Chemical Safety April 7, 2012 John and Mitchie Moe Master Rosarians Pacific Northwest District American Rose Society Revised February 2015

This program is eligible for one CR credit if pre-approved by the District and National CR Chairs. An American Rose Society Presentation © 2015

Acknowledgements Several charts and graphs obtained from the internet Credits listed where available All photos by authors, except where credits are given An excellent source – Consulting Rosarian Manual, from The American Rose Society No commercial use of this program please!

Pest Control Basics Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a decision process that uses regular monitoring to determine if and when treatments are needed. Basic elements of IPM  A decision whether to treat  A decision when to treat  A decision of how to treat  Evaluation and review of the decisions made At one extreme – a very avid exhibitor will quickly determine to spray and eliminate whatever is affecting his or her roses! At the other end – one that wants to reduce/eliminate chemical use, and will accept whatever Mother Nature gives. Both are practicing IPM, what differs will be the results. So, even if you are not an avid exhibitor but are going to spray, let’s take a look at what’s involved from the safety aspect.

You see this on a Rose Leaf What are you looking at? If you said downy mildew, you are correct Once seen, it is generally too late to prevent severe leaf drop Can defoliate a plant in a day or so, and spread quickly to others So, what are you going to do? Severely prune heavily infected and defoliated plants Destroy all cut material, spores can live for a month Treatment generally requires a very potent and costly fungicide for several days Gail Trimble Irregular blotches that generally tend to follow leaf veins

Types of Garden Chemicals Pesticide – “any chemical used for killing insects, weeds, etc.” (generic term)  Insecticide – kills insects  Fungicide – kills fungi  Miticide (Acaricides) – kills mites  Herbicide – kills weeds and plants  Rodenticide – kills rodents

First Read the Label! siri.org

What Does a Pesticide Label tell You? A B C D E F GH A – Brand name B – Where used & what for C – Specific pest it controls D – Ingredients toxic to pest E – Manufacturer’s info F – Signal Word Caution – least toxic Warning – moderately toxic Danger – highly toxic G – EPA Registration Number (Nice to have in an emergency) H – Amount in container Extension Service West VA Univ

What Else Does the Label Tell You? A B C D E F HG A – Potential hazards to humans and domestic animals B – First Aid C – Potential hazards to wildlife and environment D – Protective clothing to wear while using E – The Label is the Law! F – How to mix and use G – Storage and disposal H – Peel to view additional instructions on some Extension Service West VA Univ

Toxicity of Pesticides Toxicity means “how poisonous”  Commonly used measure is LD-50 Lethal dose to kill 50% of the study population The lower the number, the more poisonous Expressed in milligrams (mg) of material per kilogram (kg) of body weight LD-50 values are usually not shown on the label, but the relative toxicity is reflected by one of the three signal words. Signal word is assigned based on the oral, dermal or inhalation toxicity, whichever is the most toxic!

Signal Words & LD-50 (dermal) Danger and Poison – Highly toxic  mg/kg Warning – Moderately toxic  200 – 2,000 mg/kg Caution – Slightly toxic  2000 – 20,000 mg/kg Caution – Toxic  Over 20,000 mg/kg

How Pesticides Enter The Body UC Davis Environmental Toxicology

How Pesticides Enter The Body (cont.) Oral  Taken by mistake when eating/smoking while mixing or during and after spraying Dermal (through the skin)  Most common cause of pesticide poisoning  Very dangerous in concentrated form Inhalation (respiratory)  Breathing the vapors when mixing in enclosed area Ocular (eyes)  Not mentioned in CR manual, but some fungicides can cause permanent eye damage. Read the label!

A Dangerous Old Insecticide Black Leaf 40 Had 40% Nicotine Oral LD-50 of 50! Highly Toxic Out in 1992, but derivatives can still be found whyquit.com Don’t mess with this one!

One of the least toxic pesticides Insecticidal Soap Photo by Baldo Villegas

Some Common Chemicals and their Signal Words

Handling Chemicals Try to buy quantity needed for season Keep chemicals in original container! Store in a secure, dark & dry location - away from children and pets Never recommend a restricted chemical Do not split chemicals with friends! Wear proper protection

Safe Storage & a No-No! Not the original container! Photo by Baldo Villegas

Mixing Chemicals First - Read the label! Mix what is needed & to directions! Avoid mixing more than one chemical unless compatible Wear protective clothing including rubber gloves Mix in well ventilated area Skin contact with concentrates is especially dangerous Know first aid treatment before you start!

MSDS Sheet

Personal Protection When Spraying Most commonly called for by the label Cap Safety glasses Respirator Rubber gloves Long sleeve shirt Pants (no shorts) Sturdy shoes (no open toe or sneakers)

Dress For Added Protection For additional protection Add the following: Nitrile gloves Tyvek suit Rubber boots

Spraying Chemicals Identify problem - use proper chemical (least toxic) Water well before spraying – reduce plant stress Protect children and pets Never spray on windy or very hot days Spray undersides + tops of leaves for best results Wash hands and face immediately after spraying! Clean and store equipment Be a good neighbor

Fungicide Types Broad spectrum – multi-site surface protectants, which do not enter the leaf  Primary use is to limit further spread of infection as spores germinate  Commonly used – Daconil ®, Captan, Bravo ®, Mancozeb, etc.  Sometimes called contact fungicides

Fungicide Types (cont.) Single-site – locally systemic which do enter the leaves to prevent infection  Chemicals penetrate as long as leaf is wet  Single target site of fungal activity  There is not one that will do it all. Some effective for one, some for others  Commonly used – Rose Pride ®, Immunox ®, Cleary’s 3336, Banner Maxx®

Questions? Thank you!

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