Illinois Herbicide Applicator General Standards Pesticide Exam

Pest

any insect, mite, rodent, weed, disease etc that is injurious to the health of humans, animals, plants, or the environment

Goal of IPM

keep pests below economic and aesthetic injury level, avoid adverse effects on humans, wildlife, environment

economic injury level

breakeven point at which cost of pest control equals revenue loss caused by pest

economic threshold level

number of pests per plant or amount of damage to plant at which control measures should begin

aesthetic injury level

number of pests that might cause enough damage to the appearance of a plant to warrant cost of control - might vary

key to successful IPM

monitoring pest pop and plant conditions

cultural control

improve crop health

mechanical control

physical pest elimination

biological control

living organisms reduce pests

chemical control

chemical agents reduce pests

preventative control

prevent entry and spread

pesticide failure

wrong type, wrong pest stage, wrong area, pest resistance

insects

exoskeleton, 3 pairs jointed legs, 3 body region

insect body regions

head, thorax, abdomen

incomplete development

3 life stages - eggs, nymph, adult

complete development

4 life stages - egg, larvae, pupae, adult

mites

spider-like, 4 pairs of legs

spiders

4 pairs of legs, 2 body regions

crustaceans

7 pairs of legs ex) pillbugs

birds

all protected except non-native ex) starlings, house sparrows

mammals

protected except rats, mice, ground squirrels

noninfectious disease

cannot be transferred pest to pest or plant to plant, often result of unfavorable conditions

infectious disease

multiply within host, transferable

chlorosis

yellowing of leaves

Mosiac

green and yellow patching

gall

abnormal swelling

infectious disease development elements

susceptible host, plant pathogen, environment, time

weeds

any plant growing where is is unwanted

noxious

declared by law, must be controlled

ragweed, marijuana, thistle, john songrass

noxious weeds

exotic

unlawful to sell, buy, plant

honeysuckle, buckthorn

exotic weeds

3 types of weeds

grasses, grass-like, broadleaf

grass/grass-like

parallel veins

broadleaf weeds

net-veined, less elongated

annual weeds

life cycle 1 year

biennial weeds

2 year life cycle

perennial weeds

2+ year lifespan

What type of weed germinates in the spring, develops a root system and low growing cluster of leaves called a rosette?

a biennial weed

pesticide

Any chemical used to destroy, prevent or control any form of life declared as a pest

active ingredient

The chemical effective against the pest

inert ingredients

don't directly harm pests, increase effectiveness of active ingredient

dry formulations

SP, WP, P, DF, WDG, G, P, PS, D

soluble powder

SP

SP

mixed with water, form solution

Wettable powders

WP

WP

mixed with water, form suspension

abrasive to pumps and nozzles, inhalation hazard

WP issues

dry flowables

DF

DF

AI is granule, forms suspension

water-dispersible granules

WDG

WDG

granules form suspension with water

granules

G

G

AI coated to make coarse particles, applied directly

dusts

D

D

low % of AI on fine carrier

drift and inhalation hazard

D issues

wet formulations

Emulsifiable concentrates Emulsions Microencapsulated Liquids or Flowables

Solutions Ultra-low-volume concentrates (ULV)

Emulsifiable concentrate

EC

EC

Active ingredient is mixed with 1 or more solvents & emulsifier that allows mixing with water

dermal hazard

EC issues

Microencapsulated

ME

ME

Active ingredient is surrounded by a plastic capsule or coating that is suspended in a liquid-resulting in a time-released product

hazard to bees

ME issues

solutions

S

S

form true solutions

Ultra-low volume concentration

ULV

ULV

have high % of active ingredient in solution with a solvent- usually oil

fumigants

gas, vapor, fumes, smoke

restricted-use pesticides

purchased only by certified applicators or persons under their supervision, records must be maintained 2 years

adjuvant

chemical that modifies pesticide properties/enhances performance

activator adjuvants

wetter spreaders stickers, humectant, penetrator

utility adjuvant

defoamer, water conditioner

to reduce drift droplets must be over

200 microns

surfactant or spreaders

added to spread the spray mixture more thoroughly over the target plant or insect

decreases the surface tension of water

allowing the water carrier to spread over the leaf surface

penetrants

help pesticide pass through out plant surface

antagonism

decreased activity or effectivness

synergism

increased pesticide activity

proper mixing order 1

fill tank 1⁄4 - 1⁄2 with carrier and agitate

proper mixing order 2

add compatibility agent

proper mixing order 3

suspension products (dry then wet)

proper mixing order 4

emulsion products EC

proper mixing order 5

solution products S, SP

proper mixing order 6

surfactants and penetrants

proper mixing order 7

finish filling tank with carrier

Which of the following would you add to the tank first?

WP

PHI

latest time a pesticide may be applied prior to harvest

tolerance

amount of chemical residue that may legally remain in food

selective pesticides

little injury to related organims

broad-spectrum pesticides

control nearly all related organisms

systemic pesticide

moves within plant

contact pesticide

control by direct contact only

info on pesticide label

impact on wildlife, PPE required, re-entry interval

What warning is on every herbicide label?

keep out of reach of children

LD 50

dose that kills half of test animals

prevent drift - no spraying when

winds > 10 mph, shifty winds, winds blowing towards sensitive areas

factors increase drift

small droplet size, wind/air currents, sprayer far from plants, high temperatures (evaporation)

leaching, seepage

movement of pesticides out of the target area into groundwater/surfacewater

what leads to leaching/seepage

application prior to rainfall, over-application, sandy soil, uncleaned spills

run-in

pesticide moves directly from soil surface to groundwater