Pesticide Module Flashcards
What is a label?
A legally binding document required for safe storage and use. Drafted and printed in accordance with a national code of practice issued by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines authority (APVMA).
What’s included on a Label?
Trade Brand and Product Name
Directions for use
General Instructions
Cautions
Storage and Dispersal
Read the label before:
- Purchase
- Storage
- Mixing and application
- Disposal
When handling pesticides:
Use PPE, workers must be trained, and avoid damage.
Pesticide Storage:
Location should be away from:
1. Residential buildings or animal housing
2. Workplace activities
3. Watercourses, drains and water catchments
4. Ag and veterinary supplies
5. Above highest recorded flood level
Protected from weather:
* Fireproof construction
* Good ventilation
* Impermeable floor or storage base
* Provide for drainage of spills and clean up water
* Containers labelled and closed when not in use
Disposal of pesticide containers
- Triple rinse, pressure rinse
- Free of residues
- Labelled
- Dry
- Never burn
Development of new crop protection products
- Need identification
- Active ingredient identification
- Active ingredient optimization
- Development trials and regulatory studies
- APVMA review
- Product produced and sold
APVMA data requirements
- Overview
- Chemistry and manufacture
- Toxicology
- Metabolism and Kinetics
- Residues
- Overseas Trade
- OHS
- Environment
- Efficacy and safety
- Non-food trade
- Special data
Efficacy ratings
Control consistently reduces pest numbers or damage to a commercially acceptable level
Supression doesn’t consistently reduce pest numbers or damage to a commercially acceptable level
Efficacy and Crop Safety Trials
- Test different rates of the product
- Compare to industry standards
- Qualitative and quantitative assessments
Efficacy and crop safety trial design
- Conduct trials in more than one region and more than one season
- Choose locations based on suitability to crop and the pest
- Trial treatments should include control, industry standard, label rate, other rates (e.g. 0.5x rate, 2x label rate)
- Trial design should be replicated = usually complete block design
15 degrees of freedom recommended
Efficacy and Safety Assessment
- Incidence and severity of the target prior to application
- Incidence and severity of the target after application
- Damage to the crop (phytotoxicity – flowering, seed size)
- Crop yield and quality
Residue Trials
- Incidence and severity of the target prior to application
- Incidence and severity of the target after application
- Damage to the crop (phytotoxicity – flowering, seed size)
- Crop yield and quality
How are MRL’s set?
- LOAEL lowest observable adverse effect level
- NOAEL No observable adverse effect level
a. Difference between NOAEL and ADI factor of 100. - ADI acceptable daily intake
- MRL maximum residue level
Pesticide Formulations
- Active ingredients (AI) usually delivered as fine droplets to cover a crop or other target surface.
o Many AI’s not soluble in water
o AI’s must be formulated with other chemicals to allow dispersion and uptake. - Inert ingredients can include:
o Synergists improve efficacy
o Buffers corrects pH
o Sequestering agents prevent precipitation
o Humectants retains / preserves moisture
o Anti- foaming agents/defoamers
o Wetting agents surfactants - Formulations of active constituents
o Liquid form
Emulsifiable concentrates
Suspension concentrates
o Dry
o Others - Soluble liquids mix readily with water
What’s considered when making a formulation?
- Concentration required
- Pest/disease biology
- Physical properties of AI (solubility, UV)
- Surface type
- Application equipment
- Possible runoff/leaching
- Impact of spray drift
- Safety (handling and transport)
Mixing Products
- Some products can be mixed:
o Reduces application cost (time and labour)
o Reduces equipment wear and tear
o Increase efficacy (synergism) - Types of incompatibility:
o Physical wont mix evenly
Precipitate out of solution
Clogging nozzles
Reduces Ai conc
Limits even formulation distribution
o Chemical chemical reaction
Droplet size
- Determined by nozzle
- Described in terms of
1. Volume median diameter – droplet size range divided into two halves based in volume
2. Number median diameter – number of droplets divided in half - NMD usually smaller that VMD because usually pesticide sprays large number of small droplets
Balance between coverage and drift for different targets
- Too big and you won’t get good coverage
- To small you may get coverage but have
o Increased drift
o Off target effects
o Resistance
o Pollution
o Deregistration
o Cranky neighbours
o Social licence
Targets vs optimal droplet size
Target: Optimal droplet size:
Flying insect 10-50 microns
Insects on surfaces 30-100microns
Plant diseases 30-150 microns
Weeds 100-300 microns
Spray Mix Equation
o X (quantity of concentrate) = S (concentration following dilution)/ C ( conc of active in undiluted product) x V (volume of tank)
Why Calibrate?
- Accurate and even application
- Saves $
Spray Rate calculation
o Spray rate (L/ha) = 600 x nozzle output (L/min) / forward speed (km/hr) x swath (m)
Nozzle output equation
o Nozzle output = forward speed x swath x spray rate /600
Forward Speed Equation
o Forward speed = 600 x nozzle output / spray rate x swath
Systemic Vs Contact Herbicide
Systemic - translocated through plant (slower)
Contact kills what it touches (faster)
Selective Versus Non-selective Herbicide
Selective kills some things while non-selective kills everything.
How can herbicides be classified by weed growth stage?
Pre-emergent and Post emergent
Hydraulic Nozzles
Hydraulic nozzles
Advantages:
1. Machine components simple, easy to operate, and replace.
2. Can be used in many situations
3. Forgiving: allows for some operator error
Disadvantages:
1. Wide spectrum droplet size can be inefficient and cause wastage
2. Some nozzles prone to wear
3. Nozzles require regular calibration.
3 ways to generate droplets
Hydraulic
Air-Shear
Centrifugal Force
Drones advantages and disadvantages
o Advantages
$20,000 – Cheap
Map the affected area and then only spray that area.
Uses less product = less runoff
Reduce resistance
Precise
Better penetration
Environmentally friendly
o Disadvantages
10L drone can only travel for 10 minutes
Licence for drone and chem cert to administer chemical
Can’t operate in high winds
Large area application
