The 2017 Integrated Pest Management Training School is Wednesday, March 1, at the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center in Princeton.

Speakers include specialists and agents with the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the UK Cooperative Extension Service.

Carl Bradley, UK extension plant pathologist, is among the presenters. He will discuss strategies farmers can use to protect their soybean yields from frogeye leaf spot. The disease is present in Kentucky, and strains of the pathogen that cause this disease have been found to be resistant to the strobilurin group of fungicides, one of the most common used in agriculture, since at least 2010. Scientists are concerned it could develop resistance to additional fungicide groups.

Curtis Dame, Hopkins County agriculture and natural resources education agent, will talk about cost-effective mobile apps that farmers can use to improve crop management. Dame has helped farmers in his county and throughout Kentucky learn to use technology to their advantage.

J.D. Green, UK extension weed scientist, will discuss the new dicamba herbicide formulations that recently received federal and state approval. He will also talk about ways applicators can practice good stewardship to minimize potential exposure to sensitive, non-target crops like tobacco, landscape plants, fruits and vegetables, which may be grown in nearby fields.

The IPM School is approved for 5.5 continuing education units for Certified Crop Advisers, which includes 3.5 in integrated pest management and two in crop management. Pesticide applicators can receive two general and one specific continuing education hours in categories 1A, 10, 12 and 14.

The complete agenda for the free training is available on the IPM website at http://www.uky.edu/Ag/IPM/ipm.htm. Contact Patty Lucas, UK IPM specialist, for more information about the program at plucas@uky.edu or 270-365-7541, ext. 218.