Common terms found on pesticide labels, in Safety Data Sheets and in crop-protection guides. 36 entries, listed alphabetically.
- Active ingredient (a.i.)
- The chemical in a product that controls the target pest. Labels list it by name and as a percentage of the product.
- Adjuvant
- A substance added to a spray mix to improve performance, such as a surfactant, crop oil concentrate, drift-reduction agent or water conditioner.
- Acid equivalent (a.e.)
- For weak-acid herbicides (for example glyphosate or 2,4-D), the amount of the parent acid in a salt or ester formulation; used to compare products fairly.
- Band application
- Applying a product in a strip over or beside the crop row rather than over the whole field.
- Broadcast application
- Uniform application over an entire area.
- Buffer zone
- An untreated strip required by a label or regulation to protect water, sensitive crops or habitats.
- Calibration
- Measuring a sprayer's actual output so that the intended volume per area (and therefore the labeled product rate) is applied.
- Carrier
- The liquid (usually water) or dry material used to dilute and deliver a pesticide.
- Contact herbicide
- A herbicide that injures only the plant tissue it touches; it does not move through the plant.
- Drift
- Movement of spray droplets or vapour away from the target site during or after application.
- EC (emulsifiable concentrate)
- A liquid formulation of active ingredient in solvent with emulsifiers; forms a milky emulsion in water.
- Economic threshold
- The pest level at which control is justified because expected loss exceeds the cost of treatment; central to IPM.
- FIFRA
- The U.S. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, the federal law governing pesticide registration, sale and use.
- FRAC / HRAC / IRAC
- Industry committees that classify fungicides, herbicides and insecticides by mode of action. Their group numbers appear on many labels to help rotation.
- GPA
- Gallons per acre, the spray volume applied per acre (L/ha in metric).
- IPM (integrated pest management)
- An approach combining monitoring, thresholds and biological, cultural, mechanical and chemical controls to manage pests economically with the least risk.
- LD50
- The dose of a substance that kills 50% of test animals; lower LD50 means higher acute toxicity.
- Mode of action (MOA)
- The specific biological process a pesticide disrupts in the target organism.
- PHI (pre-harvest interval)
- The minimum time required between the last application and harvest of a crop.
- Post-emergence
- Applied after the crop and/or weeds have emerged.
- PPE
- Personal protective equipment such as gloves, coveralls, eye protection and respirators required by the label.
- Pre-emergence
- Applied before the crop and/or weeds emerge, often to the soil surface.
- REI (restricted-entry interval)
- The time after application during which workers may not enter a treated area without required PPE.
- Resistance
- An inherited ability of a pest population to survive a dose that would normally control it.
- Restricted-use pesticide (RUP)
- A product that may be bought and used only by, or under the direct supervision of, a certified applicator.
- Rinsate
- Water and residue produced by rinsing containers or equipment; usually added back to the spray tank.
- SC (suspension concentrate)
- A liquid formulation of finely ground solid active ingredient suspended in water; also called a flowable.
- SDS (Safety Data Sheet)
- A standardized document describing hazards, handling, storage and emergency measures for a chemical product.
- Signal word
- DANGER, WARNING or CAUTION on a label, indicating relative acute toxicity.
- SL (soluble liquid)
- A formulation that forms a true solution when mixed with water.
- Surfactant
- An adjuvant that reduces surface tension so droplets spread and stick on leaf surfaces.
- Systemic
- A product absorbed and moved within the plant (or animal) to sites away from where it was applied.
- Tank mix
- Combining two or more products in one spray tank; allowed only if all labels permit it and the products are compatible.
- Temperature inversion
- A weather condition where cool air is trapped near the ground under warmer air; fine droplets can hang and drift long distances.
- WG / WDG (water-dispersible granule)
- A dry granular formulation that disperses in water to form a suspension.
- WP (wettable powder)
- A dry, finely ground formulation that is mixed with water to form a suspension; requires agitation.