Plant Protection – HRT 184 E Introduction Class # 1- January 19, 2022 Instructor : Tom Mitchell horteach@live.com 2022 Plant Protection – HRT184 • This class is designed to develop skills for diagnostic problem identification and understanding the potential care options in turf, woody and herbaceous landscape plants and interior plants. Course Objective • Identify the clues and indicators of landscape plant damage and problems What are some of the clues • Leaf Color • Flowering • Low Yield • Leaf Damage • Dieback • What are some others ???? Course Objective • Determine the causes of landscape plant problems Determine the Cause • Observe • Ask Questions • Measure • Test • Compare • What are some others Course Objective • Predict landscape problems that could exist and should be looked at given a set of conditions. How do you Predict Problems • Rainfall • Temperature • Degree Days • Frost Date • Wind • What are some others ?? Course objective • Analyze a situation to determine the potential problem that could exist. Is it going to spread? What are some ways to Analyze • Soil Test • Observe • Determine Degree Days • Leaf Analysis • Count • Measure • What are some others ?? Course Objective • Formulate an approach (a system) to determine if potential problems really do exist. Formulate an approach to solve the problem • Determine the threshold • Economics • Organic vs. Chemical • Do Nothing • Develop a check list for problems • What are some others ? Course Objective • Determine the best method of treatment for the identified and observed problems. Determine the best Treatment • Economics of treatment • Environmental issues • Customer wants and needs • Your abilities and resources • Available treatment ? Chemical vs. non chemical • What are some others ???? Course Objective To complete the requirements of the Department of Environmental Conservation to become eligible to take the Pesticide Applicator exam. To be eligible to take the exam you must have 100 % attendance. You must sign in for each class If you leave the room you must sign out and back in. There is No Makeup for missing a class State Pesticide Exam • This class will prepare you to take the core exam to obtain your license in one or more of the following subcategories: 3a – Ornamentals and Turf 3b – Turf 3c – Interiorscapes 25 - Nursery, Ornamentals and Turf • The exam is given by the DEC when and where they decide to give it. I will inform you when the exam is given if your interested in taking it. • The price to take the exam is not covered in your class fees. HRT 184 covers the following. The class outline and schedule are posted on Blackboard. • • • • • • • • • Soils and the Environment Entomology Plant Pathology Integrated Pest Management Pesticide Use and the Law Pesticide Use and Labeling Pesticide Use and Safety Pesticide Application Equipment and Calibration Turf Culture – Insects, Diseases and their control Additional topics • • • • • • • • Insects and Diseases of Ornamental Plants Weeds Invasion of Foreign Insects Poisonous Plants Pomology Diseases and Insects Vegetables – Insects, Diseases and Rodents Beneficial Insects and their use in Horticulture Insects and Diseases of Interior Plants The text books for HRT 184 are available in the NCCC book store or from the Cornell Book store. The first link below is for the Cornell Store for the core manual and the second link is for the category manual. The insects and diseases that you will need to know for this class are in the Category Manual. • https://www.cornellstore.com/CoreCertification-Training-Manual-ForPesticide-Applicators-And-Technicians https://www.cornellstore.c om/3.-Ornamental-AndTurf CHAPTER ONE : SOME BASICS Read pages: 1 – 6 in the core manual Stewardship: • Stewardship is “The application of pesticides with proper regard to the rights of others” • This philosophy takes into account the health of society and the health of the environment in which we live. • Pesticide applicators must make decisions regarding using pesticides : only when needed, when the weather is favorable, using all precautions necessary with the ‘proper regard to the rights of others’. • Knowledge and communication are key elements What is a pest ? • A pest can be any living thing not just insects • The definition is not just concerned with what the living thing is but rather what it does. • For example a pest could be grass growing in a flower bed because its now considered a weed. What is a pesticide ? • Any substance or mixture of substances used to kill pests • Some pesticides are used to control weeds, rodents, mites, etc. • Some pesticides attract the pest and trap them. Some kill on contact. • Sticky traps, mousetraps, black light bug zappers are mechanical instruments and are not considered pesticides. • Pesticide regulations do not pertain to pest control devices unless they include a lure which attract pests. Integrated pest management - IPM • This approach is to use all methods we can to manage pest populations without the use of chemical pesticides. • Adjusting planting times, rotation of crops, screens on windows, beneficial insects. • Pesticides are part of an IPM program when they help achieve that goal. Pesticide use ….. • Pesticide use - is all the activities related to the use of a pesticide including the transportation, storage, mixing, cleaning of pesticide equipment. • Use as defined can also refer to where and how a pesticide is applied. Uses are listed on the label. Site • The term site when dealing with pesticides is the location rather than the general vicinity of an application. • An example would be if Preen was applied to the soil in this planting to control the germination of weed seeds. The beds in the picture would be the site of application Label and labeling • The label contains information about the product (pesticide). • Labeling includes all information on the label, brochures and leaflets from the manufacture, and/or information from regulatory agencies regarding the use(s) of a product. • When a product is “labeled” for use on a plant that means that the use is listed and allowed. • Labeled can also refer to a container which holds a pesticide. Example a large container of a weed spray mixture on a truck. Importance of the label • Provides the information you need to use the product safely. • It includes the name of the product, manufacture, safety precautions, directions for use.
