1. Ornamental Pest management (Category 3B)

Application of Pesticides

Chapter 3

2. Properly selected and applied pesticides are useful tools in IPM programs. There is a wide variety of pesticide products available on the market. Select a pesticide whose characteristics match your pest management situation.

3. Choose a pesticide that:

-Is labeled for the pest. To use any pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its labeling is a violation of federal laws.

-Produces the desired level of control. Remember, total destruction of the pest is seldom a management goal.

-Results in minimal disruption to the environment . Protect non-target organisms, and preserve natural enemies and diversity of the landscape by avoiding broad-spectrum or especially toxic pesticides.
  1. Choose a pesticide that is:

    2. -Not phytotoxic to the host plant or other ornamental plant species in the application area. These junipers have been injured from a superior or dormant oil applied in fall before these evergreens were dormant.

  2. Further, choose pesticides that are:

-Compatible with plant management strategies. For instance, newly applied fungicide can be washed off foliage of ornamentals in the path of a sprinkler.

-Acceptable to the public or client. People differ greatly in their concern about toxic materials being applied on or near their property. Communication is key to preventing public anxiety over your pest management activities.

6. To evaluate and select a pesticide that is best suited to your situation, you need to

know what types of pesticides are available. There are several classifications of pesticides.
  1. Primarily, a pesticide is classified based on the target pest.

Classification Targeted Pest

-Insecticide -Insects

-Acaricide -Mites, ticks

-Miticide -Mites

-Fungicide -Fungi

-Bactericide -Bacteria

8. Classification Targeted Pest

-Herbicide -Weeds

-Molluscicide -Snails and slugs

-Rodenticide -Mice, rats and other rodents

  1. Pesticides are classified based on their toxicity and potential to cause injury to

    2. Applicators. This is in part measured as lethal dose 50 (LD50), the amount of pesticide taken orally that kills 50% of the test animal population. Descriptive signal words are used to identify the four pesticide toxicity categories:

    Toxicity Signal Word

    Category I: oral LD50 up to 50 mg/kg; corrosive to skin and eyes.

    Danger

    Category II: oral LD50 from 51-500 mg/kg; severe skin and eye irritation.

    Warning

    Category III: oral LD50 from 501-5,000 mg/kg; moderate skin and eye irritation

    Caution

    Category IV: oral LD50 from greater than 5,000 mg/kg; mild or slight irritation to

    skin. Caution

  2. To limit applicator and environmental exposure, and minimize public concern, first

    3. Concern, first consider using least toxic pesticides (Categories III and IV). Like wise, avoid the most toxic or environmentally unfriendly (likely to reach ground water, harm bird populations, etc.) pesticides. These are called restricted use pesticides (RUPs), and are more strictly regulated by the government.

  3. How a pesticide works is its mode of action. A pesticide’s mode of action

    4. Influences its ability to control pests and its potential for endangering nontarget organisms. Mode of action classifications are:

    -Broad spectrum pesticides are non-selective and may suppress a wide range of organisms such as several weed or insect species. While convenient, these types of insecticides also indiscriminately destroy beneficial organisms and these herbicides may be harmful to desirable plants. Limit the use of these to situations where there is more than one pest targeted.

    -Residual pesticides are active a relatively long time. This feature is desirable when the pest contacts the host over an extended time period.

    -Protectant pesticides prevent pests from becoming established on plants. Since most fungal diseases cannot be eliminated once inside leaf tissue, many fungicides are protectant in action.

    -Systemic pesticides are absorbed into and move within the plant. Systemic insecticides are useful in managing "hidden" insects like leafminers. Many herbicides are systemic in action.

    -Contact pesticides kill the pest or pest part they contact. For instance, a contact herbicide kills only the portion it touches and will not likely kill the root system.

  4. Pesticides are produced in a vast variety of formulations differing in price, hazard to the applicator, and type of application equipment required.

 

 

  1. Abbreviations of pesticide formulations are typically used on labels and in pesticides references. For instance:

    2. -E,EC=emulsifiable concentrate. ECs are petroleum-based sprays, therefore are corrosive and can be phytotoxic. The risk to the applicator is relatively high with ECs, but they are otherwise easy to handle and apply.

    -WP=wettable powders. WPs are easy to store and transport, and require some agitation.

    -G=granules. Granules are ready-to-use pesticides applied with a spreader. There are not many landscape applications for granule pesticides.

    -Baits require no mixing, are relatively safe to handle, but may attract nontarget organisms.

    -Injectables are pesticides injected into drilled holes in a tree trunk. There is virtually no risk to nontarget organisms, but the process wounds the tree.

    -Implants are implanted into drilled holes in the trunk. Implants are like injectables, but require no specialized equipment.

    -WSP= water soluble packets. WSPs are concentrate pesticides in premeasured, water soluble packets. They act like wettable powders except there is no risk of exposure to pesticide concentrate.

  2. There are benefits and drawbacks associated with all pesticide formulations. To best match the pesticide formulation to the job, consider these characteristics of pesticide formulations:

    3. -Application method: Hydraulic sprayer, manual sprayer, spreader, injection.

    -Risk when handling: consider the risk when transporting, storing, mixing and applying the pesticide.

    -Risk of moving off target: is spray drift, volatilization, or leaching likely?

    -Advantages: ease of transporting, storing and applying the pesticides.

    -Disadvantages: phytotoxicity, requires agitation, residue, corrosive.

  3. Your application equipment should reflect the target plants, pest and pesticide formulation. Whatever type used, all equipment must be in proper working order to deliver at a uniform and consistent rate.
  4. Specially formulated insecticides, fungicides, and fertilizers can be applied directly into trees by injection and implantation. Concentrated material is introduced into the cambium where it is taken up into the tree with the sap.
  5. A great advantage of injection and implantation is that all of the pesticide is delivered to the target with virtually no risk to nontarget organisms, or drift. However, even small wounds injure trees. Trees can also be damaged by nonuniform distribution of the chemical = some branches may be over-treated while others go untreated.
  6. Manual sprayers are relatively inexpensive, simple to operate, and easy to clean and store. Most manual sprayers are hand-carried or backpack style and used for small jobs and spot treatment.
  7. Pressure for some compressed air sprayers is provided by a precharged cylinder of air. When pressure and agitation is provided manually, settling out of pesticide and pressure drop is common. Wick applicators deliver systemic herbicides directly to foliage – the applicator "paints" weeds with herbicide.
  8. Power sprayers mostly use gasoline engines to agitate spray solutions and provide pressure. They range in size from small power sprayers holding 15-30 gallons to large 1,500 gallon hydraulic sprayers.
  9. Spray mixtures used in small power sprayers and hydraulic sprayers are dilute and applied to the point of runoff. A variety of spray guns, wands, nozzles, and pressures makes these sprayers versatile. Hydraulic sprayers are widely used on ornamentals, including tree.
  10. Rotary nozzle sprayers are useful for spraying large plantings of small ornamental plants. A battery-powered spinning cup throws spray in a hollow cone pattern 4-7 feet in diameter. With rotary nozzle spraying, minimal spray is applied using very little energy.

    11. Mistblowers distribute concentrated pesticide spray with a blast of air. Thorough plant coverage is assured with mistblowers, but the fog can easily travel off-target. To avoid drift, mistblowers must be operated in virtually no wind.

  11. Your spray technique is as important to successful pest management as the choice of pesticide. It is the applicator’s job to apply just the amount of pesticide needed for plant protection. Select application equipment and adjust output, nozzles, and hoses to get the best coverage with the least amount of material. Obtain thorough coverage, especially for fungicide treatments.
  12. Follow these guidelines for safe and thorough coverage:

    13. -Do NOT spray into the wind

    -Minimize drift by using larger droplets in windy conditions.

    -Thoroughly coat the treatment area, but do not over-apply pesticides.

    -For tall trees, apply a tight spray stream vertically into the interior of the crown, and then to the outer top of the tree. Reduce height and volume of the spray stream by adjusting the gun to a fan pattern, and apply to the upper untreated areas downward.

    -Secure the area to protect people and animals from pesticide exposure.

    -Treat foundation plantings by directing the spray stream parallel to or out away from the house.

  13. Besides being an essential part of a pest management evaluation, Michigan law requires commercial applicators to record application information. As stated in Regulation 636, the applicator must record at the time of application:

    14. -Name of the applicator.

    -Address or location of the pesticide application.

    -Name and concentration of the pesticide application.

    -Amount of pesticide applied.

    -Target pest or purpose of the application.

    -Method and rate of the application

  14. These records must be maintained for at least one year after a general-use pesticide application, and for at least three years after a restricted-use pesticide application. Develop a pesticide use sheet to help you collect and store uniform records that include all necessary information.