March 28, 2005

Plant biosecurity course leaves nothing to chance

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - As a response to the large target agriculture presents for natural and man-made biological threats, Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) has developed a training course that helps those who work with farmers keep crop enemies from hitting the bull's-eye.

The Plant Biosecurity Management Course was developed for EDEN by the University of Missouri, with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. EDEN is a multi-state initiative of Extension Services working to improve disaster preparedness and recovery. Purdue University is an EDEN member and contributor to the course.

"This course is primarily intended for Extension educators, but crop advisers, scouts and others like them will find it beneficial, as well," said David Baker, assistant dean of University of Missouri Extension. "It covers the basics of plant biosecurity and what farmers need to know to help them protect their enterprise from a plant biosecurity event."

The course is free and available online through the EDEN Web site. It also is available in a free CD-ROM version, said Abigail Borron, a course editor and consultant and EDEN communications specialist at Purdue.

"The course is set up in six lessons," Borron said. "The modules will help individuals respond to and recover from a plant biosecurity event. The course also is meant to reduce the effects of future plant biosecurity events."

The six lessons include:

• "Engaging Agricultural Workers as Partners in Plant Biosecurity Management"

• "Producers' Roles in the Four Phases of Plant Biosecurity Management"

• "Preparedness in Plant Biosecurity Management"

• "Responding to a Suspected Plant Biosecurity Problem"

• "Recovering From a Plant Biosecurity Event"

• "Mitigating the Potential for a Plant Biosecurity Problem or Agroterrorism Event"

In addition to educating those taking the course, the training program contains materials participants can share with others in workshops and meetings, Borron said.

"It provides ready-to-use presentations that they can use in their communities," she said. "There also are master documents for handouts and applied activity guidelines for them to use with their audiences."

The course takes about 5-11 hours to complete, depending on an individual's pace and the speed of his or her computer. Those completing the course receive a certificate of completion.

"The online version is designed so that even an individual with a 24K modem can get all of the materials quickly and easily without taking a lot of download time," Borron said.

"The other form that is available is CD-ROM. We encourage individuals to take it online because we will update the course. The CD-ROM will be a great reference, but it is not going to be updated regularly."

Those who wish to obtain the CD-ROM version should contact the EDEN point of contact in their state. A list of state contacts can be found online.

Indiana residents can contact Borron at (765) 494-4390 or by e-mail at aborron@purdue.edu. Additional information also is available by calling Purdue's toll-free Extension hotline at (888) 398-4636 (EXT-INFO).

Writer: Steve Leer, (765) 494-8415, sleer@purdue.edu

Sources: Abigail Borron, (765) 494-4390, aborron@purdue.edu

David Baker, (573) 882-6385, BakerD@missouri.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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