1. Prepared by Mark Bell, Mark Henderson and Frank Zalom with input from Ehsan Ehsanullah and Tom Brown

2. Course objectives Know key points in the application and safe use of pesticides Note: At the end, participants will take a review quiz to show they can recall all the key points. Support materials fact sheets and check lists, review quiz, 3. Course structure Pesticides Defining pests Defining pesticides Do I need to spray? About equipment? Safety 4. Defining pests What is a pest? Any organism that damages crops Do all pests need to be controlled? No Why? Only important if cause economic loss Other reasons? e.g., Long term build up 5. Defining pests What are the options for controlling pests? Cultural such as variety and hand weeding Biological control - e.g., Lady bugs eat aphids Pesticide Note: All photos UC IPM unless otherwise indicated 6. Defining pests What are the major types of pests? Weeds Insects Diseases Mites Rodents Snails & slugs 7. Defining pests why important? Weeds Insects Disease Mites Rodents Snails/ slugs Compete for water nutrients and light Reduce fruit quality () () () () Reduce leaf area (PS) Reduce nutrient flow in plant PS = photosynthesis 8. About Weeds Not all weeds are the same Grasses Broadleaves Sedges 9. About Weeds What characterizes Grasses? Leaves are narrow, arranged in sets of two; stems are rounded or flattened. 10. About Weeds What characterizes Broadleaves? Leaves are wide, veins branch out in different directions. 11. About Weeds What characterizes Sedges? Leaves are narrow, arranged in sets of three; stems are triangular in cross section. 12. About weeds Why is this important? Can you control a grass with a broadleaf herbicide? Rarely! Do different broadleaves need different types of herbicide? Often as do different grasses and different sedges The exception to all is when a non-selective herbicide can be used to control everything 13. About Diseases Not all diseases are the same Bacteria Fungal Viruses 14. About Diseases Just like weeds, each disease and each type almost always needs a different treatment Viruses can almost never be controlled by chemicals Viruses are usually spread by insects so insect control may be the best form of control for viruses 15. About Diseases Note that many diseases (especially bacteria and viruses) spread by contact. Thus it is important to advise orchard growers to sterilize any pruning equipment or other equipment used to chop branches, etc.. 16. Course structure Pesticides Defining pests Defining pesticides Do I need to spray? About equipment? Safety 17. Defining Pesticides What is a pesticide? A pesticide is any material (natural, organic, or synthetic) used to control, prevent, kill, suppress, or repel pests. 18. Defining Pesticides Match the pesticide with... what it controls Insecticides Herbicides Fungicides Rodenticides Miticides Molluscicides Diseases Insects Weeds Snails and slugs Rats and mice Mite 19. Defining Pesticides Will different pesticides control other types of pests? For example, will a herbicide control insects? Almost never! 20. Defining Pesticides If you have more than one type of problem pest (say a disease and an insect), can you mix pesticides? Sometimes, but read the label Many times mixing products will mean products do not work 21. Defining Pesticides "Pesticides" come in different forms. The most common are: Water soluble (WS) Emulsifiable concentrates (EC) Wettable powders (WP) 22. Defining Pesticides Which requires constant agitation in the tank? Water soluble Emulsifiable concentrates Wettable powders Why? Because they separate out of solution What happens if they separate out of solution? Uneven chemical application uneven control Unhappy customers! 23. Defining Pesticides Which causes greater nozzle wear? Water soluble Emulsifiable concentrates Wettable powders 24. Defining Pesticides Match the following: Contact pesticide Systemic pesticide Moves through the plant to have its effect. Must hit the target pest or coat the plant being protected. Requires complete coverage of the plant for best effect. 25. Defining Pesticides What is the difference between a selective and a non- selective herbicide? A non-selective herbicide .. Kills all weeds (and the crop!) A Selective herbicide. Kills certain weeds in certain crops 26. Defining Pesticides What was used here a selective or a non-selective herbicide? A Selective herbicide. has only affected the weed not the crop 27. Defining Pesticides What is LD50? LD50 tells about the toxicity or danger of a product to humans and animals. LD50 is the dose required to kill half a non-target population of animals (usually rats). Which is safer? Product A LD50 = 750 Product B LD50 = 1750 Why? Because more of product B is required to have the same toxic effect. Aim to use products with an LD50 of more than 1000. 28. Defining Pesticides All products carry key signal words on the label telling about the potential dangers of a product Look for Caution Warning Danger Which do you think is most dangerous? Which is least dangerous? 29. Course structure Pesticides Defining pests Defining pesticides Do I need to spray? About equipment? Safety 30. Do I need to spray? Before using a pesticide heres 5 questions you should ask.. A common type of home garden application equipment, the compressed air sprayer. Illustration by D. Kidd.(Photo IRRI) 31. Do I need to spray? 1. What is causing the problem? Is the pest really the cause of the problem? 2. What are the control options? Are there other options to a pesticide? 3. Are there enough pests to justify a pesticide spray? 32. Do I need to spray? 4. What products are both available and effective? Is there a product to control the pest and suitable for use in the target crop? Is it the right time to control and use the product? Will spraying be economic? 5. Is the product safe for the crop, the environment and beneficial insects? Will there be residues on the produce or land? 33. Photo: Pesticide Management Education Program Cornell Cooperative Extension 34. Do I need to spray? Project targets for pesticides Low toxicity (LD50 should be over 1000) Comply with Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safer Use Action Plan (PERSUAP) Consistent with UC Davis IPM guidelines. Control serious pests of grapes, pomegranates, stone fruit, (especially apricots), almonds, melons and major vegetables. Can be used with a wheel barrow sprayers. 35. Course structure Pesticides Defining pests Defining pesticides Do I need to spray? About equipment? Safety 36. About equipment Parts of a sprayer even simple sprayers have the same components as more complex ones Name and function? Nozzle - influences rate and droplet size Hose takes product from tank or reservoir to application nozzle Tank holds mixed product Trigger on and off switch ? ? ? ? ? Pump generates application pressure 37. Mid-size Pesticide Sprayer 114 Liter (30 gallon) tank on a 4 wheel push cart 38. Mid-size Pesticide Sprayer 3 horse power Honda engine and GE 75 Pump Pump capable of 45.5Liters/minute Pump pressure = 4.57kg/sq cm (65psi) 30 meter long 0.95cm hose with hand-size spray gun 39. About equipment Droplet size and Coverage? What size droplets do you want? Big droplets? Small droplets? Depends on the product and crop. 40. About equipment When are larger droplets and partial coverage okay? If systemic product will move through the plant to have its effect. When are smaller droplets with greater coverage better? For contact products or if the plant is dormant 41. About equipment In orchards, you often want smaller droplets and you should spray to run-off or drip. 42. About equipment Nozzles Which is a Hollow cone? Flat fan? Solid cone? Summary of the main types of spray nozzles, their usage and characteristics. [Note: 1 psi = 6.89 k Pa or 1 kPa = 0.145 psi] (Photos Bugwood and IRRI) 43. About equipment How do nozzles affect flow rate and droplet size? Type of nozzle Most common use Operating pressure in kilopascals (kPa) Remarks Hollow cone Low volume insecticides and fungicides. Special herbicide application. 400-800 Moderate pressure. Small droplets. Good penetration of foliage Solid cone High volume insecticides and fungicides 400-2500 High pressure. Small droplets. Good penetration of foliage Fan Herbicides 200-200 Low pressure. Large droplets. Less drift. Summary of the main types of spray nozzles, their usage and characteristics. [Note: 1 psi = 6.89 k Pa or 1 kPa = 0.145 psi] 44. About equipment About Pressure What happens to droplet size if you increase pressure? Decrease droplet size What happens if pressure varies? Get variable coverage on target crop Unhappy customers! Constant pressure is critical. 45. About equipment Review If the equipment below is the same, then which do you think has the greater application pressure (A or B)? Why? A B 46. About equipment Review Which gives better coverage (A or B)? Which should be used for a contact pesticide (A or B)? A B 47. About equipment We have seen that droplet size is affected by nozzle type and pressure Weve seen that smaller droplets lead to better coverage, but. If too small, you get drift 48. About equipment What is drift? Drift is when product moves through the air away from the target crop to other areas Drift increases as wind speed increases, and As droplet size decreases 49. About equipment Is Drift good or bad or it doesnt matter? Bad Drift wastes product and potentially endangers other crops, people and the environment. How do you reduce drift? Avoid spraying in high winds Avoid excessive application pressure and very small droplets 50. About equipment What are the best wind conditions to spray in? It doesnt matter Only when there is no wind Only when there is a light breeze Only when there is a strong breeze 51. About equipment Approx. air speed (m/s) Description Visible signs Spraying