AL Pesticide Applicator cheat sheet

FIFRA requires every pesticide distributed or used in the United States to be EPA-registered, and use in a manner inconsistent with the label is a federal violation; the label is a legal document.

Label components include brand name, ingredient statement (active and inert percentages), EPA registration number, EPA establishment number, signal word, precautionary statements, directions for use, storage and disposal, and reentry and preharvest intervals.

Section 3 is the federal registration; Section 24(c) is a state-issued special local need supplemental label; Section 18 is a time-limited emergency exemption for an unregistered use; Section 2(ee) allows a lower rate, an unlisted pest on a registered site, or an unprohibited application method.

Signal words track toxicity categories: DANGER = Category I (highly toxic), WARNING = Category II (moderately toxic), CAUTION = Category III or IV; Category I products that are highly toxic also carry the word POISON and a skull and crossbones.

Restricted-use pesticides may be sold only to certified applicators and applied only by, or under the direct supervision of, a certified applicator; general-use products may be used by the public according to the label.

The reentry interval (REI) is the minimum time after application before entry into the treated area without required PPE; the preharvest interval (PHI) is the minimum number of days between the last application and harvest, grazing, or slaughter.

A tolerance is the maximum legal pesticide residue permitted in or on food or feed, set by EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; a food use with neither a tolerance nor an exemption is unlawful.

Federal recordkeeping: certified applicators must keep records of restricted-use pesticide applications for at least 2 years, and agricultural employers must keep WPS application and safety records for 2 years.

In Alabama, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries registers pesticides, certifies applicators, and investigates misuse complaints, while the Alabama Cooperative Extension System delivers applicator training.

IPM components: correct pest identification, monitoring and scouting, action thresholds, prevention through cultural and mechanical tactics, biological control, judicious chemical control as a last resort, and post-treatment evaluation.

Economic threshold is the pest density at which treatment is applied to keep the population from reaching the economic injury level, the density at which crop loss equals the cost of control.

Degree-day accumulation above a pest's base development temperature predicts when eggs hatch or a damaging stage appears, so scouting and applications are timed to the pest's life cycle rather than the calendar.

Separate grasses, broadleaves, and sedges: grass stems are round and hollow with parallel veins, broadleaves have netted veins and two cotyledons, and sedges have triangular stems ("sedges have edges").

Resistance management: rotate herbicide WSSA groups, insecticide IRAC groups, and fungicide FRAC codes so the same site of action is not used repeatedly on the same field or season.

Alabama problem pests include Palmer amaranth, which has glyphosate-resistant populations, and cogongrass, an invasive perennial spread by rhizomes that mowing without herbicide can worsen.

Conserve natural enemies such as lady beetles, lacewings, parasitic wasps, and predatory mites by scouting first, choosing selective products, and avoiding unnecessary broad-spectrum insecticide sprays.

Monitoring tools include sweep nets, beat sheets, pheromone and sticky traps, and direct counts of eggs and larvae; record numbers and compare them to the threshold before treating.

Toxicity is expressed as LD50 (oral or dermal, mg/kg) or LC50 (inhalation); a lower LD50 means a more toxic product and generally stricter label PPE and handling requirements.

Formulation abbreviations: EC = emulsifiable concentrate, WP = wettable powder, WDG or DF = water-dispersible granule, SC or F = suspension concentrate or flowable, G = granular, D = dust, plus baits, microencapsulated products, and ready-to-use products.

EC formulations contain organic solvents that can injure sensitive foliage and increase dermal absorption; WP and WDG products form suspensions that require constant agitation and are measured by weight.

Adjuvants include surfactants (wetters and spreaders), stickers, penetrants, thickeners and drift retardants, compatibility agents, buffers, and defoamers; use only the adjuvants the label permits.

PPE required by the label is the minimum: chemical-resistant gloves and boots, long-sleeved shirt and long pants or coveralls, eye protection, and a respirator when specified; leather and cloth gloves absorb pesticides and must never be used.

First aid: move the victim to fresh air, remove contaminated clothing, wash skin with soap and water for 15 minutes, flush eyes for 15 minutes, and call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 with the label in hand.

Never induce vomiting after swallowing a corrosive or petroleum-based product unless the label or a medical authority directs it; activated charcoal is given only on medical advice.

Organophosphate and carbamate insecticides inhibit cholinesterase and cause SLUDGE signs (salivation, lacrimation, urination, diarrhea, gastrointestinal upset, emesis); atropine is the physician's antidote.

Broadcast rate: GPA = (GPM per nozzle × 5940) ÷ (MPH × nozzle spacing in inches); rearranged, nozzle output GPM = (GPA × MPH × spacing) ÷ 5940.

Nozzle flow varies with the square root of pressure: quadrupling pressure doubles flow but also produces finer droplets and more drift, so change speed or nozzle size instead of raising pressure.

1/128 acre method: catch one nozzle over 204 ft of travel at 20-inch spacing (136 ft at 30 inches, 102 ft at 40 inches); the ounces collected equal gallons per acre.

Acres per tank = tank capacity in gallons ÷ GPA; product needed per tank = rate per acre × acres per tank.

Nozzle selection: flat fan for broadcast over-the-top, even flat fan for banding over the row, hollow cone for directed sprays and canopy penetration, air-induction or drift-reduction tips for wind and sensitive areas.

Flat fan patterns should overlap about 50 percent, typically with the boom 15 to 20 inches above the target for 110-degree nozzles on 20-inch spacing.

Replace nozzles when output differs by more than 10 percent from a new nozzle of the same size, and check screens, filters, and gauges before each job.

Cleanup: triple-rinse tank, lines, and nozzles, run rinsate through the nozzles, apply rinsate to a labeled site, and jar-test products before mixing to confirm compatibility.

Drift is off-target movement of spray droplets or vapor; droplets smaller than about 200 microns drift farthest, so use larger droplets, lower pressure, and drift-reduction nozzles.

Temperature inversion indicators: wind under about 3 mph, clear skies, and air temperature increasing with height; fine droplets stay suspended and can move far off target, so spraying is postponed.

Spray when wind is roughly 3 to 10 mph and moving away from sensitive areas; the label may set a maximum wind speed and a required buffer distance.

Volatilization risk rises with high temperature and low humidity and is greater for ester formulations than for amine or salt formulations of the same active ingredient.

Groundwater leaching is favored by high water solubility, low soil binding (low Koc), long persistence, sandy soils with low organic matter, and shallow water tables.

Runoff risk increases with heavy rain soon after application, sloping or compacted ground, and bare soil; leave untreated buffer strips and use conservation practices.

Point-source contamination from mixing, loading, rinsate, and equipment washing is often the largest contributor to water contamination; mix on a pad and keep the operation at least 100 feet from wells and surface water.

Sensitive sites needing setbacks, notification, or an alternate product include schools, hospitals, nursing homes, water bodies, apiaries, organic farms, and endangered species habitat.

Protect pollinators by applying before bloom or after petal fall, spraying in the evening, and avoiding dust and microencapsulated products while bees are foraging.