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.

Summary:  Seed that comes from the field is never pure, it contains sticks, stems, debris, soil, weed and other crop seeds, trash, and insects. In its simplest form, conditioning is the process of cleaning the seed and removing impurities and contaminates so that the end user receives pure, high-quality seed ready for planting.  This course is first 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.

Time Required: We estimate it will take you 1-2 hours in total to complete the course.  You can work on it at your own pace and do not have to complete it in one setting. Click on the eBook link below to begin. 

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.

If you have any questions, please contact your instructor, Laura Pottorff, M.S., Director of Seed Program at: Laura.Pottorff@colostate.edu 

Acknowledgements: This online micro-credential upskilling course is offered through the CSU Ag Upskilling program.  Development of this content was supported in part by funding from SyncUp Colorado, administered by Colorado State University (2022).  

This CSU Badge introduces foundation principles on how internet-of-things (IoT) technology and sensors can be used to provide real-time soil moisture and weather data, allowing growers to improve the timing and amounts of irrigation – saving water and avoiding plant water stress. These general principles are applicable to either landscape or agriculture irrigation sectors, including a wide range of scenarios such as efficiently watering a backyard garden, growing vegetables in a greenhouse, maintaining golf courses and lawns, as well as irrigating large crop fields. Using a kit containing sensors and a wireless IoT microcontroller, participants will gaine hands-on experience building, programming, and using their own IoT (i.e, sensor-based) system to monitor soil water levels based on real-time data. Using an experiential learning approach, learners will gain new knowledge on how IoT sensor technology and the resulting real-time data can be leveraged to improve irrigation decisions and save water. Program was funded in part by the CHS Foundation and Colorado State University.

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

This course is restricted and can only be accessed by  

University of Nevada Reno Extension participants of the Adult Learning Academy

Early Childhood Workforce Training

 Micro Lessons for Desiging Training Sesssions

These lessons discuss why it is important to be intentional when designing your training and to incorporate design principles. It is critical for trainers to present information that is up-to-date and based on best practices so that learners are given current and appropriate information that they can implement into their practices. 

Early Childhood Workforce Training 2024

Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma

This training describes causes, symptoms and consequences of Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma (SBS/AHT). The lesson further provides information on caring for a crying baby and how to cope with a baby who cries inconsolably.

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

Supporting Young Dual Language Learners

This training will provide participants with an understanding of young children who are dual language learners. We will explore the developmental domains and the stages of language development. Strategies will be presented for supporting home language and teaching strategies in 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 Development 2024

Child Developmnet: Birth to three Years 

This module will focus on the first three years of a child's life, 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

Wellness-Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity 

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

In this section on training, efforts will be made to explain and simplify the process of developing a relationship with the horse where communication is simple and straightforward for both the horse and rider.

For information contact Colleen Brady, bradyc@purdue.edu.

The fee for this course is $10.  To purchase and enroll in the course, click the following button.

If you purchase at least $40 worth of courses from this category, you can receive a 20% discount by entering the voucher code of HorseQuest20. 

This course is self-directed with instructor feedback on module assignments. There will be a fee. The audience is people who are interested in starting a vegetable farm enterprise in Piedmont North Carolina. This course is a prerequisite to participating in the Elma C Lomax farm incubator program. Our goal is for people who participate in the farm incubator program to experientially learn vegetable production and build a marketing strategy and clientele. Eventually we hope the participating farmers will leave Lomax to run their own farm. For information and to enroll contact: Robert Furr, North Carolina Extension, by email at rbfurr@ncsu.edu or by calling 704-920-3320