Private Applicator case studies
Private Applicator · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Private applicator certification is the credential a person needs before applying - or directly supervising the application of - restricted-use pesticides in agricultural production, typically on land they own or rent or on land they farm for an employer. It is a federal requirement under FIFRA, but the certification itself is issued by a state lead agency, usually the state department of agriculture or the cooperative extension service, under an EPA cooperative agreement. The Private Applicator case studies are 5 cases and about 3,183 words.
1Mites, Gusts, and a Downwind Organic Farm
Marisol manages 62 acres of staked tomatoes. Two-spotted spider mite counts have crossed her threshold (12 mites per leaflet on 40% of leaflets sampled), and she wants to spray this afternoon.
656 words, about 3 min2Seasonal Maximum, PHI, and a Neighbor at 120 Feet
A sweet corn grower has 40 acres at whorl-to-tassel stage with corn earworm trap counts climbing. The insecticide label states: 'Apply 6 to 10 fl oz/A.
689 words, about 3 min3White Cloud in the Tank: Hard Water and Glyphosate
You are filling a 500-gallon tank to treat 80 acres of field corn at 15 gal/A (1,200 gallons total, so two loads). The mix is glyphosate potassium salt (4.5 lb ae/gal), a chlorantraniliprole SC insecticide, ammonium sulfate, and a nonionic surfactant at 0.25% v/v.
527 words, about 3 min41.5 Gallons on the Driveway with a Ditch 60 Feet Away
you are loading a pickup for a three-hour drive to a rented field. A case of four 2.5-gallon jugs of a liquid herbicide concentrate tips off the tailgate onto a gravel driveway.
783 words, about 4 min5Sweating, Pinpoint Pupils, and 'It's Just the Heat'
on a 96 F day, a 34-year-old farmworker who spent the morning loading and mixing an organophosphate insecticide tells you he feels 'off.' He reports headache, nausea, sweating, blurred vision, and a runny nose with excess salivation. The label carries a Danger/Poison signal word and states that repeated exposures may cause cholinesterase inhibition.
528 words, about 3 min