MN Pesticide Applicator Test - Category E (Turf and Ornamentals)

Three examples of potential negative impacts of pesticides on the environment and non-target species

Contamination of groundwater and surface water

Reduction of bees, other pollinators, and bird populations

Damage to aquatic organisms

Leaching

The downward movement of particles and nutrients through the soil

Runoff

The movement of water and associated materials over the top of the soil or impervious surfaces

Misapplication

The cause of pesticide pollutants and sediments that can be carried off-site to streams, rivers, lakes, or wetlands

Two important factors to account for when applying pesticides

Temperature inversions

Pesticide particle drift

Two ways in which decomposition of pesticides occurs

Photodecomposition

Microbial decomposition

The three components of pesticide formulation

Active ingredients

Inert ingredients

Additives

Rainfast

What a pesticide is considered after it has been absorbed by plant tissues, so that it will still be effective after rainfall or irrigation

Chemigation

The injection of fertilizers and or pesticides through an irrigation system

Adjuvant

An additive to a pesticide that enhances effectiveness

Sandy Soils

The type of soil most prone to leaching

Colony Collapse Disorder

When the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear and leave behind a queen, plenty of food, and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees and the queen

Angiosperms

Flowering plants

Gymnosperms

Non-flowering plants

Genus species 'Cultivar'

The proper format when writing a scientific name

Buds

Embryonic stems enclosed in scale-like leaves

Nodes

The point of attachment for a leaf to a stem

Apical meristems

At the growing tips of shoots and roots

Lateral meristems

Increases growth in terms of diameter

Phloem

Conducts sugars and metabolic products through the plant, both ways

Xylem

Conducts water and dissolved minerals from the roots upward

Cuticle

The waxy layer on the outside of leaves that can affect the ability of pesticides to penetrate a plant

Epidermis

The outer protective layer of cells in leaves

Taproots

Root systems with a single main root

Fibrous roots

Root systems with branching roots

Rhizomes

Underground stems that spread to produce new aboveground shoots

Three stages of plant growth in order

Cell division, cell elongation, cell differentiation

The three primary macronutrients (NPK)

Nitrogen (N)

Phosphorus (P)

Potassium (K)

Systemic pesticides

Pesticides absorbed by the roots or through the foliage of a plant

Contact pesticides

Pesticides that stay on the surface of the plant and may be active on the plant for a few days minimum

A site

A property or part of a property where turf and ornamental practices are applied

Cultural practices

Methods of controlling a plant and the environment in which it grows

Abiotic stresses

Non-living plant stressors caused by unfavorable growing conditions

Plant symptoms

Abnormal conditions of plants that indicate a disease or disorder

Location effects

Influences of site conditions on plants, such as sun exposure, soil type, and moisture

Bulk density

The dry weight of the soil divided by the soil volume

The range of optimum soil pH

6.0 - 7.0

Diagnosis

The process of positive identification of a problem and its cause by selecting the best management option

Complete metamorphosis

Metamorphosis with 4 life stages

The 4 stages of complete metamorphosis in order

Egg, larva, pupa, and adult

incomplete metamorphosis

Metamorphosis where the nymphs resemble adults

The stages of incomplete metamorphosis in order

Egg, nymph, adult

Class Arachnida (Arachnids)

The class that has 4 pairs of legs and no wings

Class Insecta (Insects)

The class that has three body parts (head, thorax, abdomen), 3 pairs of legs, and 4 wings

Chewing mouthparts

The mouthparts of grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars

Piercing-sucking mouthparts

The mouthparts of aphids, leaf-hoppers, and thrips

Orthoptera

The order with straight wings, incomplete metamorphosis, and includes grasshoppers and crickets

Hemiptera

The order with half solid and half membranous wings, incomplete metamorphosis, and includes plant bugs

Homoptera

The order with even-sized wings, incomplete metamorphosis, and includes aphids and scales

Thysanoptera

The order with fringed wings, incomplete metamorphosis, and includes thrips

Lepidoptera

The order with scale-covered wings, complete metamorphosis, and includes moths and butterflies

Hymenoptera

The order with a hymen or groove that joins the second pair of wings, complete metamorphosis, and includes sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants

Diptera

The order with 2 wings, complete metamorphosis, and includes flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and midges

Coleoptera

The order with hardened forewings as an elytra, complete metamorphosis, and includes beetles

Leaf-chewing insects

Insects that feed on leaves and may cause skeletonization of leaves by feeding between veins

Leafminers

Insects that feed within leaves

Galls

Abnormal growth of a leaf, stem, twig, or flower tissue caused by an organism.

Borers

Insects that feed inside the trunk, branches, or roots of a plant

Pollinators

Insects whose adult form collects pollen and feeds on nectar

Predators

Insects whose adult form captures and feeds on prey

Parasitoids

Insects whose adult form lays its eggs on or in its host

Species on the eradicate list

Measures must be taken to prevent these weeds from being introduced to MN

Above and below-ground portions must be eradicated

Transportation and sale are prohibited

Species on the control list

Measures must be taken to prevent the spread or dispersal of propagating plant parts of listed species

Transportation and sale are prohibited

Restricted noxious weeds

Plants that are widely found in MN and are detrimental to human or animal health, the environment, livestock, public roads, or other property

Sedges

Grass-like plants that may be considered weeds in turf.

Mosses

Generally short, small, soft, flowerless, seedless, and mat-forming plants

Core aeration

Reduces soil compaction and improves uptake of water and fertilizer for a healthy lawn

Vegetative propagation

A type of asexual reproduction where new plants grow from underground structures, rhizomes, bulbs, tubers, or from cuttings or grafts

Selective herbicides

Herbicides that control certain types of plants, especially within other species habitats

Non-selective herbicides

Herbicides that kill or damage all plants when applied at label rates

Esters

A type of pesticide formulation that has a higher potential to volatize in hot, dry temperatures

Surfactants

Inert ingredients that improve the spreading, dispersing, or wetting properties of a pesticide mixture

Abiotic factors

Air pollution, temperature extremes, water availability, soil pH, nutrient imbalances, light levels, and chemical damage

Biotic factors

Living organisms that cause damage, stress, or disease, primarily pathogens (fungi, bacteria, viruses), nematodes, insects, mites, and herbivores

The three components from the plant disease triangle in order for a disease to develop

Favorable environment

Transmissible pathogen

Susceptible host

Infected plant removal

The best way to treat plant viruses

Fungi

More diseases are caused by this type of pathogen than all others combined

Types of fungi

Molds

Yeasts

Mildew

Economic threshold

The pest population density when pest management causes a reduction in the value of the crop or plant that is greater than the cost of control

Over-fertilization

Can lead to leafhopper infestations in nurseries

Backpack sprayers

Have a low risk of pesticide drift

Do not have agitators and must be shaken frequently

Provide inconsistent pressure throughout use

Small, low to medium pressure systems

Rotary spreaders

Less precise than drop spreaders

Heavy granules travel further than light granules

Changes in ground speed produce a change in distribution pattern

Most produce a swath of 6-12 feet

Three pesticide application methods that CAN'T be used in windy and rainy weather

Rotary spreaders

Wick applicators

Pull-behind sprayers

Three things to consider when selecting spray equipment

Type of area to be treated

Pesticide formulation

Frequency of applications

Tree injections

The application method with the least threat to non-target organisms

Three facts about equipment calibration

You should calibrate your equipment for each of the heights at which the sprayer will be used

Speed will change your application rate

Calibration ensures you are legally and effectively applying pesticides

Formula for area of a circle

(radius x radius) x pi

Three strategies for pesticide application

Spot spray when possible

Verify that you are treating the correct problem

Schedule treatments outside normal work hours so that people are not present

Minnesota chemigation regulations require

Installation of an antipollution/safeguard device

The droplet volume mean diameter (VMD) that offers the best combination of effective coverage and drift reduction

250 - 300 microns

Two aspects of professionalism

Knowing how to minimize application risks to yourself and customers

Staying current on Green Industry-related laws and regulations

Who needs to be licensed in MN to apply restricted use pesticides (RUP)

All applicators: commercial, non-commercial, and private applicators

The highest level that may require posting signage for turf and ornamental applications

Municipalities

Three things you should do with a customer with a complaint

Agree on a course of action

Record the incident with relevant details and keep a copy of the record

Inform others on staff of the agreed course of action

Three strategies that reduce risks associated with pesticide application

Schedule work so that the pesticide application is the last task

Reschedule applications in order to avoid exposure or contamination

Schedule applications when the public is not present

The agency that manages the worker protection standard

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)