This week, USEPA sent additional guidance to the State Departments of Agriculture, emphasizing that anyone who applies or mixes dicamba for application to soybean MUST be a certified applicator and no one can perform these activites under the supervision of a certified applicator--you must be a certified applicator.  

 

To be a certified applicator in Illinois to apply dicamba in the commercial sector, you must take and pass both the General Standards Exam and the Field Crop Exam.  We applaud our member's dedication to getting their spray operators certified as applicators and this is evident in the strong sign-up at the field crop clinics.  As of this week, here is the status of the available field crop clinics:

 

Dec 20 @ Mt Vernon:  FULL (150 signed up) 

Jan 8 @ Champaign:  FULL (400 signed up)

Jan 16 @ Peoria:  FULL (350 signed up)

Feb 8 @ Jacksonville:  FULL (200 signed up)

 

There are still seats available at these Field Crop Training Clinics:

 

Jan 18 @ Utica:  30 signed up, can hold up to 250

Jan 25 @ Carterville:  22 signed up, can hold up to 150

Jan 29 @ IFCA Convention in Peoria:  40 signed up, can hold up to 300

Feb 11 @ Champaign:  71 signed up, can hold up to 400

 

If you want to sign up for the class at the IFCA convention, please call our office at (309) 827-2774.  For all other classes, please go to https://web.extension.illinois.edu/psep/index.php or call the UI PSEP program at 800.644.2123.  

 

This year, the IDA has a new grading system and they can tell you the areas of the exam where you failed questions.  So far, the pass rate at the clinics for those taking the field crop exam has been high, which is very good news.  If you have questions about the certified applicator requirement, please contact IFCA.  Farmers who take and pass the private applicator exam are considered certified applicators and they must be certified to apply or mix dicamba for use on soybeans on their farm.  Everyone must also attend annual dicamba training prior to applying dicamba in 2019.