NIFA invests $1.8M in methyl bromide transition research, outreach

This article was originally posted by Vegetable Growers News. A full link to the article can be found below. 

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) recently announced four Methyl Bromide Transition awards that will improve the management of major pests impacting U.S. watermelon production, tomato production.

The multi-tactic research and extension outcomes from these awards will result in the development of integrated, sustainable and economically viable management strategies targeting major pests impacting these production systems. The Methyl Bromide Transition program seeks to solve significant pest problems in key agricultural production and post-harvest management systems, processing facilities, and transport systems for which methyl bromide has been withdrawn.

These grants are part of NIFA’s Methyl Bromide Transition Program, Integrated Activities.

Click here to read the full article. 

NPSEC News – September 21st, 2018


 

NPSEC News – September 21st, 2018

NPSEC Video Feature

 

Raúl Perez, PSEP Coordinator in Puerto Rico, shares his experience at the 2018 National Pesticide Applicator Certification and Safety Education Workshop in San Antonio, TX.

List of Attendees from the 2018 NPACSE Workshop

An email will be sent to all participants of the 2018 NPACSE Workshop with a link and a password to access a list of attendees and their email addresses. Please let us know if you would like to opt out from being included on that list. 

Updates to PSEFMP FAQs. 

There have been some updates to the PSEFMP application FAQs to address some remaining questions. These include:
  • Will eXtension own the intellectual property or product developed?
  • What is the purpose of the non-public repository?
  • What is NPSEC’s role with the non-public repository?
  • Why is the sharing of a deliverable a requirement?
  • Are PSEFMP funds only PRIA funds?
  • Do I have to work with NPSEC?
  • What if I decide to work with NPSEC?

Shop the NPSEC Store

Price Drop! The price of the WPS Train The Trainer manual has been reduced.

New WPS products on the NPSEC Store: WPS videos, Spanish train the Trainer manual, WPS Ag Employers Handbook! 

The NPSEC Store is a good place to find EPA-approved materials with expanded 2015 WPS content. This is where you can order NPSEC, PERC, WPS, and state-specific products. For PERC products, PSEPs get a 5% discount if they purchase the products using the code we mailed you at checkout. We track all PERC sales by state and send 5% of all net sales in a particular state or territory back to the PSEP as a gift. 

NPSEC Shirts are Available!

If you are interested in purchasing a NPSEC polo shirt, please contact Courtney Weatherbee here by Friday, September 28th, 2018. 

PERC offers Web-Based WPS Train the Trainer Course

  • It’s posted here on the PERC website.
  • The cost is $35, which covers the cost of the hosting, course maintenance, and certification management.
  • It will be offered via the NPSEC Store, hosted by eXtension.

This web-based course provides the information required to train those who will train agricultural workers and pesticide handlers under the WPS (CFR 170). It will guide you through the necessary procedures to provide effective training about pesticide safety topics. This course is one way to become qualified to train agricultural workers and pesticide handlers under the WPS.

This is a self-paced eLearning course; you will view eLearning modules, take quizzes, and complete a final exam at your own pace. Once you have successfully completed all the course requirements, passed the final exam with the minimum passing score of 70% and then completed the course evaluation, you will be issued a WPS pesticide safety trainer certification. This course will take you approximately two to three hours to complete.

Completion of this course certifies you as a qualified WPS trainer of agricultural workers and pesticide handlers in the continental U.S, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You must check with your state or tribal pesticide regulatory agency for possible additional requirements.

If you have any questions about this message, please direct them to PERC using the contact information below.

Suzanne Forsyth, PERC Director
UC Davis Extension
530-757-8603
email: spforsyth@ucdavis.edu

Kaci Buhl, PERC Deputy Director
Oregon State University

541-737-8330
email: kaci.buhl@oregonstate.edu

Register for October 25th Webinar on Best Practices for Pesticide Ground Application

EPA is hosting a webinar titled “Best Practices for Ground Application” on October 25, 2018, from 2 – 3:30 p.m. ET. This webinar is tailored for growers, pesticide applicators, pest management professionals, and other interested stakeholders who work in crop production. 

The webinar will be presented by Dr. Greg Kruger, a weed science and application technology specialist from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The presentation will cover different methods of ground application, best practices for reducing pesticide spray particle drift when using ground application equipment, and a discussion of the optimization of weed control.

Register Here and Learn More About Reducing Pesticide Drift Here

 

NPSEC News – September 14th, 2018


 

NPSEC News – September 14th, 2018

2018 National Pesticide Applicator Certification & Safety Education Workshop Evaluation

If you attended the workshop, we invite you to complete our workshop survey. You can find the survey by clicking here. Please complete the survey by September 20th, 2018.

PERC offers Web-Based WPS Train the Trainer Course

  • It’s posted here on the PERC website.
  • The cost is $35, which covers the cost of the hosting, course maintenance, and certification management.
  • It will be offered via the NPSEC Store, hosted by eXtension.

This web-based course provides the information required to train those who will train agricultural workers and pesticide handlers under the WPS (CFR 170). It will guide you through the necessary procedures to provide effective training about pesticide safety topics. This course is one way to become qualified to train agricultural workers and pesticide handlers under the WPS.

This is a self-paced eLearning course; you will view eLearning modules, take quizzes, and complete a final exam at your own pace. Once you have successfully completed all the course requirements, passed the final exam with the minimum passing score of 70% and then completed the course evaluation, you will be issued a WPS pesticide safety trainer certification. This course will take you approximately two to three hours to complete.

Completion of this course certifies you as a qualified WPS trainer of agricultural workers and pesticide handlers in the continental U.S, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You must check with your state or tribal pesticide regulatory agency for possible additional requirements.

If you have any questions about this message, please direct them to PERC using the contact information below.

Suzanne Forsyth, PERC Director
UC Davis Extension
530-757-8603
email: spforsyth@ucdavis.edu

Kaci Buhl, PERC Deputy Director
Oregon State University
541-737-8330
email: kaci.buhl@oregonstate.edu

NPSEC Video Feature

 

Natalie Hoidal, PSEP Coordinator at the University of Minnesota, shares her experience at the 2018 National Pesticide Applicator Certification and Safety Education Workshop in San Antonio, TX.

Shop the NPSEC Store

New WPS products on the NPSEC Store: WPS videos, Spanish train the Trainer manual, WPS Ag Employers Handbook!!! The NPSEC Store is a good place to find EPA-approved materials with expanded 2015 WPS content. This is where you can order NPSEC, PERC, WPS, and state-specific products. For PERC products, PSEPs get a 5% discount if they purchase the products using the code we mailed you at checkout. We track all PERC sales by state and send 5% of all net sales in a particular state or territory back to the PSEP as a gift.

 

PERC offers Web-Based WPS Train the Trainer Course

This information was originally published by PERC and adapted for use by NPSEC.

Web-Based Training for Trainers of Agricultural Workers and Pesticide Handlers under the National Worker Protection Standard (WPS)

·         It’s posted here on the PERC website.
·         The cost is $35, which covers the cost of the hosting, course maintenance, and certification management.
·         It will be offered via the NPSEC Store, hosted by eXtension.
 
This web-based course provides the information required to train those who will train agricultural workers and pesticide handlers under the WPS (CFR 170). It will guide you through the necessary procedures to provide effective training about pesticide safety topics. This course is one way to become qualified to train agricultural workers and pesticide handlers under the WPS.
 
This is a self-paced eLearning course; you will view eLearning modules, take quizzes, and complete a final exam at your own pace. Once you have successfully completed all the course requirements, passed the final exam with the minimum passing score of 70% and then completed the course evaluation, you will be issued a WPS pesticide safety trainer certification. This course will take you approximately two to three hours to complete.
 
Completion of this course certifies you as a qualified WPS trainer of agricultural workers and pesticide handlers in the continental U.S, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You must check with your state or tribal pesticide regulatory agency for possible additional requirements.
 
If you have any questions about this message, please direct them to PERC using the contact information below.
Suzanne Forsyth, PERC Director
UC Davis Extension
530-757-8603
email: 
spforsyth@ucdavis.edu
Kaci Buhl, PERC Deputy Director 
Oregon State University
541-737-8330
email: 
kaci.buhl@oregonstate.edu
 
About PERC: PERC is led by University of California of Davis Extension and Oregon State University, and is funded by a 5-year cooperative agreement (#X8-83616301) from the U.S. EPA. PERC aims to support the development of resources/materials about the safe use of pesticides by applicators and handlers in agricultural, commercial, and residential settings. Materials could include brochures, factsheets, posters, videos, manuals, and mobile tools, while addressing the needs of low-literacy and multilingual audiences. These materials will help prevent pesticide exposure incidents for pesticide applicators, handlers, workers, and their families. The PERC supports the U.S. EPA’s Strategic Goal 1, Objective 1.4 – Ensure Safety of Chemicals in the Marketplace.

NPSEC News – September 6th, 2018


 

NPSEC News – September 6th, 2018

2018 National Pesticide Applicator Certification & Safety Education Workshop 

We had a wonderful few days in San Antonio at the 2018 NPACSE Workshop. There were 141 total attendees representing 45 states and 3 territories. If you were unable to attend the workshop, please feel free to visit us online to view the various presentations.

If you attended the workshop, we invite you to complete our workshop survey. You can find the survey by clicking here

eXtension Foundation and NPSEC Pesticide Safety Education Funds Management Program (PSEFMP) Funding Opportunity

The eXtension Foundation (EF) has announced a funding opportunity for Land Grant University Pesticide Safety Education Programs (PSEP) for 2019. This opportunity is made available through a cooperative agreement (#X8-83698001) with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish and administer a national sub-award program in support of pesticide applicator education, and training for certified applicators of restricted used pesticides. The National Pesticide Safety Education Center (NPSEC) will continue to collaborate with EF to lead the professional development part of the project and to assist PSEPs in enhancing some of the educational products they develop as part of the expectations attached to the funding. Read the full story here.

Pesticide Safety Education Funds Management Program (PSEFMP) Success Story

eXtension received this grant from the EPA to establish and administer a national sub-award program in support of pesticide applicator education and training for certified applicators of restricted use pesticides. eXtension was invited in early 2017 to apply for this grant by pesticide safety education coordinators and the National Pesticide Safety Education Center (NPSEC). The goal of NPSEC is to support Extension Pesticide Safety Education Programs (PSEP) across the nation. Forty-six PSEPs are benefitting from this grant with projects aimed at improving the quality of pesticide applicator training.

Katie Moore, an Extension Associate for Pesticide Safety Education saw a need to improve the quality of pesticide applicator training material and classes. Prior to her project, pesticide applicators in South Carolina were required to complete a 7-hour video-based course for training. Through the Pesticide Safety Education Funds Management Program (PSEFMP) grant, Katie created a new training program that would be delivered by Extension educators to improve the overall educational quality, and reduced the training time to 3-hours, saving thousands of man-hours for applicators in South Carolina, and increasing overall compliance. The current passing rate for this training is 85%.

 

Katie Moore, PSEP Coordinator from Clemson University, shares how her program has benefitted from the PSEFMP grant.

From our News & Events Page

Shop the NPSEC Store

The NPSEC Store is a good place to find EPA-approved materials with expanded 2015 WPS content. This is where you can order NPSEC, PERC, WPS, and state-specific products. For PERC products, PSEPs get a 5% discount if they purchase the products using the code we mailed you at checkout. We track all PERC sales by state and send 5% of all net sales in a particular state or territory back to the PSEP as a gift.

 

eXtension Foundation and National Pesticide Safety Education Center (NPSEC) Pesticide Safety Education Funds Management Program (PSEFMP) Funding Opportunity

The eXtension Foundation (EF) is pleased to announce a funding opportunity for Land Grant University Pesticide Safety Education Programs (PSEP) for 2019. This opportunity is made available through a cooperative agreement (#X8-83698001) with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish and administer a national sub-award program in support of pesticide applicator education, and training for certified applicators of restricted used pesticides. The National Pesticide Safety Education Center (NPSEC) will continue to collaborate with EF to lead the professional development part of the project and to assist PSEPs in enhancing some of the educational products they develop as part of the expectations attached to the funding.

Requirements of sub-awardees for this program to receive funding are as follows:

    • Agree to share one educational material or product for the purposes of enhancing PSEP programs both regionally and nationally.

    • Submit progress reports every six (6) months using a standard online template.

    • Attend a minimum of one of the following 1-hour training webinars as part of this program for reporting system training and professional development. Anticipated dates are: January 31, 2019 at 3 pm EST; May 6, 2019 at 1 pm EST; September 30, 2019 at 3 pm EST and December 2, 2019 at 3:00 pm EST.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for this funding opportunity applicants must be affiliated with a U.S. Land Grant University. Only one application per state will be eligible for funding and preference will go to 1862 Land Grant Universities. Please contact psefmp-helpdesk@extension.org if you have any questions regarding eligibility.

Funding Period

The funding period for this subaward will be Jan. 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019.

Funding Available

Each PSEP will be eligible to apply for a base amount of $18,750.00 USD plus 5% of the funds divided proportionally based on the percentage of the number of certified applicators in each state or territory. The number of certified applicators in a state or territory will be based on the most recent figures of certified applicators as supplied by the EPA. Additional amounts available to the state or territory will be listed in the budget section. Payments to successful sub-awardees will be made January 3 – 15, 2019.

Key Dates

Application System Opens: Monday, October 1, 2018 at 8 am EST

First round of reviews: October 22, 2018

Second round of reviews: November 19, 2018

Application Deadline: Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 8 pm EST

Final round of reviews: December 10, 2018

Sub-award Notification Announcement: December 21, 2018

Funds distributed by: January 15, 2019

Application Review Process:

EF will use a multi-step approach in the receiving and review of applications for this program. Each application will be reviewed by EF and an advisory panel including representatives from NPSEC, APPCO, AAPSE, PERC and the PSEP community for eligibility, compliance, completeness and potential collaboration. Additionally, through this process, applicants will have the opportunity to be involved in a NPSEC subject group to create educational materials.

Application Submission

In an effort to make the application process as streamlined and user friendly as possible, applicants will be able to download, sign, scan, and upload the sub-award agreement from the application site. Applications that have not been signed will not be considered for funding. The average time for completion of an application is 56 minutes.

Applications for this funding opportunity can be accessed at the following link on October 1, 2018 at 8:00 am EST: https://applyextension.smapply.io (Note: Link will not be active until October 1, 2018 at 8:00 am EST).

Online Application System Training:

PSEPs will receive an invitation for optional training via Zoom for October 1, 2018 at 11 am EST for the online application system. During training, EF will provide a step by step walk through of the application site, application and submission. For those who are unable to attend the training, it will be recorded and sent via email to view at your convenience. Additional trainings will also be held the same week.

Applicants with any questions please send an email to psefmp-helpdesk@extension.org.

About eXtension Foundation

The United States Cooperative Extension System, with funding from Cooperative Extension directors and administrators, and USDA-NIFA, shares resources and tools through eXtension that enables the Extension workforce to scale up its local and national impact. eXtension is an integral part of the national Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) and is organized as a 501(c)3 non-profit membership organization. Its Board of Directors represents the five regions of Cooperative Extension, ECOP, and USDA-NIFA.

About National Pesticide Safety Education Center

The NPSEC seeks to strengthen the national system of university extension Pesticide Safety Education Programs by improving the quality, consistency, and accessibility of educational offerings, promoting collaboration and leveraging of educational resources and learning assessment tools, and increasing revenue generation. The Center, originally incubated by eXtension Foundation received start-up funding from CropLife Foundation and crop protection companies BASF, Bayer, Dow AgroSciences, DuPont, and Syngenta. NPSEC does not receive any EPA funding under the EPA-eXtension Foundation cooperative agreement.

Attachments

2019 PSEFMP Application Instructions
2019 PSEFMP FAQs