CO Pesticide Applicator key terms

A pesticide that EPA classifies as available only to certified applicators or people under their direct supervision, because it can harm people or the environment even when used as directed.

A certified person who applies or supervises restricted-use pesticides on land they or their employer owns or rents, usually for agricultural production, and who must meet Colorado certification requirements.

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, the federal law that requires pesticide registration, sets labeling standards, and gives EPA authority to restrict or cancel pesticide uses.

A state-issued registration that allows an additional use of a federally registered pesticide within that state when a local pest problem has no adequate labeled control option.

A federal rule protecting agricultural workers and pesticide handlers; it sets training, notification, decontamination supply, and entry requirements on farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses.

The word DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION printed on a pesticide label to show the product's relative acute toxicity, with DANGER signaling the greatest hazard to the user.

The minimum number of days that must pass between the last pesticide application and harvest of the treated crop, so that residues stay within legal limits.

The minimum time that must pass after an application before unprotected workers may enter the treated area without the protective equipment the label requires.

A document from the manufacturer giving detailed hazard, first-aid, handling, and emergency information about a product; it supplements but does not replace the label instructions.

All written, printed, or graphic material that accompanies a pesticide or is referenced on its container, including the label itself, brochures, and supplemental instructions.

Protective clothing and equipment made of materials that resist penetration and degradation by the pesticide being handled, chosen according to the label's specific PPE chart.

A check performed with the user's own respirator, confirming the facepiece seals against the skin so inhaled air passes through the filter rather than leaking around the edges.

A buildup of body heat from hot weather combined with protective clothing that can cause dizziness, cramps, or heat stroke; applicators must recognize symptoms and take cooling breaks.

A decision-making approach that combines pest monitoring, sanitation, biological and cultural controls, and pesticides only when thresholds show that treatment is justified.

The pest population level at which control measures should begin, so the pest is stopped before it causes economic loss or unacceptable damage.

Using living organisms such as predators, parasitoids, or pathogens to suppress a pest population, often as one component of an integrated pest management program.

The inherited ability of a pest population to survive a pesticide dose that would normally kill it, usually developing after repeated use of the same mode of action.

An adjuvant that lowers the surface tension of spray droplets so the mixture spreads and sticks on leaf surfaces instead of beading up and rolling off.

A formulation in which the active ingredient is dissolved in an organic solvent with emulsifiers, so it mixes with water to form a milky spray mixture.

A dry formulation of active ingredient and inert powder that forms a suspension when mixed with water; the sprayer needs constant agitation to keep particles from settling.

A small-scale test that mixes the intended products at the planned proportions in water to check for clumps, separation, or other signs the tank mix will fail.

A situation in which two or more pesticides or adjuvants mixed together reduce each other's effectiveness or cause physical problems, such as settling or clogging, in the spray tank.

The shape and distribution of spray droplets a nozzle produces, such as flat-fan or cone, chosen to match the target surface, product, and application method.

The process of measuring and adjusting a sprayer so it delivers the intended rate of product over a known area, performed before applying a pesticide.

The amount of formulated product or carrier applied per unit area, such as gallons of spray per acre or pounds of granules per thousand square feet.

Off-target movement of pesticide droplets or dust by wind or air currents during application, which can injure crops, harm wildlife, or contaminate water.

Downward movement of a pesticide through soil with water, which can reach groundwater; risk is greater for products that are highly water-soluble and persist in soil.

Conversion of a pesticide from liquid or solid into vapor after application, allowing it to move off-site in the air; higher temperatures and certain formulations increase the risk.

The time needed for half of the pesticide applied to break down in soil; it indicates how long the product stays active and how often repeat treatments may be needed.

A strip of untreated land required by the label between the application area and a sensitive site such as water, housing, or a school.

A structure or basin around stored pesticides that holds leaks or spills, preventing them from reaching soil, floor drains, or surface water.

A container-cleaning method in which the emptied container is filled with diluent, shaken, drained into the spray tank, and then repeated two more times.

A prepared set of absorbent material, protective equipment, tools, and containers kept where pesticides are handled, so a spill can be contained and cleaned up immediately.