Classes for the IPM certificate

We have been instructing classes since 1995 to prepare candidates for the written examination leading to the "Integrated Pest Management Certificate" and the "Pesticide Applicator Certificate".

Classes are usually organized through college campuses.  On another page of this website is the list of class dates for courses open to the public in the Interior of British Columbia.

We also instruct this class for private groups, for example:

- At a worksite for the employees of the company;
- At a college campus for employees of large operations in agriculture, horticulture or forestry;
- At a college campus for persons engaged in a training program in horticulture, agriculture or forestry.
For more information about the provincial requirements for this certificate, please visit the page IPM Certificate.
For more information, please visit the page Schedule and fees.

Training programs for specific needs

We offer training on a wide range of topics related to Integrated Pest Management and Plant Health Care.

We offer workshops to agencies and companies:

- For employees and managers: a training session on the identification of plant problems and the technical procedures to solve them.
- For customers of a company: an information session about Plant Health Care practices to help customers recognize quality work.

Here are some topics of past training sessions:

- Integrated Pest Management, how to use it, how to sell it
(components of IPM, examples of IPM programs, building a calendar of key pests, using indicator plants, available books and tools, Plant Health Care, introducing IPM to the clients);

- Diseases of Prunus
(diseases of fruit trees such as peach, cherry and apricot and ornamental plants such as Mayday and flowering plum);
- Diseases of Malus
(diseases of fruit trees and crabapple ornamental trees);
- Pests of conifers
(insects and disease pests of spruces, firs, pines, junipers and cedars);
- Difficult pest problems of ornamental plants
(what is on your mind from tree borer to root rot to unusual pests);
- Turf problems
(fertilization, cultural practices, weeds and diseases of lawns);
- Fertilization of ornamental plants
(soil organic matter, soil pH, common nutrient deficiencies, reading laboratory reports, specific nutrients such as nitrogen);
- Preparation and use of composts in horticulture
(conditions for composting, preparing compost from plant residues, benefits and disadvantages of compost products, disease-suppression with composts, proper use of composts in agriculture and horticulture)
- Pruning of ornamental plants
(reasons for pruning, when and how to prune, practices for different plants, what is "good" pruning and what is "bad" pruning);
- Watering of ornamental plants
(irrigation scheduling, water needs of different plants, tools to measure soil water);
- Hazard tree assessment
(hazard assessment procedures, common failure situations, legal ramifications, and corrective measures)
- Maintenance of sprayers
(calibration of boom sprayers, calibration of air blast sprayers, maintenance of sprayer parts)

For more information, please visit the page Schedule and fees.


 

Speaking at seminars and workshops

We are always pleased to make a presentation at an industry seminar, a training workshop, or a meeting for the general public.  Whenever our work schedule allows, we try to accommodate all requests for short presentations.

The following are recent presentations at public or industry meetings:

- Mycorrhizal inoculation of nursery plants
8th Annual Meeting
January 30, 2004 in Kelowna, British Columbia
Organized by the Interior Environmental Pest Management Association

- Pest management - What can we learn from organic farmers?
Prairie East Horticultural Trade Show & Conference
November 6, 2003 in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Landscape Manitoba and Manitoba Golf Superintendents Association

- What's new in pest management?
Annual meeting and trade show
September 19, 2003 in Medicine Hat, Alberta
Prairie Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture

- Nutrient deficiencies and fertilization programs for conifer plants
40th Annual Conference & Trade Show
February 24, 2003 in Kamloops, British Columbia
Organized by the Western Canada Turfgrass Association

- Perspectives on the Use of Commercial Mycorrhizal Products for Use in Nursery Production
Landscape Ontario Grower's Group Short Course
February 12, 2003 in Burlington, Ontario
Organized for the Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association

- Preparation of compost and impact on soil microorganisms
NOOA Annual general meeting
December 20, 2002 in Vernon, British Columbia
Organized by the North Okanagan Organic Association

- The Cost and Benefits of Integrated Pest Management for Golf Courses
Annual Environmental Training Session
March 22, 2002 in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Organized for the Manitoba Golf Superintendents Association

- Spruce spider mite biology and management - Research findings
9th Annual Nursery Short Course
January 29, 2002 in Chilliwack, B.C.
Organized by the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries and the B.C. Landscape & Nursery Association.

- Panel discussion:
Should we re-evaluate the cosmetic use of pesticides? 
6th Annual Workshop / Conference
January 25, 2002 in Kelowna, British Columbia
Organized by the Interior Environmental Pest Management Association.

- Predators and parasites commonly found on landscape plants
43rd Annual Horticulture Growers' Short Course
February 15, 2001 in Abbotsford, British Columbia
Organized by the Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association and the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.

- Professional practices of plant health care
Plant Care Workshop
February 9, 2001 in Vernon, British Columbia
Organized by Green Velvet Lawn and Tree Care.

- Keep business up when the insects are down
5th Annual Workshop / Conference
January 25, 2001 in Penticton, British Columbia
Organized by the Interior Environmental Pest Management Association.

- Management of Phytophthora and other root rot diseases
8th Annual Nursery Short Course
January 24, 2001 in Chilliwack, British Columbia
Organized by the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries and the B.C. Landscape & Nursery Association.

- Integrated Pest Management for the Okanagan Valley
4th Annual Guisachan Garden Show
June 20, 2000 in Kelowna, British Columbia
Organized by the Central Okanagan Heritage Society.

- Fire blight and other diseases of Malus
Meeting-in-the-Mountains
February 3, 2000 in Kananaskis, Alberta
Organized by the Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association

- Composted products for soiless mixes and their impact on root rot diseases
19th Annual Meeting
September 29, 1999 in Vancouver, British Columbia
Organized by the Forest Nursery Association of British Columbia