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PESTICIDE NOTES NEWSLETTER
*** From the Pesticide Safety Education Program at MSU ***

Important articles in this issue!
Written credit policy from MDA
Writing an agenda to get commercial core
Pesticide education resource library started on campus

In This Issue [Dec 2004]
* Regulatory and Certification Updates
Credit policy from MDA; Writing an agenda to get commercial core; Transporting agricultural supplies; Update on cyanide and bee hives.

* New Training Materials and Web Resources .
Pesticide Education Resource Library; Soap & Detergent newsletter; New rodent bulletins, Diptera resources; Highbush blueberry guide

* Pesticides in the News
Compound 1080; chlorpyrifos and lung cancer; organic food survey

* Changes in Labels, Registrations
* Calendar of Pesticide-related Programs
* Job/ Grant Announcements
* Submitting to this Newsletter

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REGULATORY and CERTIFICATION UPDATES

The following two articles discuss the seminar credit process. The first, from MDA Pesticide Section, gives the written policy about how seminar credits are awarded. It covers what topics get credits, the type of credits, and the number of credits per hour. If you have questions about MDA policy, please contact Larry Swain, certification program leader, at 517/373-3187. The second article is a sample seminar agenda to help with obtaining commercial core credits. CDD

** Recertification by Seminar – Written Policy From MDA**
(Written by Larry Swain and Brian Rowe, MDA Pesticide Section)
During 1988, the MDA and Michigan State University (MSU) developed a continuing certification credits program for commercial and private applicators to re-certify by seminar attendance. MDA approves seminars offered nationally and within the state for approval under the recertification by seminar attendance program. The number of programs approved for credits continues to increase each year demonstrating the growing popularity of this option for certification and registration renewal. This lead MDA to focus on the recertification by seminar attendance program in order to ensure that quality-training programs are available for the commercial and private pesticide applicators.

The recertification by seminar attendance program is designed to offer ongoing professional development for applicators to grow, learn and stay current in an ever-changing industry. It is important that the recertification by seminar attendance program be carried out in the context of professional development in order to protect the integrity of the program. Professional development topics for recertification credits must meet the following standards:
- Be at least 2 hours of lecture time
- No marketing oriented presentations
- Be pesticide related
- Discuss host growth stages, development and maintenance
- Discuss pest management
- Explain essential pesticide specific or related laws
- Pest identification and development

Professional development credit (PDC) is granted on a per topic basis. One PDC is approved for every two hours of professional development training. The greater the detail provided on each program topic the better the chance for credit approval for the appropriate core, category or standard.

Hands-on programs are approved for one credit for each hour of training, with two credits maximum per hands-on session. Hands-on training must be interactive and may include actual calibration of equipment, problem-solving, utilizing charts, specimen I.D., tools, tours and scenario-type training. The following is a guide used to determine PDC’s = Hours (# of credits).
0 - 1 (0 credits)
1 ½ - 2 (1 credit)
2 ½ - 3 (2 credits)
3 ½ - 4 (2 credits)
4 ½ - 5 (3 credits)
5 ½ - 6 (3 credits)
6 ½ - 7 (4 credits)
7 ½ - 8 (4 credits)

MDA approves credits on a per topic basis. Information submitted is examined for context and time allotted. In order to receive PDC’s for commercial core, core information must be intertwined within the category topics or core topics must be equally discussed. A detailed description of each topic must be submitted so MDA can determine if the topics merit core and/or category credits. For example, a seminar that has 6 hours of professional development training and core topics has clearly been defined within the category topics, 3 PDC’s will be assigned in either commercial Core or category. If the core information has not been clearly defined the PDC will be assigned to the category only.

At the request of the host, MDA will issue two codes to allow commercial applicators to receive credits in both the core and the category. In this scenario, an applicator will be required to fill out a seminar bubble sheet for both core and category credits. The host will receive two seminar codes one for core and one for the category. Assuming that the seminar consist of 6 hours of professional development training with four hours of category information and two hours of core information MDA will assign 2 PDC’s in the category and 1 PDC’s in the core.

To aid you in topic selection, below is a list of professional development topics for core/ category training. For further questions or concerns contact Larry Swain, Pesticide Certification/ IPM Program Manager, at 517/373-3187.

Topics Required for Private Core Pesticide Recertification Credits:

Pesticide laws and regulations
Pesticide mode of action
Pesticide spill management
Pesticide drift management

Pesticide degradation

Ground water protection
Pesticide and the environment
Pesticide classification
Adjuvants

Private Core topics also include categories specific information (Ex. 1A, Field Crops)
Relevant crops
Agricultural practices
Associated Insect and life cycle
Worker Protection
Associated Plant diseases
Phytotoxicity
IPM Topics

Topics Required for Commercial Core Pesticide Recertification Credits

Pesticide laws and regulations
Pesticide mode of action
Pesticide spill management
Pesticide drift management

Pesticide handling, storage, and disposal
Pesticide labeling, formulations and packaging
Pesticide compatibility
Pesticide application equipment, calibration and new technologies
Pesticide and human health
Protective clothing and safety equipment
Integrated pest management (general information)
Pesticide degradation
Ground water protection
Pesticide and the environment
Pesticide classification
Aduvants

Topics should be related to the category you are applying for credits.

Example 1: Category 3A , Turf grass

Recommended topics:
Maintenance of turf grass
Lawn grass species
Lawn grass pests
Lawn grass pesticides
Pesticide application techniques
Physiological conditions
Host development and growth stages
Lawn grass equipment and calibration
IPM
Drift management
Spill management

Example 2: Category 7A, General Pest Management

Recommended topics:
Indoor pests and their life cycles
Types of pesticide for indoor use
Types of pesticide formulation
IPM
Methods of application
Conditions conducive to pest activity
Exposure of people and pets
Inspecting and monitoring for pests
The contamination of food
Application equipment and PPE.

** Writing an agenda to get Commercial Core Credits**
(Written by Chris DiFonzo, MSU Pesticide program)
One of the comments I’ve frequently had from extension agents is a frustration about getting commercial core credits awarded by MDA. As Larry Swain wrote above “core information must be intertwined within the category topics or core topics must be equally discussed. A detailed description of each topic must be submitted so MDA can determine if the topics merit core and/or category credits.” It is usually easy to get category credits, but to get commercial core, you must show how core info is part of your program. Below I give you a ‘bad’, incomplete agenda, one that MDA would find difficult to assign commercial core credits. The second agenda is improved so that Larry Swain could assign commercial core.

‘Incomplete agenda’ - Bad! MDA cannot assign core credits based on this info.
9:00 – 10:00, Pat Hart, Wheat scab and soybean rust.
10:00-11:00, George Bird, Cyst nematode management
11:00- noon, Chris DiFonzo, Field crops insect update
noon – 1:00, lunch
1:00 – 1:30, Steve Gower, Plant injury diagnostics
1:30 – 4:00, Jim Kells and Christy Sprague. Weed guide update; consistency of weed control; Resistance management

Good, ‘Complete’ agenda – details of each agenda items. I also suggest including the PAGE NUMBER from the CORE MANUAL, PART A, to help Mr. Swain assign credits.

9:00 – 10:00, Pat Hart
- Wheat scab ID and life cycle, conditions that favor infection, weather model to predict infection (p 13), techniques for scouting fields and sampling trucks (p 13), fungicides and cultural means of control (p 14-15).
- Soybean rust distribution, identification (p 13), expected spread in the U.S., protectant versus systemic fungicides (p 32, 33), labels details (chapter 4), compatibility issues with insecticides (p 40).

10:00-11:00, George Bird, Cyst nematode management
Biology of soybean cyst; sampling fields (p 13); update on host plant resistance

11:00- noon, Chris DiFonzo, Soybean aphid update
Update on aphid biology and overwintering; tank mixes w/ herbicides and fungicides (p 40); biological control of soybean aphids (p 14); cultural control measures (p 15); new thresholds (p 13)

1:00 – 1:30, Steve Gower, Plant injury diagnostics
- Diagnosing plant injury caused by herbicides versus abiotic factor; examples from the lab from the 2004 field season.

1:30 – 4:00, Jim Kells and Christy Sprague.
Update on herbicides from the MSU weed guide = label changes in use patterns, rates, crops, and application technology (chapter 4); update on new adjuvants (p 39) and formulations (p 34); evaluating consistency of weed control; monitoring and identification of resistant weed populations (p 16); managing resistant weeds P 16); incidence of herbicides in groundwater (p 59)

**Transporting agricultural supplies classified as hazardous **

This update was provided by Allen Krizek with the Michigan Groundwater Program:
Farmers routinely transport agricultural supplies that are classified as hazardous materials. Depending on quantities transported and trip destinations, they may need to have vehicle placards and a federal hazardous materials transportation security plan. Hazardous materials and threshold quantities that require placards and a transportation security plan are:
Gasoline, 119 gallons
Anhydrous, 119 gallons
Pesticides, 119 gallons or more than 1000 pounds
Diesel, 119 gallons
Others, to be detailed in bulletin E-2575

In general, transporting hazardous materials (except anhydrous ammonia and other compress gases) from the farmstead to the field, from field to field, or from field to the farmstead is exempt from the federal hazardous materials transportation requirements.

Transporting hazardous materials over the threshold quantities, from the supplier, or to town to pick up supplies or other farm-related functions is not exempt. Under these circumstances, farmers need to placard and have a transportation security plan. Farmers that transport anhydrous ammonia need to comply regardless of the trip destination. Michigan authorities enforce federal hazardous material transportation requirements.

The transportation security plan will be added to the emergency planning bulletin E-2575 when it is revised in 2005. In the meantime there is a PowerPoint slide set (w/speaker notes) and handout on this topic at the MGSP internal website:
http://www.kbs.msu.edu/mgsp/Resources/Transporting%20Hazardous%20Agricultural%20Supplies.ppt

**EPA Press Release on Illegal Use of Sodium Cyanide in beekeeping** 12/2/2004
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state departments of agriculture have recently been alerted that some beekeepers have been using sodium cyanide compound to control pests in their honey bee colonies/hives. Specifically, apiarists have been purchasing and using a sodium cyanide compound as a fumigant in beehives to destroy or mitigate wax moths including the caterpillar and larvae, as well as to cull out weaker hives. These practices are illegal and have the potential for serious harm to human health and the environment.

All pesticides distributed in the United States must be registered by the EPA. The Federal pesticide law [the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)] defines “pesticide” to include any substance intended for controlling, mitigating or destroying pests. A substance is a pesticide and requires registration as such if the person distributing the substance (1) makes claims, either expressed or implied, that the substance can be used as a pesticide or (2) distributes the substance with the knowledge that the substance will be used to control pests. Any individual selling or distributing sodium cyanide compound for mitigating any pest, including the wax moth, caterpillar and larvae, or any other pest for use in bee hives or colonies is selling and distributing an unregistered pesticide and subject to penalties of up to $6,500 per violation under FIFRA.

Currently, there are no sodium cyanide or similar cyanide compound products registered by the EPA for pest control in honey bee colonies/hives. Also, there are no established residue tolerances for any cyanide compound in honey or beeswax. Honey analyzed and found to contain any cyanide compound residue would be considered adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and could be seized. The seizure of honey due to adulteration with a highly toxic chemical would be detrimental to the entire apiary industry.

Further, use of sodium cyanide in an apiary setting can be extremely dangerous. The compound is highly toxic to humans and other warm-blooded animals, and it is a Toxicity Category I compound - EPA’s highest toxicity level for pesticides. This rating indicates the greatest degree of acute toxicity for oral, dermal, and inhalation effects. It is highly corrosive to the skin and eyes. Cyanide can be absorbed through the skin and its vapor is absorbed extremely rapidly via the respiratory tract.

Beekeepers who are currently in possession of the highly toxic, unregistered sodium cyanide compound or related products should contact their state agricultural agency for instructions on proper storage and disposal of the product. The state agricultural agency can also provide information on registered pesticides, such as paradichlorobenzene and aluminum phosphide products, that are legal to use to mitigate pests in honey bee colonies/hives.

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TRAINING MATERIALS and WEB RESOURCES

**Pesticide Education Resource Library**
Some of you may remember the AEE resource library that was in the basement of Ag Hall. The library had videos and slide sets that counties could borrow for training programs. It closed a number of years ago, and the materials melted away into county offices or the garbage can. Since that time, we continue to purchase and receive training materials from other states, and we have now recreated the library in our office in B18 Food Safety Toxicology Building on the MSU campus. The library is housed on three shelves against the wall as you enter our office suit. It contains pesticide and safety related books, manuals, risk assessments, videos, slide sets, and boxes of PPE. There is a card file on the shelf so you can write down the items you have, and the length of time needed. We ask that you keep materials for no more than a couple weeks so others have the opportunity to take items. The list of library materials will be posted on our web site www.pested.msu.edu.

** Soap and Detergents Association electronic newsletter**
Need to know more dirt on soap? Here is an announcement from USDA CSREES about a free newsletter. “ The Soap and Detergent Association has provided Extension educators with reliable information about cleaning products and practices for more than 35 years with their Cleaning Matters newsletter. It continues to be a good source for need-to-know information and industry updates. The newsletter is a good way to update consumers on practical information that affects their lives on a daily basis in our newsletters, newspapers and radio scripts. The newsletter is available electronically. Send an email to cleaning matters@cleaning101.com. Be sure to put "Cleaning Matters Subscription" in the subject area and include your name, email address
and phone number. Or go to www.cleaning101.com to subscribe. If you have questions, please contact Nancy Bock at nbock@cleaning101.com.

**New bulletins on rodent control from the Illinois Dept of Public Health**
House mouse prevention/control: http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pchousemouse.htm
Spanish version: http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pchousemouse_sp.htm
Norway rat prevention/ control: http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pcnorwayrat.htm
Spanish version: http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pcnorwayrat_sp.htm

**Diptera Web Sites**
Information about the worlds flies, from fly nerds. Two, count them, two web pages!
The Diptera Site: http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/Diptera/
Anatomical Atlas of Flies: http://www.ento.csiro.au/biology/fly/fly.html

** A Pocket Guide to IPM Scouting in Highbush Blueberries**
Authors Annemiek Schilder, Rufus Isaacs, Eric Hanson and others. To order visit
http://www.ipm.msu.edu/pubs_blue.htm.

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PESTICIDES in the NEWS

**Compound 1080 Manufacturer is questioned**
The Department of Homeland Security has been asked to ban the manufacture of Compound 1080, an old pesticide originally used to control wildlife predators/ pests such as coyotes and rodents. Compound 1080 is rarely used in the U.S., because it is highly toxic and kills wildlife indiscriminately. Besides being very toxic, it is tasteless and odorless; it is the most toxic pesticide registered by the World Health Organization, and has no antidote. Because of these characteristics, there are fears that Compound 1080 could be used by terrorists to contaminate water. There is only one manufacturer of this pesticide left in the U.S. Most of the production from this factory is shipped to New Zealand. The Department of Homeland Security has no authority to ban the manufacture of a pesticide, but its is “looking into it”. For more on this story, see the Associated Press from 12 December, 2004.

**Study links chlorpyrifos and lung cancer**
A National Cancer Institute study released this month links the OP chlorpyrifos (sold as Lorsban) with lung cancer. The epidemiological study involved 65,000 people in Iowa and North Carolina who used the insecticide in farming. The new study suggests that chlorpyrifos can damage DNA in the lungs; people who used the pesticide for a greater length of time had a greater risk of cancer. The study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, but a related article can be found at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hscanc014061184dec01,0,4332382,print.story?coll=ny-health-headlines

**6th Annual Organic Foods Project in ENT 477**
For the 6th time, the students in my class - ENT 477, (a pesticide issues course at MSU) – conducted a project of organic food displays and prices in Michigan. This fall, students visited stores in the Lansing area, as well as in Hastings and Detroit, one student per store. They examined how organic foods were displayed, reported if the store promoted or encouraged organic food sales, compared prices of 10 organic vs comparable conventionally-produced items, and rated quality if possible. They also gave their opinion of purchasing organic foods after conducting the price and quality comparison.

Organic food display, and availability of organic items, was higher in suburban locations such as Okemos (near MSU campus – greater economic level and likely higher education level). For example, the Meijer store location in Okemos has distinct, well-stocked organic areas with colorful signs, and also displayed pamphlets on organic produce. Students had difficulty finding organic products in a store in a smaller town (Hastings, MI) and in the Kroger in Frandor shopping center in Lansing. However, even in Kroger-Frandor, a store employee said that organic items could be special ordered.

The students made 100 price comparisons. In only one case (can of chicken broth), the organic item was cheaper (by 4 cents) than the comparable non-organic item. In the case of baby carrots and bananas, the prices the same at all stores – although the organic bananas were judged as poorer quality. For all other comparison, the organic item did cost more than non-organic items. For canned food, such as soup or beans, the price difference was usually not great, 10-50 cents per can. However, for meat, dairy, and some processed foods, the price difference was dramatic – this price difference might preclude someone from eating solely organic. For example,
ground beef, $5.70 more per pound
whole turkey, $2.30 more per pound
milk, $1 to $2.60 more per half gallon
eggs, $1 to $2.10 more per dozen
butter, $2.40 more per pound
peanut crunch cereal, $3.80 more per box
coffee, $4.80 more per pound
frozen pizza, $5.25 more per item
In general, students rated quality of the organic food as comparable to conventional.

Before the assignment, some of the students occasionally purchased organic food, but usually not intentionally (for example, specialty items like blue corn chips which happen to be organic). After the assignment, most students had a broader view of organic food and were interested in trying new items. Many purchased and tried organic items that they priced during the assignment. Most indicated that “I am a student, and don’t have the money to eat organic”. However, most felt that if they had more money to spend, they would purchase more organic food.

In the last several years, students in the survey have witnessed a dramatic increase in the availability of organic food in conventional grocery stores. Also, organic labels have become more standardized with the introduction of the USDA organic seal. And stores are allotting more space and advertising to organic products. Here are two interesting publications that discuss the growth in organic food and markets over the last decade.

- Organic Produce, Price Premiums, and Eco-Labeling in U.S. Farmers' Markets
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/VGS/Apr04/vgs30101/

Supermarket Research newsletter – edition on organic
http://fmi.org/newsletters/uploads/SupermarketResearch/August.pdf

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PESTICIDE LABELS, REGISTRATIONS, ETC [From Federal Register Notices]

###Fungicides

Captan: An amended Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) is available for comment until 24 January 2005. Among other things, the amendment discusses new labeling requirements. Also, the status of captan as a carcinogen has been downgraded from a type B (probable human carcinogen) to a type C, that is, “not likely to be a human carcinogen”. For the RED see http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/status.htm.
[Fed Reg 24 Nov 2004].

EBDCs (mancozeb, maneb, and metiram): human health and environmental
fate and effects risk assessments, preliminary risk reduction options, and related documents are available for comment. The 90-day comment period closes 22 February, 2005. See EPA’s pesticide reregistration status we page at: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/status.htm.

###Insecticides:
clothianidin (Arvesta Corporation ) - petition filed to set tolerances on grapes, raisins, and potatoes.

DiSyston 15G, Reg #s 3125-172 and 264-723 (Bayer CropSciences): Bayer has requested voluntary cancellation of the following uses: beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, peppers, seed radish, clover grown for seed, and Christmas trees (except Fraser Fir grown in North Carolina). Bayer chose to cancel these uses rather than generate exposure data necessary under FQPA. The cancellations will take effect unless significant comments are received during the open comment period. Comments, identified by docket ID number OPP-2004-0340, must be received by June 13, 2005. [Federal Reg 15 Dec. 2004]

###Other
Amides from acetic acid (Cognis Corporation): petition filed to exempt from a tolerance on all raw agricultural commodities when used as an inert ingredient in pesticides.

Tri-butyl-tin: The last U.S. registrant of TBT antifouling paint, New Nautical Coatings, Inc. requested that its registration be voluntarily cancelled. Antifouling paint was used on the hulls of ships to control mollusk growth. TBT contaminated water, and most products were phased out; this cancellation is part of an effort towards a global ban. [Fed Reg 8 Dec 2004]

Corn triple stack: Monsanto announced that a transgenic triple-stack, Yieldgard Roundup Ready Corn 2, will be available in the 2005 field season. It has three genes – a Bt protein for corn borer, a Bt protein for corn rootworm, and the Roundup Ready 2 gene.

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CALENDAR of PESTICIDE-RELATED PROGRAMS

-2005 Michigan Mosquito Control Association Conference, February 3-4
Soaring Eagle Casino, 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd, Mt Pleasant, MI 48858
See this web site for details: www.mimosq.org
Or phone William Wallace, planning committee chair at 989-672-3748

-2005 North central Entomological Society Meeting-
March 20-23, 2005, Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Indiana
(close enough to drive!) http://esa.ent.iastate.edu/2005_west_lafayette/meeting

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SUBMITTING to this NEWSLETTER
If you have pesticide-related information that you would like to provide to MSU extension agents, MSU campus specialists, agribusiness, and others, we welcome submissions to this newsletter. The newsletter is sent out on the 15th of each month. Submissions can be emailed to difonzo@msu.edu; please put 'newsletter submission' in the subject line. Do not email attachments. Include all relevant information within the body of the email message, so it can be directly copied into the newsletter.

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Newsletter prepared by:
Chris DiFonzo
MSU Pesticide Safety Education Program
B18 Food Safety and Toxicology Building
East Lansing, MI 48824
Web site: www.pested.msu.edu

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Dr. Chris DiFonzo
Field Crops Entomologist & PSEP Coordinator
Michigan State University
B18 Nat'l Food Safety & Toxicology Building
East Lansing, MI 48824
tel: 517-353-5328 fax: 517-353-4995
web site: www.pested.msu.edu
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