The Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) at New Mexico State University promotes the responsible use of pesticides through educational resources and training. Training covers a broad range of human safety and environmental issues for a statewide target audience of approximately 2,800 private applicators, 2,200 commercial applicators, and 120 pesticide dealers. This is a collaborative effort with the New Mexico Cooperative Extension Service (NMSU-CES), New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA), USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The program reaches over 500 individuals annually. Through recertifying 350 current pesticide applicators and training 150 new license holders with an average annual salary of $34,570, this program added or maintained over $17,000,000 to New Mexico's economy. Workshop evaluations indicate that 98% of participants learned a new skill that will assist them when applying pesticides, and 75% of participants learned a new pest or plant management practice that will decrease pesticide use.
We conduct annual workshops in New Mexico to provide certified applicators (private, public, and commercial) with information on new and emerging insect, disease, and weed pests in field crops, greenhouse crops, forage crops, fruit and vegetable crops, turf areas, and shade trees and ornamental plantings. These applicators will receive CEU credits required for license renewal.
Individuals who wish to become certified to apply pesticides can attend the workshop held in conjunction with each CEU workshop to prepare for licensure. These individuals receive training in pesticide safety; pesticide laws and regulations; sprayer calibration; integrated pest management and basic principles in entomology, plant pathology, and weed science.
Dr. Phillip Lujan
Extension Plant Pathologist / Assistant Professor
Pesticide Safety Education Program Manager
Extension Plant Sciences
Physical Address: NMSU, Skeen Hall N258 | 945 College Avenue
Mailing Address: MSC 3AE, PO Box 30003
Las Cruces, NM 88003
Phone: 575-646-1822
Email: pl11@nmsu.edu
Lujan Curriculum Vitae (CV)
