Crop Protection Network to offer Certified Crop Advisor continuing education credits
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EmailCertified Crop Advisor credits will be awarded to participants that earn a passing score on quizzes related to Crop Protection Network publications.
The Crop Protection Network (CPN) is pleased to announce an addition to its collection of resources available to farmers, crop advisors and others involved in crop management and production. Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) will now have the opportunity to obtain continuing education units (CEUs) under the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Category through CPN in the form of educational quizzes.
A total of 19 quizzes are currently available through the website, and are each based on CPN publications covering areas such as diseases and management, pest resistance and mycotoxins. After reading CPN publications, CCAs can take the corresponding quiz for 0.5 CEUs simply by entering their names and CCA number and starting the exam. Participants must earn a passing score of 70% or more on a quiz to qualify for credits. Results will be sent monthly to the American Society for Agronomy (ASA) for processing, and participants will be presented with a certificate for their records. Participants can take these quizzes at no cost, either through a dedicated web page, or as a link with corresponding publications. Each quiz was written and reviewed by CCAs and extension specialists for difficulty and accuracy.
“Crop Protection Network publications provide research-based information on field crop diseases and agronomic issues, and now these high-quality publications can also provide continuing education for Certified Crop Advisors,” said Kiersten Wise, CPN co-director and plant pathologist with the University of Kentucky. “We are excited to provide this free resource to CCAs through CPN, and look forward to developing additional resources that keep CCAs informed about the latest research on field crops.”
Each year, CCAs are required to obtain a certain amount of CEUs to maintain certification. This can be accomplished by attending in-person events or using online resources. More recently, the ASA has allowed CCAs to read peer-reviewed literature and conduct a short quiz after reading for CEU credit. The CPN’s model is similar to this, as its publications are peer reviewed by a network of extension specialists across the country.
Martin Chilvers, Michigan State University Extension plant pathologist, is a founding member CPN. The CPN resources are a collection of up-to-date extension information relevant to Michigan soybean, corn and small grain producers. They include articles detailing descriptions of specific diseases, hot topics and fungicide efficacy charts for disease management.
CPN is a multi-state and international partnership of university and provincial extension specialists, and public and private professionals that provides unbiased, research-based information. Our goal is to communicate relevant information to farmers and agricultural personnel to help with decisions related to protecting field crops.
