Summary:  Seed conditioners process, handle and store seed. All these actions may influence the quality of the seed and therefore the conditioner may share in potential liability should the seed quality be compromised, contaminated or damaged during possession. Documenting the contents of seed received helps protect the conditioner from potential liability.   Seed sampling should occur at multiple stages of receiving, processing and handling; it is important to select a representative sample of a seed lot. When a sample is created and viewed by conditioning personnel or sent to a testing laboratory the results obtained from the test are used to indicate the overall quality of the entire lot, make decisions as to what machinery should be used and eventually how to label the finished product. As a result, using a careful and representative method of sampling is required. This course is fourth in a series which will walk you through foundational concepts of seed conditioning. 

Upskill Credentials: If you finish the entire course including passing the quiz with a score of 80% or better (which you can take up to 3 times) and filling out the short 5 mins feedback survey, then you will earn a badge certificate of completion.  This course is under review for CEUs through the national Certified Crop Adviser program.

Summary: Seed lots are not always used entirely each planting season. Seed that was purchased or grown this year may require storage to be carried over to subsequent planting seasons. When seed is carried over, it is expected to be of the same quality as seed that was recently produced.  As a result, understanding the best possible methods for carrying over seed to maintain high germination and viability is crucial. 

Upskill Credentials: If you finish the entire course including passing the quiz with a score of 80% or better (which you can take up to 3 times) and filling out the short 5 mins feedback survey, then you will earn a badge certificate of completion.  This course is under review for CEUs through the national Certified Crop Adviser program.

The cost of this course is $50.

Summary: Irrigation is defined as the watering of land (or other plant growth media) by artificial means to foster plant growth. This can be very costly and the availability of supplemental water may be scarce, so it is important to be able to calculate accurately how much water to apply and when. This lesson will introduce you the underlying concepts you will need to consider.

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

• Explain how the systems approach can be used to manage water in irrigated systems. 
• Identify the fluxes (flows) of water and energy in an irrigated soil-plant-atmosphere system.
• Describe how the Irrigator’s Equation can be used to quantify the four (4) major variables involved in managing irrigation systems.
• Use the principle of conservation of mass to determine the water budget (also called water balance) of a soil-plant-atmosphere (SPA) system. 
• Use the principle of conservation of energy to determine the energy budget (also called energy balance) of a SPA system.

Time Required: We estimate it will take you 2 hours in total to complete the lesson.  You can work on it at your own pace and do not have to complete it in one setting.

Who Would Benefit:  A variety of people will find this upskilling course useful from adults to high school students.  This includes careers (or hobbyists) growing plants (ie field crops, greenhouse production, turf and lawns, gardens, etc.) and wishing to save money and water by better timing irrigation applications.

Upskill Credentials: If you finish the entire course including passing a final quiz (which you can take up to 3 times), then you will earn a badge certificate of completion.  This has also been approved for 2 Soil and Water Management CEUs through the national Certified Crop Adviser program.

Instructor: Dr. Allan A. Andales is a Professor and Extension Specialist of Irrigation and Water Science in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University (CSU). He has a joint appointment in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Andales applies principles of soil and water engineering, environmental biophysics, and numerical methods to study the effects of management practices and environmental factors on field hydrology and agricultural production. Experimental data are used to develop computer models and decision support tools that can improve agricultural water use efficiency and water quality. He is a member of the CSU Extension Water Resource Management Team that engages the public in addressing agricultural and urban water issues in Colorado.

ADA Accessibility: We have done our best to follow ADA best practices. Let us know if you run into any problems or require further accommodations.

Acknowledgements: This online micro-credential upskilling course is offered through the CSU Ag Upskilling program.  Development was supported in part by funding from the CHS Foundation, administered by Colorado State University (2022).  The CHS Foundation, funded by charitable gifts from CHS Inc., is focused on developing a new generation of agriculture leaders for life-long success. Together, with our partners, we are igniting innovation and driving excellence in agriculture education, cultivating high impact programs for rural youth and accelerating potential for careers in agriculture.  Learn more at CHS Foundation.

Summary: To effectively utilize limited irrigation resources in the most cost-effective manner requires balancing the inputs and outputs of water fluxes, as well as water that is stored in the soil profile. Best irrigation management scheduling practices focus on water balance in the rootzone because that is where the plant/crop is extracting water (and nutrients) from the soil.  It is here we estimate the irrigation water requirements to maintain healthy plants. Decisions on when and how much irrigation water to apply depends on the soil water deficit and the management-allowed depletion (MAD). This lesson will walk you through each of these concepts including real world problem scenarios.

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

• Use the water balance of the root zone to estimate the irrigation water requirement. 
• Make irrigation decisions by comparing the soil water deficit to the management-allowed depletion. 
  
  

Time Required: We estimate it will take you 2 hours in total to complete the lesson.  You can work on it at your own pace and do not have to complete it in one setting.

Who Would Benefit:  A variety of people will find this upskilling course useful from adults to high school students.  This includes careers (or hobbyists) growing plants (ie field crops, greenhouse production, turf and lawns, gardens, etc.) and wishing to save money and water by better timing irrigation applications.

Upskill Credentials: If you finish the entire course including passing a final quiz (which you can take up to 3 times), then you will earn a badge certificate of completion.  This has also been approved for 2 Soil and Water Management CEUs through the national Certified Crop Adviser program.

Instructor: Dr. Allan A. Andales is a Professor and Extension Specialist of Irrigation and Water Science in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University (CSU). He has a joint appointment in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Andales applies principles of soil and water engineering, environmental biophysics, and numerical methods to study the effects of management practices and environmental factors on field hydrology and agricultural production. Experimental data are used to develop computer models and decision support tools that can improve agricultural water use efficiency and water quality. He is a member of the CSU Extension Water Resource Management Team that engages the public in addressing agricultural and urban water issues in Colorado.

ADA Accessibility: We have done our best to follow ADA best practices. Let us know if you run into any problems or require further accommodations.

Acknowledgements: This online micro-credential upskilling course is offered through the CSU Ag Upskilling program.  Development was supported in part by funding from the CHS Foundation, administered by Colorado State University (2022).  The CHS Foundation, funded by charitable gifts from CHS Inc., is focused on developing a new generation of agriculture leaders for life-long success. Together, with our partners, we are igniting innovation and driving excellence in agriculture education, cultivating high impact programs for rural youth and accelerating potential for careers in agriculture.  Learn more at CHS Foundation.

Summary: No matter the particular plant scenario you are working with (ie field crop, pastureland, Greenhouse business, turf grass, home garden and landscaping, etc.) being able to accurately estimate the water needs and timing of irrigation will help lower costs, as well as preserve limited water supplies. In this lesson you will learn how to use a specific irrigation app which has been developed by a group of public researchers and is free for your use. This app, along with the foundational irrigation principles you learned in previous lessons and/or from your previous knowledge will help you maximize the effects of your irrigation applications while minimizing costs. This lesson uses a Colorado field example.

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

• Set up a field in the Water Irrigation Scheduler for Efficient Application (WISE) App to schedule irrigations during one growing season.
• Input irrigation amounts in WISE based on estimated soil water deficits (D) and the crop’s management allowed depletion (MAD) during one growing season.
• Interpret the WISE water balance outputs.

Time Required: We estimate it will take you 2 hours to complete the lesson.  You can work on it at your own pace and do not have to complete it in one setting.

Who Would Benefit:  A variety of people will find this upskilling course useful from adults to high school students.  This includes careers (or hobbyists) growing plants (ie field crops, greenhouse production, turf and lawns, gardens, etc.) and wishing to save money and water by better timing irrigation applications.

Upskill Credentials: If you finish the entire course including passing a final quiz (which you can take up to 3 times), then you will earn a badge certificate of completion.  It has been approved for 2 Crop Management CEUs through the national Certified Crop Adviser program.

Instructor: Dr. Allan A. Andales is a Professor and Extension Specialist of Irrigation and Water Science in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University (CSU). He has a joint appointment in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Andales applies principles of soil and water engineering, environmental biophysics, and numerical methods to study the effects of management practices and environmental factors on field hydrology and agricultural production. Experimental data are used to develop computer models and decision support tools that can improve agricultural water use efficiency and water quality. He is a member of the CSU Extension Water Resource Management Team that engages the public in addressing agricultural and urban water issues in Colorado.

ADA Accessibility: We have done our best to follow ADA best practices. Let us know if you run into any problems or require further accommodations.

Acknowledgements: This online micro-credential upskilling course is offered through the CSU Ag Upskilling program.  Development was supported in part by funding from the CHS Foundation, administered by Colorado State University (2022).  The CHS Foundation, funded by charitable gifts from CHS Inc., is focused on developing a new generation of agriculture leaders for life-long success. Together, with our partners, we are igniting innovation and driving excellence in agriculture education, cultivating high impact programs for rural youth and accelerating potential for careers in agriculture.  Learn more at CHS Foundation.

This class, developed by Ohio State University Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Educators/Program and Field Specialists, reviews many topics covered in the face-to-face Dining with Diabetes class. However, this class goes "beyond the kitchen" to help you make healthy choices when eating out and grocery shopping. 

You can share ideas and experiences with your classmates, chat with a health professional, and learn about new technology including websites and mobile apps.

For more information contact Dr. Dan Remley at remley.4@osu.edu

Early Childhood Workforce Training 2024

Child Development: Three to Five 

This module will focus on the preschool years ages three to five, when there is an enormous amount of growth and development. Our role in supporting children's progress is critical. What each of us does makes a difference. Topics include: Brain Development, Developmental Domains, the Role of the Teacher and Positive Interactions. 

Click on the title of the course above, then go to "enroll me" and click to begin the course.

For Technical support email: campushelp@extension.org

Instructor email: cpeshlakai@unr.edu

Early Childhood Workforce Training 2024

Emergency Preparedness for Early Childhood Programs

Being prepared for emergencies can make a big difference as to whether or not the children in your care and the staff in your program remain safe. In this course, you will learn about the necessary steps a program should take to ensure preparedness in the event of an emergency, as well as effective strategies to communicate your emergency plan to children, parents and staff.

Click on the title of the course above, then go to "enroll me" and click to begin the course.

For Technical support email: campushelp@extension.org

Instructor email: cpeshlakai@unr.edu

Early Childhood Workforce Training 2024

 Positive Guidance 

This module will present the goals of positive guidance, misunderstandings about guidance, key practices, effective environments, common behavior challenges and offer positive guidance strategies for the classroom

Click on the title of the course above, then go to "enroll me" and click to begin the course.

For Technical support email: campushelp@extension.org

Instructor email: cpeshlakai@unr.edu

Early Childhood Workforce Training 2024

Signs and Symptoms of Illness (SOI) including Blood Borne Pathogens 

Signs and Symptoms of Illness (SOI) including Blood Borne Pathogens: The Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases in the Child Care Setting is for child care providers and early childhood educator.  

This training discusses ways to recognize, prevent, and manage infectious diseases in early education and child care settings. Special precautions are discussed when handling bloodborne pathogens. 

Click on the title of the course above, then go to "enroll me" and click to begin the course.

For Technical support email: campushelp@extension.org

Instructor email: cpeshlakai@unr.edu

Early Childhood Workforce Training 2024

Transportation Safety

This course presents recommended practices and policies for the safe transport of young children to and from childcare programs.

EC Workforce Training 2024

Building and Physical Premises Safety Including the Storage and 

                      Handling of Bio-Contaminants and Hazardouse Materials                                                    

Click on the title of the course above, then go to "enroll me" and click to begin the course.

For Technical support email: campushelp@extension.org

Instructor email: cpeshlakai@unr.edu

eLearn Urban Forestry is a self-led, online, distance learning program geared speciifcally toward beginning urban foresters and those allied professionals working in and around urban and urbanizing landscapes, including service foresters, natural resource planners, landscape architects, city officials and public works employees.  The program is comprised of ten learning modules:  The Benefits and Costs of the Urban Forest; Tree Growth and Development; Urban Soils; Site, Tree Selection and Planting; Arboriculture; Assessing and Managing Tree Risk; Tree Disorder Diagnosis and Management; Trees and Construction; Public Policy and Urban Forestry; and Urban Forest Management.

For more information or to enroll, contact Leslie Boby, Southern Regional Extension Forestry, University of Georgia at lboby@sref.info.