GA Pesticide Applicator key terms

The federal law that governs how pesticides are registered, classified, labeled, and used in the United States; EPA administers it, and states such as Georgia enforce it within their borders.

A pesticide that EPA has determined may harm people or the environment unless handled by trained people, so it may be sold and used only by or under the direct supervision of a certified applicator.

A certified applicator who uses or supervises restricted-use pesticides on land they own, rent, or manage to produce an agricultural commodity, such as a farm, orchard, or nursery.

A certified applicator who applies restricted-use pesticides for hire or on property they do not own or manage as an agricultural producer, such as a lawn care, landscape, or structural pest control business.

A state-level registration that allows an additional use of a pesticide to address a local pest problem for which no federally registered alternative exists; the state must obtain EPA approval for each one.

Using a pesticide in a way that conflicts with its label, such as the wrong site, rate, timing, or application method; it violates federal law and can bring civil and criminal penalties.

The written, printed, or graphic material attached to or included with a pesticide container; it is a legally binding document and the primary source of use instructions and restrictions.

All information that accompanies a pesticide product, including the container label, package inserts, brochures, and supplemental or special local need documents referenced by the label.

The word DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION printed on a label to show how acutely toxic the concentrated product is; DANGER means the highest hazard, CAUTION the lowest.

The label section that states how, where, when, and at what rate to apply the product, along with required precautions; following these instructions is required by law.

The unique number EPA assigns when it registers a pesticide product; it appears on the label and identifies the exact formulation, confirming the product is legal for sale and use.

Label wording that describes hazards to people, domestic animals, wildlife, and the environment, plus the protective equipment, first aid, and storage and disposal steps the user must follow.

The ability of a pesticide to injure a living organism; it depends on the chemical itself, the dose received, the route of exposure, and how long the exposure lasts.

The dose of a pesticide, usually given in milligrams per kilogram of body weight, that kills half of a test group of animals; a lower value indicates a more acutely toxic product.

The concentration of a pesticide in air or water that kills half of a test group of animals over a set exposure period; it is used mainly to describe inhalation and aquatic toxicity.

Blocking of an enzyme that controls nerve signals by organophosphate and carbamate insecticides, causing a buildup of acetylcholine and symptoms such as drooling, tremors, and trouble breathing.

Clothing and gear such as gloves, coveralls, boots, eyewear, aprons, and respirators worn to reduce skin, eye, and inhalation exposure while handling or applying pesticides.

The minimum number of hours after an application during which workers may not enter a treated area unless they wear the protective equipment the label specifies for early entry.

A federal rule that protects agricultural employees by setting training, notification, decontamination, and protective equipment requirements for pesticide handlers and workers on farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses.

The movement of pesticide off the target area by wind or air currents during or soon after application; it can injure nearby crops, expose people, and contaminate water.

The change of a pesticide from a liquid or solid into a vapor after application; the vapor can move long distances and injure sensitive plants, especially in hot weather with certain formulations.

The downward movement of a pesticide through soil with water toward groundwater; it is greatest for chemicals that dissolve easily and bind weakly to soil particles.

The movement of pesticide across the soil surface with rain or irrigation water into ditches, streams, and ponds; sloping ground and compacted or saturated soil make it worse.

The buildup of a pesticide in an organism's body over time because it is taken in faster than it is broken down or excreted; concentrations can increase at higher levels of the food chain.

How long a pesticide remains active in the environment, often described by half-life, the time needed for half of the applied amount to break down or dissipate.

A management approach that combines monitoring, treatment thresholds, and several control methods, using pesticides only when needed, to suppress pests with the least risk to people and the environment.

The pest population level at which the expected damage costs more than the treatment, so control is justified before the pest population reaches the level of economic injury.

Regular inspection of a field or site to identify pests, count them, and record crop and site conditions so that control decisions rest on current information rather than habit.

The inherited ability of a pest population to survive an application that would normally kill it, developing when the same pesticide or mode of action is used repeatedly.

The way a pesticide kills or stops a pest, such as interfering with a specific enzyme or nerve function; grouping products by mode of action helps plan rotations that delay resistance.

Using living organisms such as predators, parasites, or pathogens to reduce pest populations; it works best when natural enemies are protected from broad-spectrum pesticide applications.

The process of measuring and adjusting application equipment so it delivers the intended amount of pesticide mixture over a known area, such as gallons per acre.

The spray volume applied over one acre, calculated from nozzle output, ground speed, and swath width; it determines how much product must be mixed into the tank.

A nozzle that produces a fan-shaped spray pattern used for broadcast applications; tips of about 80 or 110 degrees are chosen to match boom height and nozzle spacing.

The recommended sequence for adding products to a partly filled spray tank so ingredients disperse properly and do not clump; generally water first, then dry formulations, then liquid products, with additives last.

A container-cleaning procedure in which the empty container is filled about one-quarter full with water, shaken, and drained into the spray tank three times before being punctured and properly disposed of.

A device or air gap that keeps spray tank mixtures from flowing backward through a fill hose into a well or public water supply, protecting drinking water from contamination.