Private pesticide, certified chemigation trainings start Tuesday

    Private pesticide and certified chemigation trainings are set for Perkins, Chase and Dundy Counties, with the first one coming on Tuesday.
    Producers should plan to attend one of the training sessions if their license is expiring or if they complete the initial training, said Extension Educator Strahinja Stepanovic.
    There is a $40 training fee for initial or renewal pesticide certification.
    Attendees should bring a copy of the letter sent by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture if they are renewing certification. If no letter was received, forms will be available to renew or certify for the first time.
    Following the certification meeting or the completion of the self-study course ($60), the information will be sent to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Once the training is completed, a producer then needs to become licensed.
    Producers will receive a billing statement from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture for their $25 license fee, good for three years.
Chemigation training
    If a chemigation certificate expired on Dec. 31, 2017 and plans are to chemigate during 2018, that producer will need to attend a training session and pass a written exam to become recertified, Stepanovic said. Requirements for initial and recertification are the same.
    Registration for chemigation training is encouraged, but not required. Producers may preregister by contacting the Extension Office in the county where the training is being held.
    Those who preregister can request a copy of the training manual and calibration workbook to review prior to the training session. Training and testing will take approximately 2.5 to 3.5 hours. There is no charge for the chemigation training or the manuals.
    The dates/locations below are for both the pesticide and chemigation trainings in this area. At all locations, pesticide training will take place at 9:30 a.m. while the chemigation training starts at 1 p.m.
    Feb. 6 in Grant, Henry J. Stumpf International Wheat Center, call 308-352-4340 to register.
    Feb. 8 in Benkelman, Dundy County Fairgrounds, call 308-423-2021 to register.
    Feb. 12 in Imperial, Crossroads Wesleyan Church, call 308-882-4731 to register.
    Feb. 26 in Grant, Henry J. Stumpf International Wheat Center, call 308-352-4340 to register.
    March 1 in Imperial, Lied Imperial Public Library, call 308-882-4731 to register.
    April 11 in Imperial, Chase County Extension Office, call 308-882-4731 to register.
    Other training dates and locations in  Nebraska can be found at the NDEQ chemigation page at: water.unl.edu/cropswater/chemigation.