ID Pesticide Applicator cheat sheet

FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act) is the federal statute under which EPA registers pesticides and regulates their labeling, sale, distribution, and use.

A restricted-use pesticide (RUP) may be applied only by a certified applicator or by a person acting under the certified applicator's direct supervision.

Idaho's pesticide law is Title 22, Chapter 34, Idaho Code, administered by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), which licenses applicators and dealers and enforces pesticide rules.

Private applicator: certified to apply RUPs on land the applicator owns or rents to produce an agricultural commodity. Commercial (for-hire) applicator: applies RUPs for compensation or on property owned by others.

Applying a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its labeling is a violation of federal law; the label directions are enforceable requirements.

Certified applicators must keep records of restricted-use pesticide applications for at least 2 years and make them available to regulators on request.

FIFRA Section 24(c) lets a state register an additional use of a federally registered product to meet a special local need within that state.

EPA sets tolerances (maximum legal residues) for food and feed; FDA enforces tolerances in most foods, while USDA FSIS enforces them in meat, poultry, and eggs.

The Worker Protection Standard requires agricultural employers to provide pesticide safety training, required PPE, decontamination supplies, and entry restrictions to workers and handlers.

IPM sequence: identify the pest, monitor and scout, compare density to a threshold, select a tactic, then evaluate the result and record it.

Economic injury level is the lowest pest density that causes crop loss equal to the cost of control; the action (economic) threshold is set at a lower density so treatment occurs before that level is reached.

Insects have six legs, three body regions, and one pair of antennae; mites and spiders have eight legs and no antennae.

Chewing insects remove tissue, producing holes, notches, or shredded leaves; piercing-sucking insects cause stippling, yellowing, curling, and honeydew with sooty mold.

Grass weeds have parallel leaf veins, hollow rounded stems, and growing points at the base; broadleaf weeds have net-like veins and growing points at shoot tips.

The disease triangle: a susceptible host, a virulent pathogen, and a favorable environment must all be present for a plant disease to develop.

Rotate pesticide modes of action (IRAC/HRAC/WSSA group numbers), not just brand names, to slow the selection of resistant pest populations.

Degree-day models accumulate heat above a pest's developmental threshold to predict life stages and time scouting and treatments.

Annual weeds are controlled before seed set; perennial weeds are controlled when carbohydrate flow moves toward the roots, often in late summer or fall.

Signal word reflects acute toxicity category: DANGER for Category I (with skull and crossbones plus the word POISON when oral, dermal, or inhalation toxicity drives the classification), WARNING for Category II, CAUTION for Categories III and IV.

Core label parts: brand name, ingredient statement, net contents, EPA registration number, EPA establishment number, signal word, first aid, PPE, environmental hazards, directions for use, preharvest interval, and restricted-entry interval.

The ingredient statement lists active ingredients by name and percentage and inert ingredients as a total percentage; the EPA registration number identifies the product, not the factory.

EC (emulsifiable concentrate) formulations contain organic solvents that can injure sensitive foliage; wettable powders form suspensions that need continuous agitation and leave visible residue.

Adjuvants modify spray properties: surfactants lower surface tension, spreaders increase coverage, stickers improve rainfastness, and drift control agents increase droplet size.

A jar test mixes the intended tank-mix products in proportional amounts in water to check physical compatibility before mixing a full tank.

Pounds of active ingredient per acre = pounds of product per acre × (percent active ingredient ÷ 100).

Granular and bait formulations have low drift potential and are applied with spreaders; dusts and fine mists drift readily and are seldom used outdoors.

Dermal exposure is the most common route of pesticide poisoning; oral, inhalation, and eye exposure are the other routes.

LD50 is the single dose that kills 50 percent of test animals; a lower LD50 means higher acute toxicity and a more restrictive signal word.

The label sets the minimum PPE, and the Worker Protection Standard sets additional handler requirements; chemical-resistant gloves, boots, coveralls, eyewear, and respirators are selected from those requirements.

Respirators require fit testing, a user seal check before each use, and cartridge replacement per the label or whenever breathing resistance rises or taste, odor, or irritation breaks through.

Organophosphate and carbamate insecticides inhibit cholinesterase; poisoning signs include sweating, salivation, tearing, blurred vision, pinpoint pupils, vomiting, and slow heart rate.

For eye exposure, flush with clean water for at least 15 minutes, remove contact lenses if present, and seek medical care with the product label in hand.

The national Poison Control number is 1-800-222-1222, available 24 hours a day.

The restricted-entry interval is the minimum time after application before workers may enter without the label-required PPE; WPS requires posting or oral warnings and decontamination supplies.

Triple rinsing: fill the container one-quarter full with water, rinse, drain into the spray tank, and repeat at least twice more, then puncture or crush the container as the label directs.

Gallons per acre = (gallons per minute × 495) ÷ (miles per hour × nozzle spacing in inches).

Flow per nozzle (GPM) = (GPA × MPH × nozzle spacing in inches) ÷ 495.

Useful conversions: 1 acre = 43,560 square feet; 1 gallon = 128 fluid ounces; 1 mile = 5,280 feet.

Calibrate at the ground speed and pressure actually used in the field, and recheck after nozzle changes, formulation changes, or several loads.

Nozzle output rises as tips wear; replace nozzles when measured flow exceeds the new-nozzle rating by 10 percent or the pattern becomes uneven.

Drift is reduced by larger droplets, lower pressure, drift-reduction nozzles, lower boom height, and spraying when wind is low and steady and directed away from sensitive areas.

Do not spray during a temperature inversion (clear, calm conditions with cool air under warm air) because small droplets can remain suspended and travel long distances.

Leaching risk is greatest in sandy, low-organic-matter soils with high rainfall or irrigation, shallow groundwater, and highly water-soluble pesticides.

Prevent backflow by keeping the fill hose above the water surface or using an air gap or check valve, and fill equipment at least 100 feet from wells and surface water.