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Published on 05/10/16

Insect scout schools important for Georgia farmers, agriculture consultants to attend

By Kenzie Kesselring

Georgia farmers and agriculture consultants hoping to refine their scouting skills are invited to this year’s Insect Scout Schools, hosted by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.

The schools will be held in Tifton, Georgia, at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center on Monday, June 13, and in Midville, Georgia, at the Southeast Georgia Research and Education Center on Tuesday, June 21. The trainings in both locations will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m.

Program topics will cover scouting for bug and larval insect pests, identifying beneficial insects, and conducting in-field reviews. Participants will also learn about safety precautions and procedures. Crops that will be covered include cotton, peanuts and soybeans.

According to Phillip Roberts, Extension cotton and soybeans entomologist on the UGA Tifton Campus, the scout schools are beneficial to new insect scouts being introduced to insect monitoring. They’re also helpful for veteran insect scouts because the sessions serve as a review.

“These scout schools are very beneficial to farmers who want to learn more about insect pests and the problems they can pose to their respective crops,” said Roberts. “Not all insects are bad, and just because you see a pest doesn’t necessarily mean you have a problem that warrants chemical treatments. That’s why these schools are so important – they cover a wide range of information that’s beneficial to growers’ crops.”

For additional information about the programs, contact Debbie Rutland about the event in Tifton at 229-386-3424 or Peyton Sapp about the event in Midville at 706-554-2119.

(Kenzie Kesselring is an intern on the UGA Tifton Campus.)

Authors:
Kenzie Kesselring
Experts/Sources:
Phillip M Roberts
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