami County Fairgrounds, North Gate
650 North County Road 25A, Troy, Ohio 45373

The pesticide collection and disposal services are free of charge, but only farm chemicals will be accepted. Paint, antifreeze, solvents and household or non-farm pesticides will not be accepted.

The pesticide collections are sponsored by ODA in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. To pre-register, or for more information, contact the Ohio Department of Agriculture at 614-728-6987.

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

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

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.

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.

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

Soil Residual Herbicides And Establishment Of Cover Crops In The Fall

Crimson clover stands in 2019 cover crop trials. (Photo Credit: Connor Hodgkiss)

By Marcelo Zimmer and Bill Johnson, Purdue Extension

Indiana growers have shown increased interest in utilizing cover crops in our corn and soybean production systems over the last decade.  Concurrently, there has also been increased utilization of soil residual herbicides to help manage herbicide-resistant weeds such as marestail (horseweed), waterhemp, and giant ragweed in our corn and soybean production systems.  Soil residual herbicides can remain active in the soil for a period of weeks to months after application.  The length of time a residual herbicide remains biologically active in the soil is influenced by soil texture, soil pH, organic matter, rainfall, and temperature.  Since these factors will vary from field to field, definitive time intervals of residual herbicide activity can be difficult to predict.

The use of residual herbicides in our corn and soybean production systems may interfere with the establishment of fall-seeded cover crops under certain conditions.  Unfortunately, many of the species being used for cover crops were not evaluated for herbicide carryover when field research was conducted to support EPA’s approved herbicide labels.  As a result, data are lacking regarding rotational intervals of many residual herbicides for the establishment of many cover crop species. Continue reading Soil Residual Herbicides And Establishment Of Cover Crops In The Fall

ODA’s Clean Sweep Program Set for August 19 in Findlay

ODA has selected three sites across Ohio for their annual Clean Sweep collection of agricultural pesticides in August. These locations are:

August 18: Fayette County 9 am – 3 pm

Fayette County Airport
2770 Old Rt 38 NE.
Washington Courthouse, Ohio 43160

August 19: Hancock County 9 am – 3 pm

Hancock County Fairgrounds
1017 E. Sandusky Street
Findlay, Ohio 45840

August 25: Lake County 9 am – 3 pm

Perry Coal and Feed
4204 Main Street
Perry, Ohio 44081

Unused, unwanted, and unlabeled pesticides pose many health and safety risks to you and those on your farm. Luckily, farmers in Paulding County don’t have to travel too far to dispose of these pesticides and pesticide containers this year. Between now and August 19, I encourage everyone to collect pesticides and pesticide containers that may be in your sheds, shops, chemical cabinets, etc. that you no longer use or plan to use. The disposal is free and there is no cost to you. Continue reading ODA’s Clean Sweep Program Set for August 19 in Findlay

Website open for online Pesticide and Fertilizer Re-certification registration

The link for the Paulding County pesticide and fertilizer re-certification is active and live.  The new option for 2019 to pay by debit or credit card.  Registration is needed to be filled in online even if you are not paying by credit card.  I realize some applicators have stopped in the office and paid.  We will be sending the online link in an individual email for all those who pre-registered by calling our office.  Thanks for your patience during our learning year.  Continue reading Website open for online Pesticide and Fertilizer Re-certification registration