If you plan to attend a University of Illinois Pesticide Safety Education Program training clinic for the first time since 2020, you will likely notice that we have updated our registration system. Among the many improvements, the new system allows...

The University of Illinois Pesticide Safety Education Program has released their upcoming clinic schedule. While locations span the state, the number of clinics are fewer than experienced previously. If you are interested in attending an in-person clinic, be sure to register early as seating is...

The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a regulation intended to reduce the risks of illness or injury resulting from occupational exposures to pesticides used in the production of agricultural plants. WPS requires agricultural employers and commercial pesticide handler employers to provide...

The Illinois Department of Agriculture is pleased to announce some new faces to the Bureau of Environmental Programs. We are excited to have them on board and hope that you have the opportunity to meet them at one of the various clinic locations this winter. Source:  Maria Turner, Illinois...

In 2023, the Illinois Department of Agriculture along with the Illinois Department of Public Health conducted an agricultural/structural pesticide clean sweep program collection for the residents of Bond, Clinton, Fayette, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, and St. Clair...

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA) has confirmed the first detection of spotted lanternfly (Lycorma deliculata) in Illinois. This invasive pest has been in the US since 2014 but has been working its way across the mid-Atlantic states finally reaching the Midwest and the Land of...

Now is the time to get rid of any old or unwanted pesticides in your chemical storage area. The Illinois EPA one-day household hazardous waste collection schedule for this fall has been released to the public. Please note, all one-day collections require pre-registration. More information can be...

The summer field season is underway and Illinois applicators and operators are doing what they do best!  With the training and testing season nearing its end, now is the time to enroll anyone who still needs a 2023 license. The Pesticide Safety Education Program’s online testing and training...

Just a quick reminder that Paraquat users are required to participate in product training every three years. EPA requires that Paraquat applicators take an EPA-approved training program every three years in order to mix, load, apply, or handle Paraquat. This training was first released in 2020 and...

You finally found the right people to help complete your workforce. You are showing them what needs to be done and where. But are you helping them to learn how to apply pesticides safely and effectively? Are you guiding them toward the information they need, and will it be presented in the best...

Strategy aims to increase efficiencies while supporting farmers, herbicide users with continued use of important pesticide tools.   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the draft Herbicide Strategy for public comment, a major milestone in the Agency’s work...