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County Educator Programs​​

 

 County Educator Programs

 
Title
  
Audience
  
Time
  
Description
Contact
  
2nd Contact
  
Diagnosis and Management of Fruit DiseasesCommercial Growers 1 hour (flexible)

This subject should be scheduled in conjunction with Horticulture and/or Entomology specialists. Emphasis will be on symptom recognition, biology and management of major fruit diseases. Such meetings are frequently held in conjunction with an orchard field tour during the late spring or early summer months​

Janna Beckerman
Diagnosis and Management of Ornamental DiseasesCommercial Growers 1 hour (flexible)

​Emphasis will be on symptom recognition, biology and management of shade and ornamental tree and shrub diseases. Topics can be structured according to audience preferences (Diagnosing Plant Health Problems; Managing Plant Health Problems, People Pressure Diseases; Rose Diseases; Perennial Disappointments, Hosta diseases, etc). This subject can be scheduled in conjunction with Horticulture and/or Entomology specialists.

Janna Beckerman
Diagnosis and Management of Vegetable DiseasesCommercial Growers and Ag-Industry Representatives30 minutes to 1 hour

​Presentations address the disease management concerns of commercial vegetable growers with emphasis on major Indiana vegetable crops including melons, tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins. Extension educators are invited and encouraged to attend because contemporary topics in vegetable disease control in the Midwest will be discussed. The program can be conducted alone or as part of a comprehensive vegetable production and management program with counterparts in entomology and horticulture. Disease symptoms, disease cycles, and specific control options such as resistant varieties, cultural control methods and fungicides are part of each discussion. Presentations can be tailored to fit the needs of specific clientele groups (e.g. melon growers, pepper growers, tomato growers, etc.).

Dan EgelKiersten Wise
Enhancing the Accuracy of Diagnostic Surveillance for Invasive/Exotic Plant DiseasesEducators, Commercial growers, Agribusiness, Consultants, Industry reps, Homeowners, etc.1-1.5 hours

​This presentation on monitoring for high risk plant diseases via education and accurate diagnosis can be tailored for your intended audience to include any of the following:

-Boxwood Blight
-Thousand Cankers Disease
-Ramorum Blight
-Laurel Wilt
-Tar Spot on Corn

The 1-1.5 hr presentation will include a general introduction to the art and science of plant disease diagnosis; epidemiology and diagnosis of selected plant diseases; proper sampling and response protocols for the selected suspect high risk pathogens; how the National Plant Diagnostic Network assists in surveillance for invasive/exotic plant diseases.

 

​
Tom CreswellGail Ruhl
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and their use in agricultureEducators, commercial growers, agribusiness consultants, Master Gardeners, homeowners1-1.5 hours (flexible)

​This presentation can be tailored to cover the following topics: 1) the technology that is used to develop transgenic plants, more frequently referred to as genetically modified organisms (GMOs); 2) how these biotechnology traits and GMOs have been used in agriculture since their introduction in 1995; 3) the impact of GMOs on agriculture in the US and elsewhere; 4) how these crops are regulated in the US; 5) what consumers should know about GMOs and the safety of foods that contain these products.​

Peter Goldsbrough
Herbicide Application Technology: Spray Nozzle Selection
Travis Legleiter
Herbicide Resistant Weed Mitigation and Management
Travis Legleiter
Managing Vegetable Diseases in the GreenhouseCommercial Vegetable Growers and Transplant Producers30 minutes to 1 hour

​This presentation will discuss vegetable diseases one might expect to find in a greenhouse situation. The discussion can focus on transplant growers or greenhouse production of vegetables. Time will be spent on how to recognize plant diseases and differentiate diseases from environmental problems. Since many common fungicides are not labeled for greenhouse use, this presentation will emphasize prevention. Greenhouse sanitation and resistant varieties will also be discussed.

Dan Egel
MycotoxinsFarmers, Elevator Managers, Feed Mill Operators30 minutes to 1 hour. This is a good program as a joint presentation with other programs that cover management of stored grain.

​The presentation covers the following topics: 1) what are mycotoxins and why are they important, 2) toxicity to animals and potential threat to human health, 3) government regulations and trade issues, 4) how mycotoxin get into grain (preharvest and post harvest), 5) management practices to prevent mycotoxin contamination, and 6) methods for detecting and measuring mycotoxins in grain. One additional goal of the presentation is to provide the rationale for drying grain for storage and to put this information into the context of controlling mold growth and mycotoxin production.

Charles Woloshuk
Plant Diseases and Approaches to Problem Solving for Master Gardeners
Tom CreswellGail Ruhl
Turfgrass Disease ManagementGolf Course Superintendents and Professional Turf Managers30 minutes to 1 hour

​Presentations address the disease management concerns of the golf course and commercial turf grass industry. Disease symptoms, disease cycles, and specific control options (cultural, chemical and biological) are part of each discussion. The program can be conducted alone or as part of a comprehensive turf grass management program with counterparts in agronomy and entomology.

Rick Latin
Using Foliar Fungicides on Agronomic CropsAgricultural Industry Reps, County Educators, Commercial Farmers30 minutes to 1 hour

​Foliar fungicides have not traditionally been used on corn and soybean, mainly for economic reasons. However, some recently registered products are being strongly promoted for use on these crops. Many growers of these crops have had little experience with fungicides. This presentation will include trial data from Purdue and elsewhere on performance of these products and discuss how weather, genetic resistance of a variety or hybrid, and crop cultural practices can influence the performance of and economic return from fungicide application. Direct and indirect benefits of disease control will be illustrated. The concept of disease thresholds and the importance of proper timing of applications will be discussed.

Kiersten Wise
Weed Management for Agronomic CropsEducators, Producers, Agribusiness, Consultants, Industry Agronomists, Public, etc.1 to 4 hours. Variable depending on topics selected.

​- weed control in no-tillage systems; perennial weed control
- identification and management of herbicide resistant weeds
- new herbicide product update
- management of weeds in corn and soybean
- management of weeds in forage
- management of weeds in pasture
- new weeds to watch for in 2009
- weed identification hands -on workshop
- how do herbicides work: soil-vs. post-applied herbicides, contact vs. systemic
- diagnosing herbicide injury on corn and soybeans
- electronic information on herbicides and weeds (Indiana Herbicide Selector, etc.)
- general principles of weed science

One or more of the above topics may be selected for an individual program, or combined with programs offered by other departments as part of an all day program. Specific topics may also be selected for the Interdepartmental Insect, Weed and Disease Management for Agronomic Crops program.

Bill JohnsonTravis Legleiter
Weed Management in PasturesForage producers and livestock owners1 hour to 1.5 hours

There are several plants that are toxic to our livestock and find their way into our pastures and ultimately into the hay produced. This presentation focuses on the identification of these plants that can be detrimental to the health of our livestock and their management. It is based on of the publication “Indiana Plants Poisonous to Livestock and Pets – John W. McCain, Rebecca J. Goetz, and Thomas N. Jordan.​

Travis Legleiter



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