Pesticide Types & Formulations Flashcards

Insect growth regulators (IGRs) control pest populations by:

Answer: Disrupting normal development so insects cannot reproduce or mature

IGRs mimic or interfere with insect hormones, preventing larvae from molting properly or adults from reproducing, breaking the pest life cycle.

Which pesticide formulation type is most commonly used for termiticide soil treatments and requires specialized injection equipment?

Answer: Emulsifiable concentrate (EC) diluted in water

Emulsifiable concentrates diluted in large volumes of water are injected under pressure into the soil to create a continuous termiticide barrier.

A 'selective' herbicide is one that:

Answer: Controls specific types of plants while leaving others unharmed

Selective herbicides are formulated to target specific plant species or types (e.g., grasses vs. broadleaves) at labeled rates without harming others.

Which characteristic makes soluble liquid (SL) concentrates easier to handle than wettable powders (WP)?

Answer: They produce no dust or inhalation hazard during mixing

Soluble liquids eliminate the dust exposure risk associated with handling and pouring dry powders into spray tanks.

What is the main purpose of a 'spreader-sticker' adjuvant when added to a pesticide spray mix?

Answer: To help the pesticide spread across and adhere to leaf surfaces

Spreader-stickers reduce surface tension so the spray droplets spread over waxy leaf surfaces and improve adhesion to prevent washoff.

Pheromone-based pesticide products are primarily used to:

Answer: Monitor pest populations or disrupt mating to reduce reproduction

Pheromone products either attract pests to traps for monitoring purposes or flood the environment to confuse and prevent mating (mating disruption).

When comparing a 4 lb/gal flowable formulation to a 50% wettable powder of the same active ingredient, which statement is generally true?

Answer: The wettable powder requires continuous agitation while the flowable needs only moderate agitation

Wettable powders settle out rapidly and require vigorous continuous agitation, while flowable formulations are more stable suspensions needing only moderate agitation.