News & Events

2020 Online Pesticide and Fertilizer Recertification Coming Soon!

Press Release: ODA Partners with OSU Extension to Provide Online Pesticide Recertification Opportunities

During the COVID-19 pandemic, self-paced online videos will temporarily be made available for pesticide applicators and fertilizer certificate holders who need recertification credit for the 2020 recertification cycle. Online recertification credit will only be available through this webpage.

Private Pesticide Applicators:
Registration Opens: July 6
Cost: $35
Available until 90 days after the Ohio State of Emergency ends, or December 1 - whichever comes first.

Fertilizer Certificate Holders:
Registration Opens: July 6
Cost: $10
Available until 90 days after the Ohio State of Emergency ends, or December 1 - whichever comes first.

Commercial Pesticide Applicators:
Registration Opens: August 10
Cost: $15 per credit hour
Available through the September 30 deadline. Ohio's State of Emergency declaration may impact the deadline - check back for most up-to-date information. 

For more information, visit our online recertification webpage. 

 

2020 Commercial New Applicator Trainings

Choose the date below for event information and registration:

August 19 - This course will be held as an online webinar.
October 7

Dicamba Update

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals orders the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to vacate the registration of three of the four dicamba products that had previously been approved for use on dicamba tolerant (DT) soybeans. Those products are: XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan.  Tavium is still registered for use in Ohio.

EPA Offers Clarity to Farmers in Light of Recent Court Vacatur of Dicamba Registrations
Peggy Hall Law Blog on EPA Clarification

The Ohio Department of Agriculture has requested guidance from the US EPA about what this ruling means to soybean producers and pesticide dealers in Ohio. 
Visit the ODA webpage for updates.

For more information on the ruling, visit Peggy Hall's Law Blog

Dr. Mark Loux, professor and weed science specialist at The Ohio State University, recaps the events of dicamba and offers guidance on how to adjust herbicide programs. Read more...

COVID-19 Updates

Visit our COVID page for updates on how closures are affecting our programming and the pest control industry.

Limited Pesticide and Fertilizer Testing to Resume at ODA June 2

The Ohio Department of Agriculture will resume testing for pesticide and fertilizer applicators on June 2.

Exam sessions will meet Ohio’s current standards for both meeting size and social distancing and will be held in the Bromfield Administration Building on ODA’s campus in Reynoldsburg. 

Details:

• 3-hour testing sessions will be scheduled on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
• Exams begin promptly at 9 AM and 1 PM. 
• Pre-registration is required at https://agri.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/oda/divisions/plant-health/pesticides/exam-registration.
• Absolutely no walk-ins will be permitted.
• Masks and photo IDs will be required. Masks must be worn during the entire exam session.
• Pencils and calculators will be provided and sanitized between sessions.
• Tables will be properly distanced in a large auditorium and sanitized between sessions.
• No more than 9 people per session, plus a proctor.
• Per OAC 901:5-11-08(A)(7), applicants must wait five (5) business days between testing sessions.

Due to high demand, registration limited to one exam session per week

For full press release click HERE

Will private pesticide and fertilizer deadlines be extended?

With the signing of House Bill 197, Ohio’s COVID-19 emergency response legislation, the March 31, 2020 deadline for private pesticide applicators (farmers) and the May 31, 2020 deadline for agricultural fertilizer certificate holders to renew their license and get training has been extended. 

The deadline is now 90 days after the state of emergency Executive Order ends or December 1, 2020, whichever comes first.

All in-person OSUE events are cancelled or postponed through at least July 6. We will continue to update you as meetings are scheduled.

Thursday, February 20, 2020
Wednesday, July 8, 2020 *Due to COVID-19, we are postponing this course indefinitely. We will post updates as soon as they are available. 

Updates to WDI Reporting

List N:  Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing an expanded list of EPA-registered disinfectant products that have qualified for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The list contains nearly 200 additional products—including 40 new products that went through the agency’s expedited review process. The agency also made key enhancements to the web-based list to improve its usefulness.   Read More Here.

• Frequently Asked Questions about List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 
• Emerging Viral Pathogen Claims for SARS-CoV-2: Submission Information for Registrants

Note: Inclusion on this list does not constitute an endorsement by EPA. There may be additional disinfectants that meet the criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2. EPA will update this list with additional products as needed.

Respirator Fit Test:  What is it & Why do it?  (YouTube video)

Understanding Pesticides in Organic and Conventional Crop Production Systems (pdf)
Protecting Pollinators While Using Pesticides (pdf)
Choosing a Pesticide Product (pdf)

PEP-Talk, September 2018

Volume 21 / Issue 1

In this Issue:
Glyphosate and Cancer in the News Again
New Requirements for Paraquat
Chlorpyrifos History and Current Status Ohio Sensitive Crop Registry