The USDA NIFA has funds for Extension that support more complex projects than typical programs. Since 2021, a multi-county Extension team has developed a UF/IFAS Bookstore publication titled “Basics of Landscaping in Florida, Conceptos Básicos de Paisajismo en Florida”. This pocket-sized, waterproof guide enables multi-lingual landscape teams to effectively communicate essential landscaping best management practices (BMPs). These BMPs promote long term landscape resilience while reducing reliance on chemical inputs. The environmental horticulture industry in Florida is worth over $10 billion annually, employs over 100,000 people, of which, 33% identify as Hispanic/Latino origin. Most horticulture jobs are focused on landscaping for aesthetics which leads to reactionary pest management focused on quick chemical solutions rather than long term economic, environmental, and social sustainability. In Florida, the use of pesticides and fertilizers requires training and professional licensure, yet chemical control and fertilization represent only a fraction of landscape integrated pest management (IPM). Cultural IPM, on the other hand, offers a key advantage: it allows for effective pest management while significantly reducing pesticide use. However, not all industry professionals require a license to perform their duties, and thus, many lack adequate training on the basics of IPM and BMPs. While quality training programs do exist, they may be cost prohibitive or too advanced for landscape professionals early in their careers or for employees performing basic tasks that fall within cultural IPM foundations. Research shows that people typically add more information and overlook subtractive approaches that may actually improve outcomes (Adams, et. al, 2021). The approach to teaching landscape basics is rooted in age old wisdom, from Occam’s Razor, Einstein’s famous quote, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler”, and Lockheed Martin’s “Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS)” methodologies. Thus, a more basic bilingual training on landscape best practices and IPM was needed and developed as part of the USDA, NIFA Award No. 2021-70006-35560. This booklet uses heuristic techniques designed to effectively communicate fundamental cultural IPM principles to a broader audience in English and Spanish, avoiding intricate and technical facets of horticulture. The team will disseminate booklets to clientele in 2024 and subsequently offer them for sale in the UF/IFAS Bookstore. This presentation will focus on simplifying horticultural science educational technologies, making them accessible, actionable, and agreeable for Floridians working with landscapes. Funding options, considerations, and experiences developing bilingual training materials will also be shared.
