STARKVILLE, Miss. -- There is a new online pathway for agricultural producers and applicators to obtain pesticide use certification.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service Pesticide Safety Education Program, in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC), has launched an online Private Applicator Certification program in Mississippi.

This new offering includes two video training modules and a competency exam. It was developed to provide more efficient and timely access to private applicator training and certification as an alternative to in-person training, which is currently limited due to social distancing protocols in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The training can be accessed on desktop and laptop devices through the registration portal https://myaccount.extension.msstate.edu. After registering, applicants will be invited to the online hosting site to begin training. Costs for the training and testing will remain at $20 per applicant, and successful completion will certify the applicator to purchase and use restricted use pesticides in Mississippi for five years.

For technical assistance with the registration portal and operation of training/testing modules, please contact the MSU Extension Center for Technology Outreach at 662-325-3226. For information regarding the current status of private applicator certificates, contact the MDAC Bureau of Plant Industry at 662-325-3390.

For all other questions regarding applicator certification and training in Mississippi, visit http://extension.msstate.edu/agriculture/pesticide-applicator-certification or call the Pesticide Safety Education office at 662-325-5829.

MSU Extension offers a wide range of educational resources related to COVID-19, including publications, videos and media releases at http://extension.msstate.edu/coronavirus.

MSU is an equal opportunity institution. For disability accommodation, please contact Gene Merkl at gm53@msstate.edu.