Agriculture Glance 9-30-12

Pesticide safety refresher training

The Arizona Department of Agriculture will offer a refresher course this week for people who want to renew their Arizona Trainer Certification.

Attendees must currently be certified as an Arizona pesticide safety trainer. The course is also available to currently licensed pest control advisers and agricultural certified applicators who want to renew their Worker Protection Standard trainer certification.

The training will be Oct. 4 from 8 to 11:45 a.m. in Spanish and 1 to 4:45 p.m. in English.

Registration is free but space is limited. For more information and to register, contact Ron Walker at 1-602-255-3662 or rwalker@azda.gov.

Syngenta Biotechnology presentation

Farmers and agribusiness leaders are invited to a discussion with Rick LaRose of Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Yuma County Farm Bureau office, 7175 E. 31st Place.

LaRose is an experienced scientist and new business development expert with 25 years' experience in plant biotechnology and 14 years international experience. He is credited with co-inventing Roundup Ready corn and was one of the founding scientists for the French Plant Genomics Initiative.

He is currently leading technology strategy and integration for Syngenta in North and South America.

Topic of his presentation will be a new vision for agriculture — the world's driver of food security, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity.

LaRose will be accompanied by Shane Burgess, dean of the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Pesticide safety training

The Arizona Department of Agriculture will offer a pesticide safety train-the-trainer workshop, a full-day course for new trainers. It will be held Oct. 24 in Spanish and Oct. 25 in English.

Attendees will become qualified to provide Worker Protection Standard pesticide safety training to agricultural workers and pesticide handlers in Arizona. The course is ideal for growers, supervisors, labor contractors, health care providers, outreach educators and others who will provide safety information to people who handle or work with pesticides or work in areas where pesticides are used.

Registration is free but space is limited. Contact Ron Walker at 1-602-255-3662 or rwalker@azda.gov.