Week Five Teaching Outline: 

Irrigation / Pesticide Safety  

 Resources   Equipment     Handouts

Same Basic Outline for both Gardeners of Costa Rica [Homeowner] &  Master of Gardens [Commercial] classes

Instructor:  Larry Halsey  

MORNING: Irrigation, Watering - half day

Power Point (drawing on materials from Hunsburger and Tichenor)

• How much water is needed?  What type is appropriate?

      Plant, growth stage, residual soil moisture, ET, rainfall

• Irrigation methods

*       Essentials: backflow, filter, pressure regulator, valves, pressure gauges, etc)

*       Fixed pipe (impact or rotor) – lawns

*       Micro Irrigation

o        Drip hose – vegetable gardens, primarily

o        Emitters and micro-sprinklers – ornamentals

Hands-on in landscape

*       determine water flow rates

*       measure irrigation application uniformity, pattern (coffee-can test)

     *       observe wasted water (sidewalks, parking, walls, etc)

Hands-on in vegetable garden: 

*      install faucet attachment (anti-siphon, filter, regulator, etc)

*    lay out tubing, insert emitters, observe wetting patterns, measure flow of various bubblers rated at different flow rates.

 

     

Afternoon:  Pesticide Safety - half day

Power Point – from MG, Worker Protection Standards and others, local adaptation

What is a pesticide?

Pests and Types of Pesticides, non-pesticidal alternatives  (review earlier presentations of Seals & Hunsburger)

       Basic Lesson – Risk is a function of Exposure and Hazard: 

to reduce risk lower either exposure or hazard or both

protection from exposure – time, distance, PPE

Information on the Pesticide Label          

How we are exposed?

Mix/Load/Handling, Chronic (contact with or consumption of plants with residue)

          Drift and other inadvertent/incidental), Routes of entry, Hand wash, PPE

 Hands-on:

        fluorescent dye and blacklight

        water sensitive paper to determine adequacy of coverage using backpack sprayer on ornamental

Resources:

•  WPS Worker/Handler Training materials (en espanol)

• CD/DVD player needed

• 12L (3 gallon) backpack sprayer,

• Calibration/Application materials for demonstration

Equipment and Supplies needed:

• Micro-irrigation kit (to be sent ahead of time)

• Solo cups, tuna cans, collection devices

References/Handouts:  RECOMENDACIONES PARA EL MANEJO SEGURO DE LOS PLAGUICIDAS   [Recommendations for the Safe Handling of  Pesticides]  (click here for pdf in Spanish)  

    On-Line References:    Marr, C.W. & D. Rogers, D.   Irrigation for Vegetables. Manhattan: Kansas State University.  MF1090. http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/hort2/mf1090.pdf