By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH
Indiana Correspondent

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — This month’s private applicator recertification session in Allen County will present a unique twist on pesticide and nutrient management, the director of the county’s Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) said.

Instead of focusing on corn and soybeans, the Feb. 16 session will focus on forages, Greg Lake explained. “You usually don’t think of pesticide management on forages, but we thought this would be a good time to discuss forage management,” he said.

The Private Applicator Recertification Program (PARP) session will be hosted by D.L. Graber and Sons Hardware at 8604 Graber Road in Grabill, Ind., and will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. There is no charge to attend, but there is a $10 fee for those participating in the PARP training. The training is only for private applicators.

Keith Johnson, a professor in Purdue University’s Department of Agronomy, will discuss nutrient and pesticide management techniques on forage crops.

“With the economic slowdown, everyone has to look at their own operations and, if there are ways to cut back on out-of-pocket expenses, that will help to improve the bottom line,” Lake said.
While anyone is welcome to attend, he hopes the time and location will draw members of the Amish community who live in the area.
“We hope to gain some inroads with the Amish community, and help them to look at how they’re managing these things,” Lake said. “We hope to help them reduce their dependence on pesticides and better utilize their nutrient applications.”

For more information and to register, contact the Allen County SWCD at 260-484-5848, ext. 3, or Gonzalee Martin at the Allen County extension office, 260-481-6826.