RI Pesticide Applicator flashcards

35 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Economic threshold

The pest population density at which the cost of control equals the value of crop loss that would otherwise occur; treating below it adds cost without economic benefit.

Disease triangle

A plant disease epidemic requires a susceptible host, a virulent pathogen, and a favorable environment; removing any one of the three prevents or stops the epidemic.

Chewing vs. sucking damage

Chewing pests remove tissue, leaving holes and notches; piercing-sucking pests cause stippling, yellowing, distortion, and honeydew, pointing to different pesticide classes.

Oomycetes

Water molds such as Pythium and Phytophthora that resemble fungi but are biologically distinct, so many standard fungicides do not control them; confirm pathogen type first.

Resistance management rotation

Alternating or tank-mixing pesticides from different FRAC, IRAC, or HRAC mode-of-action groups to avoid selecting pest biotypes that survive repeated exposure to one group.

Systematic scouting

Sampling pests on fixed transects or a set number of sweeps per field so counts are comparable to action thresholds; random spot checks cannot be compared to thresholds.

Mite identification

Mites are arachnids, not insects: adults have eight legs and no antennae, and their piercing-sucking feeding causes stippling and webbing on leaves.

Weed leaf classification

Grasses are monocots with parallel veins and narrow blades; broadleaves are dicots with netted veins, and this distinction guides herbicide selection and timing.

Label as legal document

The pesticide label defines legal use; applying a product in any manner inconsistent with its labeling is a violation of FIFRA and can bring civil or criminal penalties.

Signal word hierarchy

Acute toxicity ranking: DANGER-POISON with skull and crossbones for Category I, DANGER for Category I without the symbol, WARNING for II, and CAUTION for III and IV.

Restricted-entry interval

The minimum time after a pesticide application before workers may enter the treated area without the protective equipment specified on the label for early-entry work.

Preharvest interval

The minimum number of days between the last pesticide application and harvest of the crop; it is crop-specific and must be met for each labeled use.

PPE statement

The label section listing the minimum protective equipment required for handling or applying that product, including gloves, coveralls, eyewear, and respirator specifications.

Supplemental label

A label extension issued for a specific product and use that must be in the applicator's possession; the standard product label does not authorize that use.

Environmental hazard statement

Enforceable label language warning of groundwater or surface water risk, bee toxicity, or fish and wildlife hazards, which restricts where and when the product may be applied.

Directions for use

The label section listing legal crops, sites, application rates, timing, and methods; using the product on any unlisted site is an off-label, illegal use.

Emulsifiable concentrate

A liquid formulation of pesticide dissolved in organic solvent with emulsifiers; it mixes with water but can injure sensitive foliage and increases dermal absorption.

Wettable powder and granule

Dry formulations (WP, WDG) that disperse in water; they require agitation and can clog screens, but are generally less phytotoxic than solvent-based concentrates.

LD50 and LC50

Acute toxicity measures: the dose (mg/kg) or concentration (mg/L) lethal to 50 percent of test animals; lower values indicate a more acutely toxic product.

Adjuvant functions

Spray additives that modify performance: surfactants reduce surface tension, stickers improve rainfastness, and drift control agents increase average droplet size.

Cholinesterase inhibition

Organophosphate and carbamate insecticides block cholinesterase, causing salivation, sweating, pinpoint pupils, and muscle twitching; repeated exposures have cumulative effects.

Pyrethroid aquatic hazard

Pyrethroid insecticides are highly toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates, so spray, rinse water, and drift must be kept out of surface water.

Fumigant hazards

Fumigants are gases or volatile liquids requiring buffer zones, fumigation management plans, and respiratory protection; they pose the highest hazard of any formulation class.

GPA calibration formula

Gallons per acre equals (ounces collected times 128) divided by (nozzle spacing in inches times distance traveled in feet); average output across several nozzles.

Speed and rate relationship

Application rate varies inversely with ground speed: doubling speed halves gallons per acre, and a 10 percent speed error produces roughly a 10 percent rate error.

Pressure and flow relationship

Nozzle flow varies approximately with the square root of pressure, so doubling flow requires about four times the pressure; pressure is a poor rate-adjustment tool.

Nozzle wear rule

As nozzle orifices wear, output increases; replace nozzles when their flow exceeds 10 percent above the rating of a new nozzle of the same size.

Droplet size tradeoff

Finer droplets give better coverage but drift more easily; air-induction and pre-orifice nozzles produce coarser droplets that reduce off-target movement.

Tank-mix order

Add water first, then compatibility agent if needed, then wettable powders and granules, flowables, emulsifiable concentrates, and finally surfactants last.

Jar test

A small-scale premix test in a clear jar to check tank-mix compatibility; clumps, flakes, or separation that cannot be re-suspended indicate an incompatible mixture.

FIFRA scope

The federal law governing pesticide registration, labeling, and use; EPA registers products and states may impose stricter requirements under section 24.

Worker protection standard

Regulations requiring treated-area notification, REI compliance, decontamination supplies, and required PPE for agricultural workers and pesticide handlers.

Container triple rinse

Rinsing an empty pesticide container three times, adding rinse water to the spray tank, then puncturing or crushing it for disposal according to label and state rules.

Spill response sequence

Protect people first, contain the spill with absorbent material, stop the source, then report quantities above the reportable level to state authorities or the National Response Center.

Application recordkeeping

Records must include application date, product name, EPA registration number, rate, treated site, and applicator identity, retained for the period state rules require.