NE Pesticide Applicator key terms

A pesticide EPA classifies as potentially harmful to people or the environment unless applied by or under the supervision of a certified applicator; it can legally be sold only to certified users.

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, the federal law that governs pesticide registration, labeling, distribution, and use in the United States.

The identifying number EPA assigns to a registered pesticide product; it appears on the label and shows the product has been reviewed and approved for the uses listed.

Everything written or graphic that accompanies a pesticide or is referenced on its label, including the label itself, brochures, and supplemental sheets; all of it is legally binding.

The word DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION printed on the front of a pesticide label to show the product's relative acute toxicity to humans.

Label statements that describe hazards to people, domestic animals, and the environment and specify the protective equipment and handling precautions the user must follow.

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

The minimum number of days allowed between the last pesticide application and harvest of the crop, as stated on the label for each crop.

A registration a state issues under FIFRA section 24(c) to cover a pest problem within that state that the federal label does not address; Nebraska issues these through its Department of Agriculture.

A temporary EPA authorization that lets a state use an unregistered pesticide, or an unregistered use, for an emergency pest outbreak; it ends when the emergency is over.

The state agency that enforces Nebraska's pesticide law, certifies applicators, licenses pesticide dealers, and investigates complaints about pesticide misuse in the state.

A person who has passed the required Nebraska exams and holds a current private, commercial, or noncommercial credential allowing them to apply or supervise restricted-use pesticide applications.

A working arrangement in which a certified applicator is physically present at the application site or in immediate voice contact and takes responsibility for a noncertified worker's use of restricted-use pesticides.

Keeping written records of restricted-use pesticide applications, including product, rate, date, site, and applicator; federal rules require certified applicators to retain these records for two years.

A management approach that combines pest identification, monitoring, sanitation, cultural and biological controls, and pesticides used only when monitoring shows treatment is justified.

The pest population level at which the cost of treatment equals the value of the crop damage that treatment would prevent, so control is expected to pay.

The inherited ability of some individuals in a pest population to survive a dose that would kill normal members, allowing resistant offspring to dominate after repeated applications.

The specific way a pesticide disrupts a pest's biology, such as blocking a nerve signal or an enzyme; rotating among modes of action slows the development of resistance.

A product absorbed into and moved throughout a plant, so pests that feed on treated plant tissue take up the pesticide rather than being hit only by spray droplets.

The dose that kills half the test animals in a study, usually given in milligrams per kilogram of body weight; the lower the number, the more toxic the product.

Harm from a single short exposure to a pesticide, described by oral, dermal, and inhalation values and reflected in the product's signal word and precautionary statements.

Health effects that develop after repeated or long-term exposure to small amounts of a pesticide, such as organ damage or cancer, and are identified through long-term studies.

Clothing and equipment worn to reduce pesticide contact with skin, eyes, and lungs, such as gloves, boots, coveralls, eyewear, and respirators, as the label requires.

Describes a material that slows pesticide movement through it so the chemical does not reach the skin during the task; it is not the same as waterproof.

A face-worn device that filters or supplies air so the wearer does not breathe pesticide dusts, mists, or vapors; the label names the type needed.

An enzyme that regulates nerve signals in the body; organophosphate and carbamate insecticides can reduce it, so testing may be used to monitor heavily exposed applicators.

Illness caused by hot conditions plus protective clothing that traps body heat; early signs include fatigue, headache, and dizziness and can progress to heat stroke.

Illness following exposure to a pesticide, with signs such as headache, nausea, sweating, blurred vision, or small pupils; these can mimic flu, so take the label to the doctor.

Measuring and adjusting spray equipment so it delivers the desired amount uniformly over a known area, then rechecking the output as nozzles wear or conditions change.

The spray volume delivered per acre, set by nozzle output, ground speed, and spray width; it must be established and verified during calibration.

The sprayer part that turns liquid into droplets and sets the flow rate and pattern; worn or mismatched nozzles change the application rate and create streaks.

Stirring or circulating the tank mixture so the pesticide stays evenly suspended; without it, products can settle and the last part of the load can be too strong.

Movement of pesticide droplets or particles off the target area by wind or air currents during or soon after application, which can injure crops and harm people or water.

An untreated strip between the application area and a sensitive site such as water, a home, or a school, required by some labels to reduce drift or runoff risk.

A device or practice, such as an air gap or check valve, that stops tank mix from siphoning back into a well or water supply while a sprayer is being filled.

The container-cleaning method in which an empty pesticide jug is rinsed three times, each rinse poured into the spray tank, and the container then punctured or recycled.

Downward movement of a pesticide through soil with water toward groundwater, which is more likely in sandy soils and with products that dissolve easily.

A stocked set of supplies, including absorbent material, a shovel or broom, containers, and protective equipment, kept on the truck to contain and clean up a pesticide spill.