The Importance of Forest Vegetation Management

Forests make up 33% or 747 million acres of the US and play an important part in the environment and our livelihoods. Today, when forests are mentioned, it is usually in connection with forest fires. Other times, we rarely think about forests even thoughthey are extremely vital for our existence and must be protected. Within […]

How to Improve Pesticide Solution pH Using Buffering Agents

When a pesticide is applied to control a pest according to label instructions it may not work as expected. When it doesn’t work, the assumption may range from a highly complex one, such as in the occurrence of pesticide resistance, toa simple one, such as the pesticide spray water being at the wrong pH. Pesticide […]

Pesticide Resistance Management

When a pest becomes resistant to a pesticide, the resistant pest can become a serious threat to our livelihoods, especially when the pesticide it is resistant to is the most widely one used for control. One example is glyphosate. Glyphosate (Roundup) was first marketed in the 1970s as a nonselective herbicide. With little herbicide resistance […]

The Importance of CalibrationforPesticide Application

Pesticide application is a work of precision that is essential to successful pest management and our livelihood. Millions of dollars go towards research to determine the application rate of a pesticide for a particular pest situation. Precise rates of pesticides must be applied to provide effective pest control. Effective pest control depends on the correct […]

Safe Pesticide Handling and Signal Words

One of the first words that everyone probably learns in life is “NO”. ‘No’ is a signal word that indicates to a person to not do something. If the signal word is ignored, there are likely to be consequences. Fast forward from the first signal word to several more signal words we are all accustomed […]

Reducing Pesticide Spray Drift: 5 Key Aspects

Each spring ushers in new plant growth, some of which we like and some we don’t. Obviously, the plants we don’t like we try to remove using the best available tools at our disposal. Most likely, a herbicide will be applied to control the unwanted plants. Whether it is a homeowner applying herbicides to their […]

The Importance and Benefits of Preventative Weed Control

For most of us, disease prevention is a no brainer. Whether it’s getting a vaccine to prevent a serious disease or taking medicine that helps the body prevent illnesses, prevention is preferred to having to deal with illness. Can the same logic be applied to preventative weed control? In a perfect world, crop production managers […]

Basal Bark Treatment: What is it and how is it used?

The spring season ushers in new growth, someof it good and others not so good. The good: Trees are lush with leaves, lawns grow, and April showers bring forth May flowers. How beautiful it is when spring arrives! The not so good: Breaking the serene landscape, weedy and invasive plants emerge to fill whatever space […]

Adjuvants 101: Nonionic Surfactants

Managers of land and aquatic systems have something in common. That is, they must manage vegetation at some point during the year. Perhaps it is weedy plants in crops, unwanted plants in lakes or ponds, invasive plants on rangelands, or unwanted vegetation in forest undergrowth. For each of these instances, control of plants is the […]

What is Methylated Seed Oil and How Does it Work?

The control of weedy and invasive plants is a battle that is fought by many managers of terrestrial and aquatic habitats. This battle must be waged to prevent the proliferation and establishment of weedy and invasive plants that lower the potential of a variety of habitats. In addition, uncontrolled weedy and invasive plants can impact […]