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August 19, 2004 NDSU Offers Economic Entomology Class Economic Entomology (ENT 360) is a distance education course being offered by the North Dakota State University Department of Entomology. Denise Olson, assistant professor in the Entomology Department, explains that Economic Entomology is designed for those whose primary interest is in crop consulting, chemical and seed sales or production in the agronomic or horticulture industry. Economic Entomology consists of two tracks, Agronomic Insect Pest Management and Horticulture Insect Pest Management. Students can choose to take either track for 2 credits or both tracks simultaneously for 3 credits, says Olson. Those students taking the Agronomic Insect Pest Management track will study insects and mites of economic importance to small grains, corn, forages, canola, field peas, field beans, soybeans, potatoes, sugarbeets and stored grain. In the Horticultural Insect Pest Management track, the students will study insects and mites of economic and aesthetic importance to vegetable crops, lawn and turf, shade trees and shrubs, greenhouse and interiorscape plants and fruit trees. “After completing Economic Entomology, the students will be able to make informed choices regarding management of insect and mite pests of economic importance to agronomic or horticultural commodities,” Olson says. The students will be knowledgeable about the impact of insects, including beneficials and insect and mite pests; the concepts of integrated pest management (IPM), including preventive pest management, monitoring and sampling insect and mite populations, and economic and esthetic decision levels for insect and mite pests; and the methods for pest management, including chemical, cultural and biological control and resistant crops. They also will understand the importance of insect and mite carriers of diseases. This course is being offered for nine weeks beginning Oct. 20 and ending Dec. 17. The students will be required to have access to a computer with Internet access and/or CD drive. Students will access the course material, take self-evaluation quizzes and exams and post questions using the Blackboard electronic course management system at NDSU. Students who do not have sufficient Internet access via a computer modem will be provided with a CD of the course material. The course material is divided into modules including: impact of insects; introduction to integrated pest management; pest management tools - chemical control, resistant crops, cultural control, biological control; and the individual commodities associated with each track. Students will be tested over the material in three tests, each consisting of a series of modules. Olson says the students will apply their knowledge of insect pest management in developing a three- to four-page extension publication for an agronomic or horticulture insect pest that is reviewed in this course. “This course is ideal for those who want to be more knowledgeable in agronomic or horticulture insect pest management, but due to work and family commitments cannot spend an extended period of time on the university campus,” Olson says. ### Source: Denise
Olson, (701) 231-6292, Denise.Olson@ndsu.nodak.edu |
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