The Kentucky Agriculture Training School (KATS), part of the UK Cooperative Extension Service at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, is hosting several upcoming workshops focused on crop scouting, soil properties and drone pilot certification. 

KATS uses modern technology and research to provide educational experiences for individuals seeking to improve their agricultural management and productivity — making better decisions regarding crop management, production and more. 

“Our KATS team of researchers and extension specialists work together to offer quality, hands-on agricultural workshops to the community,” said Lori Rogers, KATS coordinator, Plant and Soil Sciences Department at Martin-Gatton CAFE. “We look forward to helping our producers, county agents and interested agriculture community members learn more about crop scouting, soil properties, drone technology and more in these upcoming training sessions.” 

Crop Scouting Workshop 

The UK Research and Education Center at Princeton (UKREC) will host the crop scouting workshop on May 21, teaching attendees how to growth-stage corn and soybeans while identifying common diseases and insect pests in the two crops. 

In addition, UK specialists will teach participants ways to identify common weeds and how nutrients in the soil influence crop growth.

“This hands-on workshop is ideal for agriculture interns, new ag agents and producers, and it can serve as a refresher for others as the growing season is getting started,” said Rogers. 

Pre-registration is required at https://2024KATSCropScouting.eventbrite.com and will be open until May 17. The cost is $105. Lunch will be provided. This training has been approved for 6.5 Certified Crop Advisors credits and three Pesticide Applicator credits.

Soil Properties Workshop

UKREC will also host a soil properties workshop on June 6, teaching how soil properties impact water and nutrient delivery to plants.

UK specialists, joined by National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) resource soil scientist Jerry McIntosh, will visit two contrasting soil pits that represent many of the soil resources utilized for crop production in western Kentucky.

“This training will cover many fundamentals necessary for producing a successful crop,.” said Edwin Ritchey, UK extension soil specialist.

Specific topics discussed will include profile properties such as soil texture, soil structure, nutrient distribution, soil organic matter and plant available water. After lunch, classroom discussions will cover topics like soil test values, comparisons of laboratory results and recommendations, and how different management practices influence soil health parameters. The NRCS Web Soil Survey program, use and application will also be discussed.

Pre-registration is required at https://KATSsoilpropertiesworkshop2024.eventbrite.com and will be open until June 3. The cost is $105. Lunch will be provided, and six Certified Crop Advisors credits have been approved.

Drone Pilot Certification Workshop

The Drone Pilot Certification Workshop on June 10-11 at the Hopkins County Extension Office in Madisonville, Kentucky, will help prepare individuals to become a certified remote pilot with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Drones have many useful applications in agricultural production systems. During the two-day classroom training, Mandy Briggs, assistant chief flight instructor with Parkland College’s Institute of Aviation, will guide participants in obtaining their drone pilot certification. Briggs’ students have an over 99% success rate on passing the exam.

The cost is $400. Certified Crop Advisors will receive 12 continuing education units in precision agriculture for completing the workshop. After the training, participants will take their certification exam on the afternoon of June 11. The exam costs are an additional $175. Space is limited for this workshop.

More information about the requirements for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) exam is available at https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/become_a_drone_pilot.

Contact Lori Rogers, lori.rogers@uky.edu, 270-365-7541 ext. 21317, to register for the drone pilot certification workshop, along with general questions about any of the KATS workshops.

To learn more about KATS, visit https://kats.ca.uky.edu. 

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The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.