Nearly every South Dakota farmer who applies pesticide must be certified as a private applicator.  Certification for private applications must be renewed every 5 years, with expiration dates at the end of the calendar year.  So, if you haven’t checked your applicator certification, now is the time to check and see if you need to be recertified this spring.  Based on the database provided by the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, all individuals needing recertification for 2012 should also receive a postcard from SDSU Extension stating that it is time to renew. 

In order to become certified, farmers and ranchers have two options.  They may either take a certification exam or attend a training session. Exams can be taken at any SDSU Regional Extension Center, or numerous local county Extension offices still offer this service to residents.   The other option is to attend one of several Private Applicator Trainings hosted by SDSU Extension throughout South Dakota, from December through March. Topics typically covered during training sessions may include sprayer calibration, protective clothing, what to do in an emergency spill, weather effects on spraying, current laws and regulations, and in some areas of the state, prairie dog control and/or pesticides use applicable to livestock will be covered. 

“South Dakota pesticide regulations require that anyone who applies any pesticide in the production of an agricultural commodity, with the gross sales potential of $1,000 or more, on land operated by them or their employer, must be certified as a private applicator,” said Jim Wilson, SDSU Extension Pesticide Education Coordinator. “Essentially, that means that nearly every farmer needs to be certified as a private applicator.”

View the full ist of Private Applicator Trainings. By attending the training, private applicators can receive their initial certification or become recertified.