THE VIRTUAL PESTICIDE STORAGE SHED

Nicholas Polanin¹

George Hamilton²

William T. Hlubik³

Sean Convery⁴

Agricultural and Resource Management Agents for ¹Somerset and ³Middlesex Counties

²Specialist in Pesticides / Pest Management, and ⁴ Program Assistant for

Rutgers Cooperative Extension

Martin Hall, Rm. 326

88 Lipman Drive

New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Ever need core or category credits just when you notice that time is running out on your current applicators license? Having trouble getting away from all your business responsibilities to attend courses or seminars? Now, through the Internet and with the use of some readily available software, courses and credits are just a click away!

Distance education utilizes new and modern technologies to provide and deliver a variety of educational forums, addressing the constraints modern life has placed on available time for consumers and professionals to attend seminars, workshops, and other traditional outreach programs. At the same time, licensed professional pesticide applicators require new delivery systems to provide easy access to educational information leading to a more successful licensing and re-certification procedure. This project developed an Internet site dedicated to training commercial growers, licensed applicators and consumers on the proper use and storage of pesticides. General information and subject reviews for attaining NJDEP license credits are available. The web site features pesticide safety educational slide programs, digital videos, and virtual tours. This provides growers and other licensed professionals access to core and category credits without taking valuable time from production and other timely or weather dependent tasks. For example, a virtual tour of a pesticide storage facility with interactive links will inform the viewer of correct and incorrect choices in proper storage techniques and practices. The site is designed to include future additional learning modules in remaining core and category license requirements. This website distance education tool was partially funded through the 2001 Research, Group Study, and Professional Improvement Grant Program of The Agricultural Agents Association of New Jersey (AAANJ).