La. Admin. Code tit. 7 § XXIII-715

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section XXIII-715 - Certification of Agricultural Consultants

A. Each application for Agricultural consultant shall be in writing and shall be on forms prescribed by the commissioner.

B. The agricultural consultant application experience requirements shall be substantiated by a notarized statement from the person who was responsible for the applicant during the time this experience was gained.

C. Each application for an agricultural consultant's examination shall be reviewed by an ad hoc committee appointed by the chairman of the commission. The committee shall consider the application and make its recommendation to the commission.

D. Each application for an agricultural consultant's examination shall be approved by the commission before an examination is administered. Examinations for agricultural consultants shall be administered only in Baton Rouge at the division or at any district office of the department, during office hours and shall be administered only after payment of the proper fee.

E. Certification of Agricultural Consultants

1. Certification in a category authorizes the agricultural consultant to make recommendations in the areas listed for each category.

2. Applicants for certification as agricultural consultants shall elect to be examined in one or more of the following categories.

a. Control of Insects, Mites, Nematodes or Other Invertebrates (category 1)

i. Agricultural Entomology (subcategory 1a). Making recommendations for the control of pests of agronomic crops, especially cotton, rice, soybeans, sugarcane, vegetables, pasture and forage, and grain crops.

ii. Forest Entomology. Making recommendations for the control of forest pests.

iii. Household, Structural and Industrial Entomology. Making recommendations for the control of household pests, structural and industrial pests (such as termites, in stores, warehouse and transportation facilities).

iv. Medical, Veterinary and Public Health Entomology. Making recommendations for control of arthropods affecting man and animals.

v. Orchard and Nut Tree Entomology. Making recommendations for the control of orchard pests.

vi. Ornamental Entomology. Making recommendations for the control of pests of ornamentals, lawns, turf and shade trees.

vii. Mosquito Control Entomology. Making recommendations for the control of mosquito species.

b. Control of Plant Pathogens (category 2)

i. Agricultural Plant Pathology. Making recommendations for the control of diseases of agronomic crops, especially sugarcane, cotton, rice, soybeans and home garden plants.

ii. Turf, Ornamental, Shade-tree and Floral Plant Pathology. Making recommendations for the control of diseases of turf, ornamentals, shade-trees and floral plants. Also includes greenhouse and nursery plant disease control.

iii. Forest Pathology. Making recommendations for the control of diseases of trees in plantations, nurseries and managed or unmanaged forests wherein the principal value lies in the production of wood fiber.

iv. Orchard Pathology. Making recommendations for the control of diseases of wood vines and trees wherein the principal value lies in the production of fruits or nuts.

c. Control of Weeds (category 3)

i. Agricultural Weed Control. Making recommendations for the control of weeds and grasses in field crops, vegetable crops, pastures and rangeland.

ii. Turf, Ornamental and Shade-Tree Weed Control. Making recommendations for the control of weeds and grasses in ornamentals, turf areas, cemeteries and other similar areas.

iii. Forest Weed Control. Making recommendations for the control of weeds and grasses in forest lands.

iv. Right-of-Way and Industrial Weed Control. Making recommendations for the control of weeds and grasses in and around industrial and commercial sites.

d. Soil Management (category 4)

i. Agricultural Field Soil Management. Knowledgeable in symptoms of soil and/or tissue nutrient problems; sampling techniques for soil and/or tissue analysis; interpretation of laboratory results; and recommendations for soil and/or tissue amendments.

ii. Agricultural Soil, Water and Tissue Laboratory Analysis. Knowledge of all diagnostic procedures pertaining to analysis of soil, water and/or tissue samples.

iii. Agricultural Soil Reclamation. Knowledge of techniques, methods, etc., for restoring or attempting to restore soil productivity as a result of physical and/or chemical disturbance or natural causes such as severe erosion or contaminated soils.

iv. Agricultural Water Management. Knowledge of irrigation scheduling practices and techniques for various enterprises requiring water on a regular or intermittent basis.

E. Each person that has been certified in any category or subcategory as a agricultural consultant, and whose certification has not been revoked or suspended or expired, may renew that certification by attending a recertification meeting or training course for that category as approved by the commissioner.

F. Each person that has been certified in any category or subcategory as an agricultural consultant, and whose certification has not been revoked, or suspended, or expired, may renew that certification by attending a recertification meeting or training course for that category as approved by the commissioner.

1. Each person that fails to renew their certification prior to the expiration of the certification shall submit an application to the commission for approval to take the agricultural consultants examination as set forth in this Section or submit a request in writing to the department and the ad hoc committee to retest.

La. Admin. Code tit. 7, § XXIII-715

Promulgated by the Department of Agriculture, Advisory Commission on Pesticides, LR 9:184 (April 1983), amended LR 11:943 (October 1985), amended by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Advisory Commission on Pesticides, LR 24:281 (February 1998), amended by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Advisory Commission on Pesticides LR 28:39 (January 2002), LR 35:627 (April 2009), amended by Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Advisory Commission on Pesticides, LR 37:3474 (December 2011), Amended LR 442126 (12/1/2018), Amended by LR 461540 (11/1/2020).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 3:3203, R.S. 3:3246 and R.S. 3:3249.