STANDARD COMPETENCIES:

 

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of how to develop and implement a plan of integrated pest management for horticultural crops.

  2. Demonstrate an understanding of how to design and implement a crop scouting program.

  3. Predict pest and disease problems based on environmental conditions and life cycles.

  4. Employ pest management strategies to manage pest populations, assess the effectiveness of the plan and adjust the plan as needed.

  5. Evaluate environmental and consumer concerns regarding pest management strategies.

  6. Explain management techniques used to reduce infection and spread of plant diseases in horticultural crops and landscape situations.

  7. Discuss the purpose and intent of a plant health care or IPM program for plant diseases and plant damaging insects emphasizing signs

     and symptoms, environmental requirements/conditions, lifecycles and controls.

  8. Identify common insects to taxonomic order.

  9. Identify major insect and plant diseases of horticultural crops.

 10. Identify beneficial insects.

 

 TOPICAL OUTLINE:

 

 I. Abiotic plant problems

 II. Biotic plant problems

       a. Taxonomic orders and pest identification

       b. Disease diagnosis

       c. Pest and disease life cycles and the role of environment in their control

 III. Beneficial organisms in pest and disease management

 IV. Development, executing, and evaluating an integrated pest management program