An Overview of the CCA Resistance Management Specialty.

The International Certified Crop Adviser (ICCA) Program developed the Resistance Management (RM) Specialty Certification to meet the growing demand for qualified advisers with focused knowledge and skills in pest and resistance management.  The Resistance Management Specialty is an additional specialty certification that builds upon the basic components of the International CCA Certification, to demonstrate the Crop Adviser’s proficiency in working with the RM concept and building it into a holistic management model.

This specialty, like others within the CCA program falls under one of the five major pillars of a CCA’s knowledge, which include Nutrient Management (4R Nutrient Management Specialty), Soil and Water Management, Integrated Pest Management (Resistance Management Specialty), Crop Management (Sustainability Specialty), and Professional Development.  Not all CCAs work extensively on pest management, but focus on other aspects of crop advising.  The RM Specialty allows those CCAs who advise on pest management to become more visible and recognized for their integrated systems thinking and approach to avoid development of resistance or alleviate resistance problems in order to meet the need for improved environmental stewardship.

This presentation will focus on the reasoning behind the specialty as well as an overview of the development of the RM Specialty’s Performance Objectives to outline the state of the practice and ultimately the exam that tests on this knowledge.