Pesticide Application

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USDA record keeping requirements

Private pesticide applicators (farmers/producers) must maintain records of federally restricted-use pesticide applications. The records must be recorded no later than 14 days following the pesticide application and must be kept for two years following the application.

A detailed discussion of the following information and a form that will satisfy all record keeping requirements appears in MU publication MP 692, USDA Pesticide Record Keeping Requirements. Also, a pad of 50 forms is available as MU publication MP 693, Restricted-Use Pesticide Record Keeping Form (Order information).  
See Figure 1.  Download as Word or PDF file.     For PDF help .

What the records must contain:

1. The certified applicator’s name and certification number.
2. The month, day and year of the application.
3. The crop, commodity or site to which the pesticide was applied.
4. The brand or product name of the federally restricted-use pesticide and the product’s EPA registration number.
5. The total amount applied.
6. The size of the area treated.
7. The location of the application.

How to record spot treatments

1. If you apply restricted-use pesticides on the same day in a total area of less than 1/10 acre, you are required to record the following:
2. Brand or product name, EPA registration number.
3. Total amount applied.
4. Location of treatment designated as "spot application," followed by a description (e.g., the location could be recorded as "spot application," followed by "treated for noxious weeds on Fields A, C and all pastures").
5. Month, day and year of the application.

Keep a master list

To eliminate the need to record the certification number in conjunction with each restricted use pesticide application, complete the master list of applicators and their certification numbers below.

Pesticide beneficial management practices

To minimize the potential loss of a pesticide from the field, observe the following practices:

• Apply the proper amount of pesticide
  • calibrate equipment
  • measure concentrates accurately
• Control runoff
  • avoid spraying when heavy rains or irrigation are imminent
  • use conservation-tillage practices
  • follow label recommendations for fall or dormant applications
• Observe additional setback requirements listed on product label
• Observe buffer zones
  • do not mix pesticides, load sprayers or rinse equipment within 50 feet of wells, sinkholes, streams, lakes and reservoirs
  • do not apply pesticides within 50 feet of any well or sinkhole, within 66 feet of any stream or intermittent stream, and within 200 feet of any lake or reservoir
  • all fill equipment needs back-flow devices to prevent contamination of water supplies
• Control pesticide drift
  • consider wind speed, temperature, relative humidity and thermal inversions
  • consider lower boom height, reducing application pressure, using nozzles with a larger droplet size, and/or using drift control agents within the constraints of equipment capabilities
• Ensure proper disposal
  • triple- or pressure-rinse containers and pour rinse water into spray tank
  • purchase products in returnable containers & return them clean
  • apply rinse water to fields
  • avoid leftover material
  • dispose of leftover material in a manner consistent with the product label
• Use integrated crop management practices
  • rotate crops
  • scout fields to determine pesticide needs
  • keep detailed, accurate records
  • consider alternative pest control strategies
• Use common sense
  • review labels and university guidelines for application rates and requirements prior to selecting and applying a pesticide
  • know your soils, correct product rate for soil type, organic matter and pH

Determining nozzle tip size and sprayer calibration

The size of the nozzle tip will depend upon the application rate, ground speed and effective sprayed width that you plan to use. The following six steps will help you select the nozzles required for each application.

Step 1. Select the spray application rate in gallons per acre that you want to use. Pesticide labels recommend ranges for various types of equipment. The spray application rate is the gallons of carrier (water, fertilizer, etc.) and pesticide applied per treated acre.

Step 2. Determine an appropriate ground speed in miles per hour according to field conditions. To apply pesticides accurately, you must maintain constant ground speed. Do not rely on speedometers as an accurate measure of speed. Slippage and other factors can result in speedometer reading errors of more than 30 percent.

To measure ground speed, lay out a known distance in a field with similar surface conditions to the field to be sprayed. Suggested distances are 100 feet for speeds up to 5 miles per hour, 200 feet for speeds from 5 to 10 miles per hour, and at least 300 feet for speeds above 10 miles per hour. At appropriate throttle setting and gear that you plan to use during spraying, determine the travel time between the measured stakes in each direction. Do this procedure at least twice using a half-loaded spray tank. Average these travel times and use the following equation to determine ground speed.

                                distance (feet) x 60
Speed(MPH)* = ——————————
                                time (seconds) x 88

*(1 MPH = 88 feet in 60 seconds)

Step 3. Determine the effective nozzle spray width (W) in inches.

For broadcast spraying: W = the nozzle spacing

For band spraying: W = the band width

For row-crop applications, such as spraying from drop pipes or direct spraying:

             row spacing (or band width)
W = —————————————————
         number of nozzles per row (or band)

Step 4. Determine the flow rate required from each nozzle in gallons per minute by using a nozzle catalog, tables or the following equation:

                  GPA x MPH x W
GPM = —————————
                          5,940

GPM = gallons per minute of output required from each nozzle.

GPA = gallons per acre from Step 1.

MPH = miles per hour from Step 2.

W =   nozzle spray width in inches from Step 3.

5,940 = a constant to convert gallons per minute, miles per hour, and inches to gallons per acre.

Step 5. Using a nozzle manufacturer’s catalog, select a nozzle that will give the flow rate determined in Step 4 when the nozzle is operated within the recommended pressure range as given on the pesticide label.

Step 6. Install the nozzles selected. Collect the output from each nozzle for a set time (e.g., 1 minute) and compare output between nozzles. Replace the nozzles if the output varies more than 5 percent between nozzles.

Step 7. Once you have determined that nozzle output is uniform across the sprayer, you need to determine the correct pressure needed for the calculated flow rate from Step 4. For ease of measurement, convert the desired nozzle flow rate from gallons per minute (Step 4) to ounces per minute by multiplying by 128. Collect the output from one nozzle for 1 minute. If the nozzle output is within 5 percent of the desired flow rate, the sprayer is calibrated. If not, adjust the pressure and collect the output again. Minor adjustments may be required in the field due to variations in ground speed.

Note: For high-output nozzles, collect the nozzle output for only 30 seconds and multiply the results by 2 to check the flow rate.

Additional information

For additional information on pesticide practices, ask for the following publications at your local University Extension center or call Extension Publications at 1-800-292-0969.

G855, Pesticide Laws and Regulations

G1270, Sprayer Calibration

G1272, Sprayer Calibration: Sprayer Mix Calculations

G1273, Calibration: Granule Pesticide Applicators

G1919, Drift of Agricultural Spray: Causes

G4851, Atrazine: Best Management Practices and Alternatives in Missouri

G7520, Pesticides and the Environment

G7550, Missouri Restricted-Use Pesticide List

M160, Insect and Disease Management: Field Crops, Forages and Livestock

MP575, Weed Control Guide for Missouri Field Crops

MP581, Weed and Brush Control Guide for Forages, Pastures and Non-Crop Land in Missouri

Sprayer calibration worksheet

Ground speed (see step 2)

Distance traveled: ________ ft

Time first pass: ________ sec

Second pass: ________ sec

Average time: ________ sec

                                  ________ ft x 60
Speed (MPH) = ———————————  = ______ MPH
                                 ________ sec x 88

Nozzle flow rate (gal/min/nozzle)

Gallons per acre (GPA): ________ gal

Miles per hour (MPH): ________ mph

Sprayed width per nozzle (W): ________ in.

                                 _____ GPA x _____ MPH x _____W
Nozzle flow rate   = ––––––––——————––––––––
(GPM/nozzle)                                  5,940

Nozzle flow rate = __________ GPM/nozzle
    (GPM/nozzle)

Nozzle selected: _____________

Nozzle flow rate (oz/min/nozzle)

Nozzle flow rate x 128 = oz/min/nozzle
(GPM/nozzle)

__________ GPM/nozzle x 128 = ___________ oz/min/nozzle

Sprayer Calibration Method #2 (Once Calibration)

Use the chart below for distance to drive in field.   Use nozzle spacing for booms.  for directed and band rigs use the row spacing.

Set throttle for spraying and operate all equipment as though spraying.  Note seconds required to drive the measured distance.

Catch spray for the time noted in step B in container marked in ounces.  If broadcast boom, catch spray from one nozzle during time.  If directed spay rig. catch spray from all nozzles per row for noted time.

Nozzle or nozzle group output in ounces = gallons per acre actually applied.

Check each nozzle to assure uniform distribution.

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