Pesticide Stewardship
Written by: Robert Drown, Perkins County
As you know pesticide stewardship is very often impacted by federal, state and local regulations. There are basic
principles and practices that must be understood before spraying fungicides, insecticides, herbicides and other pesticides.
Pesticide applicators need to become knowledgeable about pests. Do what you can to prevent conditions that are
favorable for pest development. Sanitize fields with the use of tillage to prevent new pests and plant diseases, plant
disease and insect resistant crop varieties, mow weeds before they go to seed and spot treat perennial weeds with
herbicides. Seal food containers and entryways into buildings to keep insects out. Know how to identify pests so you can
determine whether it needs to be treated and that you are using the right pesticide for the job. Look for clues by scouting
your fields in order to determine the presence and extent of pests.
Make only informed purchases of pesticides. Pesticides are poison and are intended for killing certain pests. You are
legally obligated to thoroughly read the label about use of pesticide, personal protective equipment, reentry intervals,
emergency first aid and etc. Use appropriate stewardship practices, look for formulations, packaging, application
techniques and precautions to prevent spills and mixing errors. If you will be treating large acreages consider purchasing
bulk packages to reduce your exposure to the pesticide.
Store and transport pesticides safely. Transport pesticides in the trunk of a car or in the back of a pick-up and be sure to
secure them to prevent spills. Never transport pesticides inside the cab of a car or pick-up with passengers, groceries and
animal feed. It is best to store pesticides in an identified locked cabinet or area. Make sure that adequate ventilation or
temperature controls are provided as needed for certain pesticides.
Apply your pesticides in a workmanship manner. Follow the directions on the label and use required personal protective
equipment when handling pesticides. Adhere to recommended application rates to stay within the law, control pesticide
residues and decrease possibilities of development of pest resistance. Calibrate and maintain your spraying equipment
nozzles, hoses and etc. on a regular basis. If possible, replace broadcast applications with in-furrow or directed
applications, seed or spot treatments and barrier or band treatments. Consider adopting precision agriculture to better
pinpoint pesticide application to where it is needed, allow for variable rate application, minimize costs and prevent
unneeded pesticides in the environment. Apply pesticides in a timely manner relative to pest being controlled and the crop
stage of growth. Do not apply pesticides in winds greater than 8 miles per hour or when rainfall is likely, otherwise
pesticide effectiveness will be decreased and possibly moved away from the treatment area. When using pesticides that
are harmful to bees, make sure you know the location of hives and take precautions to reduce their exposure.
Monitor the areas treated with pesticides for re-growth or re-infestation. Know what levels can be tolerated and if levels
become intolerable make subsequent applications. If this is not possible use rescue treatments to prevent weed seed
production, harvest problems and pest contamination of the crop.
Be prepared to clean up and dispose of pesticides when necessary. If pesticide spills occur, use cat litter or sawdust.
Immediately clean up liquid and dry spills and dispose of it according to label. Wash clothes worn to apply pesticides
separately from other laundry and discard items that have been heavily contaminated. Triple rinse or pressure wash
pesticide containers and dispose of properly.
Avoid conditions that contribute to pesticide drift. Consider the weather conditions, the application equipment and
sensitive areas downwind of the application area. Highly sensitive areas include residences, other crops, bee hives, water
bodies and property lines. Never apply pesticides in windy conditions when winds are gusty or exceed 8 miles per hour.
Avoid pesticide application during periods of high temperatures and low humidity.
Recognize the importance of buffers. Buffers can reduce spray drift, water runoff and soil erosion, all of which can carry
pesticides. Buffers may be permanent or flexible. Permanent buffers are strips of land maintained in permanent
vegetation and flexible buffers may be strips of untreated areas of fields.
Plan to prevent pest resistance to pesticides. If the pest you are treating requires multiple applications of herbicide,
fungicide or insecticide within the same crop, alternate from to a pesticide with a different mode of action and avoid
applying maximum label rates to keep the pest being treated off balance and to reduce possibilities pests adapting and
becoming resistant. Follow label directions and apply pesticides during the optimum stage of growth when they are most
susceptible to being controlled.
Implement integrated pest management. Evaluate all pest control options including biological, chemical, cultural, genetic
and mechanical and combine effective techniques that achieves effective control of pests at a reasonable cost and protects
the environment. Promote the biological control by protecting beneficial predators and parasites that help control pests.
Beneficial cultural practices include maintaining optimum crop growth, scouting fields and rotating crops. Consider
planting genetically modified crops in certain pest control situations. Use mechanical options to control pests when
economical.
If you are interested in learning more about the Pesticide Stewardship contact the South County Extension Educator Bob
Drown at 244-5622 or robert.drown@sdstate.edu. Source for news release: "50 Ways to Treat Your Pesticide," National
Association of County Agricultural Agents and Syngenta.