A key component of integrated pest management (IPM) is the appropriate use of pesticides. Understanding how to read, interpret, and follow instructions on a pesticide label is critical for effective use of a product. A free EPA webinar provides tips…

Early spring is the start of alfalfa weevil season, and treatments are beginning to be applied to control this pest. There have been reports of poor weevil control with pyrethroid insecticides in some fields. There can be several reasons why…

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide that was used in many agricultural systems to protect plants, as well as for protection of seeds stored after harvest. Chlorpyrifos was first registered in 1965. It has been used for a large variety of…

As winter begins to wind down, growers need to get their equipment ready for the coming growing season. When it is time to begin spraying and planting, you don’t want to spend precious time fixing and repairing equipment. It is…

February is National Pesticide Safety Education month. This is a time to reinforce the core principles of safe and responsible pesticide use with many audiences. Pesticides are key tools used to manage a diverse group of pests, diseases, and weeds.…

Last August, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) announced that all food tolerances for chlorpyrifos would be revoked. This will take effect on February 28, 2022.  After the tolerances are revoked, applications of chlorpyrifos will render any food so treated as…

For many, applying pesticides can be a routine task. You go through the steps of donning PPE, checking equipment, measuring out pesticides and water, making the actual application, cleaning equipment and yourself, as well as notifying workers and recordkeeping. But…

Pesticides are not cheap and represent a significant investment for many agricultural producers and others who use pesticides regularly. Generally, most pesticides are intended to have a 2 to 3 year storage life. Too much time in storage or poor…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention is offering trainings through their on-line Integrated Pest Management webinar series. These have been approved for commercial pesticide applicators CEU credit through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the registration, distribution, sale, and use of pesticides by their authority through the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). There are two types of certified pesticide applicators defined by FIFRA: private and commercial…

Inherently, pesticides have some risks to the environment, the plants or animals being protected, consumers, and/or the applicator. Those pesticides with higher risks have been designated Restricted Use Pesticides (RUP), which require training and certification for their users, while pesticides…

This month, ALG Health released a notification for a temporary stop-sale of all their NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) products (including respirators) until their non-conformance investigation is completed. ALG Health noted on the NIOSH website that these…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last week that they are revoking all food tolerances for chlorpyrifos. This will take effect 6 months after the announcement of the Federal Register. This is the Notice of Intent to Cancel these food…

There have been several reports of dicamba off-target movement onto soybean and other sensitive crops reported over the last two weeks in parts of Kentucky.   Despite four years of applicator training and three label changes to enhance restrictions and nullify…