Laws & Regulations

This online course covers the management of spray drift to minimize problems. Spray Drift Management (SDM) has been a critical element for Western agriculture for decades. Keeping crop protection chemicals on the crop for which they are intended has been a cornerstone of Western farming not only to protect neighboring crops, but to avoid wasting money by allowing products to drift off the intended target. Spray drift management has taken on greater significance as cities encroach upon rural areas. Every year, increasingly more houses and other types of developments are springing up in prime growing areas, oftentimes alongside fields, orchards or vineyards. This leads to increased concerns about the use of agricultural chemicals and the ways they are applied. This course will review many aspects of spray drift – from practical, hands-on ways to minimize drift, to the regulatory issues surrounding it.

This course is sponsored by Western Farm Press. There are an estimated 150,000 named species in the insect group called Lepidoptera. Outnumbered only by the beetles, Lepidoptera represent the second-most diverse order of insect pests, and virtually every cultivated plant is attacked by at least one type. They are ready to defoliate and weaken plants or mine plant tissues, leaving holes and frass behind and rendering crops unmarketable. Their scientific name comes from the Greek Lepidos, for “scale,” and Pteron, for “wing”--literally “scale wing,”--because the wings of adult butterflies and moths are covered with microscopic scales. This course will specifically highlight six lepidopterous pests: the beet armyworm, cabbage looper, diamondback moth, tomato fruitworm, tomato pinworm and western yellowstriped armyworm. The course will also cover managing Lepidopterous pests in a wide array of crops and includes an additional section on Pesticide Safety.

Biopesticides are increasingly being recommended as components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs in the production of non-organic high-value specialty crops like fruit, nut, vegetable, vine, ornamental and turf. There are about 430 registered biopesticide active ingredients used in a wide array of agricultural pest management products. Biopesticides are derived from natural materials such as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. Biopesticides are considered an effective pest control option for organic crop production. However, they increasingly are being recommended and used as components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs in the production of non-organic high-value specialty crops such as fruit, nut, vegetable, vine, ornamental, and turf. This online CE course covers the principles for using the 430+ registered biopesticide active ingredients used in a wide array of agricultural pest management products. It is sponsored by Marrone Bio Innovations and includes a Safety Review at the conclusion of the course material.

California Governor Jerry Brown signed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) on September 16, 2014.

As the name implies, the legislation created a framework for sustainable groundwater management, defined as: Management and use of groundwater in a manner that can be maintained during the planning and implementation horizon without causing undesirable results. This course was updated for 2019 to reflect current regulations.