Continuing Education Information

69^th Annual RMRTA Conference and Trade Show
The Ranch Events Center
December 13-15, 2022
5280 Arena Circle Loveland Co. 80538

Tuesday December 13^th: Workshops
Turf and Weedy Grass Identification (3 hours; Category 206 Turf Pest Control)
Dr. Tony Koski, Colorado State University
BIOGRAPHY: Dr. Tony Koski has been the Extension Turf Specialist and a professor at Colorado State University since 1988. He teaches turfgrass management and advises turf management students in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. As Extension specialist, he works with all facets of Colorado’s professional turf management industry, including the golf course industry, sports turf, professional lawn care, and sod production. His research interests include landscape water management, weed control, turf fertility and soil management. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from The Ohio State University.
This workshop will discuss why correct identification of both the weed and desirable turf is essential for developing integrated management programs for weeds in turf management. Also, the importance of correct identification allows the applicator to make better decisions on which herbicides are most likely to control the weed, while reducing the potential for phytotoxic responses from the turf. Identification will be taught using live samples and an assortment of hard copy keys/books and internet-based keys and phone apps.

Managing your Landscapes to Minimize Pest Problems (3 hours; Category 207 Ornamental Pest Control)
Dr. Alison O’Connor, CSU Extension in Larimer County
BIOGRAPHY: Dr. Alison O’Connor is a professor of Extension for Colorado State University in Larimer County. Dr. O’Connor received her B.S. in horticulture from Iowa State University, her M.S. in horticulture from The Ohio State University, and her Ph.D. in horticulture from Colorado State University. She has worked for CSU Extension for 17 years, specializing in woody plants, turfgrass management, and annuals and perennials for the landscape. She coordinates 120+ volunteers in the Colorado Master Gardener Program and is an affiliate faculty in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Colorado State University.

Eric Hammond, CSU Extension in Adams County
BIOGRAPHY: Eric is an Extension horticulture specialist and county director for Colorado State University in Adams County. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Colorado State University. Eric specializes in the selection and management of trees and shrubs for the Colorado Front Range.
This workshop will examine the interactions of environment and cultural practices on the occurrence (or prevention of) woody plant problems – to include disease and insect pests. The importance of correct pest identification will be emphasized because correct pesticide selection and timing of application is essential for obtaining optimal control of tree and shrub pests.

Wednesday December 14^th
Activating Plant Defense Systems and Colonizing Beneficial Biology for Improved Stress Resistance (Category 206 – Turf Pest Control)
Steve Loveday, Target Specialty Products
BIOGRAPHY:  Steve Loveday, the Product Development Manager for Target Specialty Products, earned his Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University and has worked in the golf industry for the past 25 years. Steve spent 9 years working in golf course management and maintenance prior to honing his skills in plant nutrition, bio stimulation and defense activation. Steve has used his expertise and education to develop game changing nutritional and soil conditioning products over the past 12 years and has presented in multiple countries on topics associated with the maintenance of fine turf.

Presentation focuses on the discovery of innovative new technologies to improve plant health and resistance towards abiotic and biotic stress.

Anthracnose Management (1 hour; Category 206 Turf Pest Control)
Dr. Jim Murphy, Rutgers University
BIOGRAPHY:  Dr. Murphy has been the extension turfgrass specialist at Rutgers University since 1991. He received his B.S. degree in agriculture from Western Illinois State University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in turfgrass science/crop management from Michigan State University. His research focuses on the development of environmentally-sound, best management practices in multiple turfgrass systems to improve stress tolerance, suppress disease, and reduce fungicide use. Jim is also well known for his studies on the traffic tolerance of turf and the long-term effects of root zone physical properties and topdressing practices on the performance of turfgrasses on golf courses, sports fields, and landscapes.
This presentation will present the student with research-based information on the management and control of anthracnose, a common disease of annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass golf course turf. The effects of mowing height, nitrogen fertility, plant growth regulator use, rolling, and topdressing/thatch management will also be covered. The effectiveness of fungicide programming, in conjunction with the use of cultural tools, will be discussed.

Weed Management Update (1 hour; Category 206 Turf Pest Control)
Dr. Tony Koski, Colorado State University
BIOGRAPHY: See above bio.
This presentation will cover new herbicide technology for turf management and examine the use of cultural practices as part of an overall integrated weed management program for turfgrass. The most common weed problems of 2022 will be discussed.
Organic Lawn Care
Dr. Tony Koski, Colorado State University
BIOGRAPHY: See above bio.
This presentation will examine the management of turfgrass areas using organic practices, to include: natural organic fertilizers and the use natural/organic pesticides. Barriers to the adoption of organic lawn management will be discussed, to include the effectiveness of organic/natural turf pest control products.

Thursday December 15^th
Pesticide Applicators Core Credits (4 hours; Category Core Credits (7))
Sandra McDonald
BIOGRAPHY: Sandra McDonald founded Mountain West PEST (Pesticide Education & Safety Training) in 2009. Prior to establishing Mountain West PEST, Sandra was the Environmental and Pesticide Education Specialist at Colorado State University. She worked for thirteen (13) years at Colorado State University where she was involved in specialty crop pesticide research in addition to her role as a pesticide safety educator. Sandra also has extensive teaching experiences in pesticide safety, pesticide applicator exposure, pest management and pesticides in the environment. She is an active member of the American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators (AAPSE), the Western Society of Weed Science (WSWS) and the Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association.

Credit: Laws and Regulations
Topic:   What’s New at CDA
Length: 30 minutes
Summary: Update of what's new at CDA, specific to commercial applicators. Online renewals, electronic licenses, new technician training forms, need for license number and QS name on record forms, DBA, and vehicle logos and will be discussed and the CDA website will be used to reinforce the information. The Sunset Review will be discussed.

Credit: Laws & Regulations
Topic: Technician Supervision and Training
Length: 30 minutes
Summary: Define non-certified applicators (i.e., verifiably trained technicians). The Colorado Department of Agriculture requires people who work for Commercial Applicators, if they are non-certified applicators to be verifiably trained. New hires cannot go out on their own until they have completed all of the training. The importance (requirement) that training be recorded the CDA form. The specific amounts of required training will be discussed. The new CDA form will be presented and the record keeping requirements will be discussed.

Credit: Applicator Safety
Topic:   PPE and Risk of Heat Stress
Length: 30 minutes
Summary: The pesticide label lists what PPE must be worn. More is not necessarily better in the case of PPE – use the PPE required by the label.   There is an increased risk for handlers and applicators to be susceptible to heat stress when wearing PPE for mixing/loading and application tasks. PPE is intended to keep pesticides from entering the body, but it also interferes with the body's natural cooling system–sweat evaporation. Do not over protect if heat stress is a concern.

Credit: Public Safety
Topic:   Public Notification Requirements
Length: 30 minutes
Summary: Although not all Colorado applicator categories have notification requirements, it is important that all applicators understand these requirements. The use of flags/signs as notification, as well as the Pesticide Sensitivity Registry will be discussed

Credit: Pesticides & Their Families
Topic: Mixing Order and Compatibility
Length: 30 minutes
Summary: Before mixing any pesticide(s) always check the label(s) for information on compatibility and mixing order. When you follow the correct mixing order and other mixing instructions, you can avoid creating problems in the spray tank. A "Jar Test' should always be used to test the compatibility of a new spray mix.   Incompatibility can be both chemical and physical. Mixing order is equally important. Not following the labeled instructions and/or conducting a compatibility test may result in the total loss of the products and use of the tank and/or sprayer. The time it takes to determine compatibility is time saved.

Credit: Use of Pesticides
Topic:   When Are Applicators "Using" a Pesticide?
Length: 30 minutes
Summary: The Colorado and FIFRA definitions of "use" will be presented. The importance of following the label during all the steps in use will discussed.

Credit: Environmental Protection
Topic: Environmental Precaution Section of the Pesticide Label
Length: 30 minutes
Summary: Read and re-read the labels. Particularly read the Environmental Precautions and the Use Restrictions sections closely. Screen captures from a variety of labels will be used to illustrate the points.

Sprayer Calibration (1 hour; Category UP – Use)
Clint Dotterer
BIOGRAPHY: Clint Dotterer grew up on a corn and soybean farm in the Midwest and has his degree in Crop Science from the University of Illinois. He has worked in various businesses across North America providing pesticide application services directly or supplying materials and equipment to those that do. He currently leads Weed Wranglers, a Denver based company providing weed management services for public, industrial, and private landowners along the front range. Clint is grateful to live in the great state of Colorado along with his wife Becca and their three teenage children.

Is the Japanese Beetle-Proof Landscape Possible? (1 hour; Category 207 – Ornamental Pest Control)
John Murgel, CSU Extension in Douglas County
BIOGRAPHY:  John is an Extension horticulturalist with Colorado State University in Douglas County. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Colorado State University. He has been with Douglas County Extension since 2017. His area of specialization includes landscape and garden plants, including diseases and insect pests.
This presentation will examine the feeding preferences of Japanese beetle and the implications that informed plant selection may have for reducing the feeding of Japanese beetle in Colorado Front Range landscapes.

The Two Most Important Turf Diseases in Colorado (1 hour; Category 206 – Turf Pest Control)
Dr. Alison O’Connor, CSU Extension in Larimer County
Dr. Tony Koski, Colorado State University
BIOGRAPHY: See above bio.
The biology of Necrotic Ring Spot and Ascochyta Leaf Blight, the two most common turfgrass diseases in Colorado, will be discussed. The use of cultural practices as part of an integrated approach to the management of these two diseases will be covered – as well as the use of fungicides, when appropriate.