New to crop farming? Learn from the pros at the new Applicator Training Center by Asmark, AGCO

If you're new to farming or just interested in crop production and protection, a new Applicator Training Center has been opened by and the Asmark Institute with the sole purpose of training and educating individuals on the application of crop protection products and plant nutrients. The specially designed facility, a 6,000-square-foot facility located on a six-acre property just west of Bloomington, Ill., is the home of the new Applicator Training Course, a four-day program. The new center is adjacent to the existing Agricenter, where other Asmark Institute Training Courses are offered on anhydrous ammonia and grain handling operations and safety.

The Applicator Training Course is open to anyone involved with crop production, from farmers to professional applicators. Each course will consist of 4 days of training and costs $575.00 per participant at the time of this writing. Participants see what it's like to be a professional applicator, cover a wide range of topics, and drive all the major brands of applicator equipment. The course will be available to around 400 students a year who will learn about application as well as about the crop retail business and the agricultural industry from instructors, top professional applicators and industry leaders.

“Today, the agricultural industry must maximize food production while carefully stewarding complex technologies and our natural resources. The Applicator Training Center and this extensive educational program will help support the entire industry in this effort – retailers, farmers, their rural neighbors and down the line to consumers,”
- Bob Crain, AGCO SVP and general manager for the Americas

Curriculum for the Applicator Training Course entails using practical learning experiences that range from basic math and measurements for proper pesticide mixtures, to hands-on training in the safe operation of application machines while maneuvering field entrances, railroad crossings, overgrown entrances, roads and a variety of field conditions. The course includes fundamentals of machine maintenance, understanding spreader and sprayer components and systems, proper tank cleanout procedures and the importance of recordkeeping. Registration is open for seats available in June, August and September 2017

“This week, the first 20 students will graduate from our Applicator Training Course having gained the knowledge and comprehensive thought processes needed to diligently perform the job of a professional applicator. They will have the ability to evaluate the situation for each load and field and be prepared to optimize the application or make the decision to delay or not spray if that is the right thing to do."
- Allen Summers, president of the Asmark Institute