1. PESTICIDES AND PROTECTING YOUR ENVIROMENT

2. Effects on and in the immediate environment?
When using pesticides, what are the….
Non- target species
Pest susceptibility
Effects on and in the immediate environment?
Weather
Soil type
SENSITIVE AREAS

4. ON OR IN SOIL, PLANTS, CLOTHING, ANIMALS
Pesticide Movement
ON OR IN SOIL, PLANTS, CLOTHING, ANIMALS
AIR - DROPLETS
WATER

5. Vapor or Chemical Drift
Droplets
Vapor
Pesticide bound to dust or soil
Physical Drift
Vapor or Chemical Drift

6. Physical Drift & Droplet Size
Smaller
Larger

7. Comparison of Micron Sizes (approximate)
#2 Pencil lead
paper clip
staple
toothbrush bristle
sewing thread
human hair

9. Nozzle Drop Size Classes
Very Fine to Fine < 200 um
Medium to Coarse – 200 to 450 um
Very Coarse > 450 um

10. Tip Spray Selection by Drop Size
Turbo TeeJet Flat-fan
This slide represents an example of the choices an applicator would have within a single nozzle type. If the label suggested a medium sized spray droplet and the applicator wanted to use the specific nozzle type shown, then all the light blue areas in this particular chart would represent a proper selection. This would allow for maximum flexibility as application conditions changed form day to day and even during the day. As an example, as wind speed increased, or the temperature increased and humidity dropped, choosing to operate at a lower pressure making bigger drops should minimize the drift potential.

11. Sources of Spray Mist or Fines
Aerodynamic Effects
Air friction due to speed of the application vehicle causes additional production of small droplets

12. Sources of Spray Mist or Fines
Secondary Break-Up
Droplet elongation and fracture produces small droplets \

13. Sources of Spray Mist or Fines
Aerodynamic Effects
Air friction due to speed of the application vehicle is dependent upon the nozzle orientation angle. 90o produces the greatest number of small droplets
Movement

14. Spray Tip Height

15. WIND
Moves the droplets!

16. Driftability of Spray Droplets of Varying Sizes
3 mph
20 m
50 m
100 m
150 m m
8 ft ft ft ft ft.
10 feet \

17. Air Temperature & Evaporation
77oF

18. 2nd Type of Drift
Chemical Drift
Vapor Drift
Pesticide Volatility

19. Vapor Drift Pesticide changes into a gas -- the pesticide evaporates!!
Moves from the target area
Vapor drift, also known as chemical drift and occurs when a pesticide changes from its liquid or solid state in to a gas. Once the pesticide evaporates, or volatizes, it can move from the target area. All pesticides are prone to physical drift as spray droplets, but some pesticides like the herbicides 2,4-D ester and MCPA ester can produce damaging vapors due to their ability to convert readily to a gas at a given temperature. Up to 30% of a volatile pesticide can drift as vapor in the first 30 minutes after application.
Vapor pressure is just one chemical property of a pesticide that affects vapor drift. Vapor pressure is a measure of a pesticides tendency to evaporate.Vapor pressures vary widely among pesticides. The least volatile pesticides are salts and acids while phenols and esters are more prone to vapor drift. The higher the vapor pressure, the more likely a pesticide will volatize.

20. Vapor Pressure Vapor pressures vary widely among pesticides.
The least volatile pesticides:
salts and acids
Pesticide more prone to volatize:
phenols and esters

21. Volatility Conversion of a liquid or solid to a gas
Lower vapor pressure = lower volatility
EPTC – 3.4 x 10-2 mm Hg
Fargo – 1.1 x 10-4 mm Hg
2,4-D ester = 13 mPa
Banvel = 4.5 mPa (9x10-6 mm Hg)
Banvel SGF = 1.6 mPa
Tordon = mPa (6x10-7 mm Hg)
Roundup = mPa (2x10-7 mm Hg

22. Volatility is also affected by:
Weather
High temperatures
2x more 2,4-D ester volatilizes at 80o than 70o
Low humidity = more volatilization
Air Inversions

23. Droplet Size
Wind -- < 10 MPH & away from sensitive areas
Choose formulation wisely
Drift control additives
Apply early morning or late evening. Higher humidity.
Air Inversions!
Avoid high temps > 85 F
Know your surroundings
Calibrate equipment
Mix properly
Read and heed all labels.

24. Pesticide Losses at Application

25. Pesticide Losses In Water
Leaching
Run off
Spills and backsiphoning
Improper disposal

26. Solubility Amount of chemical that can be dissolved into a solution
Expressed as parts per million.
> 30 ppm means high solubility = high tendency to leach or runoff.
Tordon =
2,4-D = 890
Assert = 1370
Ally/Escort
1750 (pH 5)
2790 (pH 7)
213,000 (pH 9) 
Paraquat = 7000
Roundup = 15,700
900,000

27. Runoff vs. Leaching

28. Adsorption The binding of a pesticide molecule to a soil particle
Mostly due to organic matter that coats the soil particle
More organic matter = more binding by less-soluble pesticides

30. Koc of Common Pesticides
Banvel – 2
Stinger – 6
Pursuit – 10
Tordon – 16
2,4-D – 20
Assert – 35 to 66
2,4-D Ester – 100
MCPA – 110
Broadstrike - 700
Methyl Parathion – 5100
Lorsban
Treflan – 7000
Roundup – 24,000 *
Buctril – 10,000
Capture – 216,500
Paraquat – 1,000,000
* binds tight but also highly water soluble

31. Some things to ponder Read the label! Calibrate! Calibrate! Calibrate!
Look for restrictions based on soil type. Example – restrictions on loamy sand to sandy soils.
Calibrate! Calibrate! Calibrate!
Do not over apply
Know the soil type in the area you are spraying. Conduct a soil test….

32. Texturing your soils

34. Even a jar test will give you an idea!

35. Persistence (Residual)
Degradation
Microbes (#1)
pH (#2)
Sunlight
Rate applied
Degraded over time to produce CO2, H2O, N, P, Su,
Expressed as “half-life.”
Time required for that substance to degrade to one-half its previous concentration.

36. Degradation values of some common pesticides (1/2 life in days)
Malathion - 1
2,4-D - 10
Banvel – 14
Ally, Amber – 30
Stinger - 40
Assert – 45
Roundup - 47
Tordon – 90 to 180
Spike - 360
Paraquat – 1000

37. Protecting Water Resources

38. Protect your wells!

39. Protecting Water Resources
Practice IPM
Environmental considerations
Well Locations?
Calibrate and use only what is needed
Mix and load carefully
Prevent back-siphoning
Consider the weather
Select, store and dispose of pesticides carefully

40. Disposal of Pesticides & Containers
Know the size of the area you want to spray.
Know how to calibrate a sprayer.
Know how to mix pesticides
Buy mix, apply and store only what you need!!

41. Triple Rinsing Containers

42. Triple Rinsing Containers
Triple rinsed within hours of being emptied
Must be triple rinsed for landfill disposal
Never use pesticide containers for other purposes
Burning of pesticide containers is not allowed

43. Montana Department of Agriculture Waste Pesticide Program