Kansas State University and Purdue University are offering pest management training this fall, with K-State's November workshops in Kansas focusing on field crop pest control and Purdue's December workshop in Indiana emphasizing grain storage pest management and integrated pest management strategies.
- K-State Sessions: November 17 in Colby and November 19 in Phillipsburg, Kansas, covering weed, insect, and disease management with registration costs of $75 before November 10 and $100 after
- Recertification Credits: K-State offers seven Category 1A credits and one core hour for commercial pesticide applicators, plus eight pest management continuing education units for Certified Crop Advisers
- Purdue Workshop: December 10 in West Lafayette, Indiana, targeting farmers and grain storage professionals with $140 registration closing December 3
- Topics Covered: Weather patterns, drone applications, weed detection, glufosinate use, insect pests for 2026 and 2027, and post-harvest pest management systems
- Target Audience: Commercial applicators, crop consultants, agronomy professionals, farmers, grain handlers, and food processing quality-control managers
Kansas State University Research and Extension and Purdue University are hosting pest management training this fall, with Kansas sessions focused on field pests and an Indiana workshop aimed at protecting grain after it goes into storage.
K-State Research and Extension will hold its 2026 Crop Pest Management Schools on Nov. 17 at the City Limits Convention Center in Colby, Kansas, and on Nov. 19 at the Huck Boyd Community Center in Phillipsburg, Kansas. Both sessions run the same program, with registration at 7:45 a.m. and presentations from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. Registration costs $75 per person through Nov. 10 and $100 after that.
The Kansas program covers weed, insect and disease management in western and central Kansas. Topics include weather, drone applications and weed detection, glufosinate applications in dry environments, and insect pests from 2026 and those to watch in 2027. The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) will present the core hour on state regulations.
Recertification credits are part of the package. K-State has requested seven Category 1A credits and one core hour for commercial pesticide applicators, plus eight pest management continuing education units for Certified Crop Advisers. Category 1A covers agricultural plant pest control, and commercial applicators who recertify through training have until Dec. 31 of their expiration year to earn category credits and one core hour, according to KDA's pesticide applicator guidance. The school is designed for commercial applicators, crop consultants, agronomy professionals and farmers. If bad weather hits, the program will move to a later online date, or registrants can attend the other location, according to the university.
Purdue's focus shifts from the field to the bin. The 2026 Grain Post-Harvest & Recertification Workshop is set for Dec. 10 at the Beck Agricultural Center in West Lafayette, Indiana, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time. Registration is $140 and closes Dec. 3.
The workshop targets farmers, commercial grain storage handlers, pest management professionals and food processing quality-control managers. Its goal is to help attendees manage post-harvest systems to reduce pests, choose pest-control strategies and adopt integrated pest management systems, according to Purdue.
That puts the session squarely in the path of elevator managers and on-farm storage operators, whose pest control decisions continue for months after the crop comes out of the field.
The Purdue workshop also serves as the last opportunity this year for Indiana's certified advisers to earn Continuing Certification Hours, which have been applied for, according to the university's registration page. Cancellations are subject to a 12% registration fee plus a $5 processing fee, and no refunds will be processed after Dec. 3. A detailed agenda and speaker list for the Purdue workshop had not been posted as of Nov. 6.
