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By Tony L. Cofer, Division Director, Pesticide Management, Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries
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The label on a pesticide package or container and the accompanying instructions are a key part of pesticide regulation. The label provides critical information about how to handle and safely use the pesticide product and to avoid harm to human health and the environment. It has been said that, "The label is the law." This means that using a pesticide in a manner that is inconsistent with the use directions on the label is a violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and can result in enforcement actions. Any use not indicated on the label is prohibited, including using products on crops that are not listed on the label. The information found on the label has passed strict government requirements. The label itself, not just the pesticide product, must be registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the ADAI before it is used. EPA reviews and approves each statement that is on the label. The pesticide and the label are registered by EPA and ADAI only when the applicators, consumers and the environment will be protected. Getting a single pesticide ready for registration can take seven to nine years and usually costs the chemical company $20–$40 million dollars. Surely if it costs that much, the label is worth reading! The liability involved in the misapplication of pesticides can be costly. Regulatory penalties, damage or loss of your turf, lawsuits from homeowners or your own workers, and the loss of the reputation of your industry can be devastating to the livehood of an individual business or the industry as a whole. Using the right product on the right crop at the right rate helps protect you, your workers and your business.
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Alabama Turf Times >>> Fa l l 2010
was the farm manager's worst nightmare. Upon inspecting a recently treated field, the sight of severely damaged turfgrass was unnerving. As he walked out of the field, all he could think was, “What could have possibly happened to this grass?” Returning to the farm's main shop, the manager pulled a copy of the pesticide's label out of the file and carefully reviewed it. Then, after talking with the employee who made the pesticide application, the answer was apparent. The pesticide was applied at the incorrect rate; in fact, it was applied at twice the rate suggested by the label. The employee explained that last season when he applied this same product, there was no injury. Why? In order to save money on the cost of shipping the product to retail agrichemical dealers, the pesticide's manufacturer had doubled the amount of active ingredient contained in the product's new formulation. If only the manager and employee had reviewed the content of the new label — most importantly, the Directions for Use section — there would likely have been no crop injury. Besides unacceptable crop injury or death, illegal residues can be created by misapplication of pesticides, and such misuses are subject to regulatory action because of off-label use. Unfortunately, these are common mistakes that occur with dramatic effects. The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) regulates and enforces the sale and use of pesticides. ADAI regulates pesticides and pesticide use by certifying pesticide applicators, licensing companies and enforcing the pesticide-labeling requirements.