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Publication #PI-127

 

Licensing of Agricultural Row Crop Pesticide Applicators in Florida 1

Frederick M. Fishel2

This document explains the licensing and regulation of persons who apply pesticides to agricultural row crops in Florida, as regulated by the Florida Pesticide Law (Chapter 487), and administered by the Florida Department of Consumer Services.

Agricultural Row Crop Pest Control

All persons who apply or supervise the application of restricted use pesticides to agricultural row crops must have a pesticide applicator license issued by the Bureau of Compliance Monitoring/Pesticide Certification Section. The Agricultural Row Crop Pest Control category is regulated by the Florida Pesticide Law (Chapter 487).

Category Certification Standards

Applicators seeking a license in this category must demonstrate practical knowledge of:

  • agricultural row crops and associated pests;

  • the chemical control measures that pertain to the prevention or control of such pests;

  • the equipment or methodologies used to safely and effectively implement such measures;

  • the potential for pesticide residues on such crops;

  • preharvest application intervals;

  • post-application reentry interval restrictions;

  • phytotoxicity;

  • pesticide-related soil or water problems;

  • potential for pesticide-induced environmental contamination; and

  • non-target injury and community problems that may result from the improper use of pesticides in agricultural row crop production.

Applicators in this category shall also demonstrate practical knowledge of:

  • the procedures and equipment used to apply pesticides with irrigation water through an irrigation system;

  • calibration of equipment for applying pesticides with irrigation water;

  • proper design, use, and maintenance of anti-siphon devices and check valves to prevent pesticide contamination of water supplies;

  • proper interpretation of pesticide label or labeling requirements for products registered for chemigation; and

  • appropriate use of personal protective equipment associated with this type of application.

License classification

Certified agricultural row crop pest control applicators may be licensed as either public applicators or commercial applicators. These are the major differences:

  • A public applicator is a licensed applicator employed by a public or governmental agency. The license is only valid when performing work for the public or governmental agency. The public applicator fee for a four-year license is $100.

  • A commercial applicator is a licensed applicator who is licensed to apply restricted-use pesticides on any property provided they are certified in the category for which the applications are made. A commercial applicator is usually a contract applicator. The commercial applicator fee for a four-year license is $250.

Examinations

Persons must successfully complete two examinations before they can apply to the Department for a license. These examinations are a Core examination and an Agricultural Row Crop Pest Control category examination. The Core examination may be taken at any University of Florida IFAS County Extension Office. The Agricultural Row Crop Pest Control examination may be taken at a University of Florida IFAS County Extension Office that offers category examinations. No special qualifications must be met to take the examination. There is no fee to take the examinations.

Figure 1. 

Applying Pesticides Correctly - SM 1


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Figure 2. 

Agricultural Row Crop Pest Control - SM 05


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Study materials

Manuals and study materials for Core and Agricultural Row Crop Pest Control applicators who will be taking exams may be obtained from the UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore by calling 1-800-226-1764 or on-line at http://www.ifasbooks.ufl.edu/merchant2/. The content of the Core exam is based upon the manual, Applying Pesticides Correctly (Figure 1). The content of the Agricultural Row Crop exam is based upon the manual, Agricultural Row Crop Pest Control (Figure 2). Sample labels may be obtained from suppliers of pesticide products.

Recertification

Applicators must recertify every four years. To recertify, applicators may take the examinations again or attend training and obtain 8 continuing education units (CEUs) approved for the Agricultural Row Crop Pest Control category and 4 CEUs approved for the Core category. Core CEUs can't be used to meet the required Agricultural Row Crop Pest Control CEUs. No substitutions of other types of CEUs are allowed. Opportunities to earn CEUs may be found at http://www.flaes.org/.

Restricted use pesticides applied in the Agricultural Row Crop category

Table 1 lists Florida's restricted use pesticides that are applied in the Agricultural Row Crop category and the reason for the restricted classification. A complete listing of all restricted use pesticides in Florida may be viewed at: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PI073.

Additional information

Fishel, F.M. 2005. Restricted use pesticides. UF/IFAS EDIS Fact Sheet PI-36, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PI073.

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Bureau of Compliance Monitoring, Pesticide Licensing Section, 3125 Conner Drive, Bldg. 8, L-29, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650, Phone: 850-617-7850, http://www.flaes.org/complimonitoring/index.html (accessed July 30, 2012).

Florida Statutes, Chapter 487. Florida Pesticide Law. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=Ch0487/ch0487.htm

University of Florida/IFAS Pesticide Information Office, P.O. Box 110710, Bldg. 164, Gainesville, FL 32611-0710, Phone: 352-392-4721, http://pested.ifas.ufl.edu/ (accessed June 20, 2006).

Tables

Table 1. 

Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs) for agricultural row crops in Florida.

Pesticide common name

Criteria for RUP

Abamectin

Toxic to fish, mammals and aquatic organisms. Highly toxic to bees

Aldicarb

Accident history

Atrazine

Ground water contamination potential; worker exposure concerns

Azinphos-methyl

Human inhalation hazard, acute toxicity, hazard to avian, aquatic and mammalian species

Bifenthrin

Toxic to fish and aquatic organisms

Carbofuran

Acute inhalation toxicity; avian toxicity (granular)

Chlorpyrifos

Avian and aquatic toxicity

Cyfluthrin

Acute toxicity to applicators, fish and other aquatic organisms

Cyhalothrin

Environmental data requirements

Cypermethrin

Oncogenicity, hazard to non-target organisms

Deltamethrin

High toxicity to aquatic organisms

Dichlobenil

Conditional

Dichloropropene

Probable human carcinogen, oncogenic, acutely toxic by oral and inhalation routes

Dicrotophos

Acute dermal toxicity, residue effects on avian species

Diflubenzuron

Hazard to wildlife

Ethoprop

Acute dermal toxicity

Fenamiphos

Acute dermal toxicity, avian acute oral toxicity, acute inhalation toxicity

Fenpropathrin

Environmental concerns: toxic to fish and aquatic organisms

Lambda-cyhalothrin

Toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates

Methamidophos

Acute dermal toxicity, residue effects on avian species

Methidathion

Residue effects on avian species

Methomyl

Residue effects on mammalian species, other hazards – accident history

Methyl bromide

Acute toxicity and accident history

Methyl parathion

Residue effects on mammalian and avian species, hazard to bees, acute dermal toxicity

Oxamyl

Acute oral toxicity, acute inhalation toxicity, avian oral toxicity

Oxydemeton methyl

Reproductive effects

Paraquat

Human toxicological data, other hazards - use and accident history

Permethrin

Highly toxic to aquatic organisms, oncogenicity

Phorate

Acute oral and dermal toxicity for granulars, residue effects on avian and mammalian species (foliar application of liquid formulation only), effects on aquatic organisms

Profenofos

Due to high toxicity

Tefluthrin

Environmental concerns

Terbufos

Residue effects on avian species; acute oral and dermal toxicity

Footnotes

1.

This document is PI-127, one of a series of the Pesticide Information Office, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date July 2006. Reviewed August 2012. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Frederick M. Fishel, associate professor, Agronomy Department, and Director, Pesticide Information Office; Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. UF/IFAS does not guarantee or warranty the products named, and references to them in this publication do not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable composition. All chemicals should be used in accordance with directions on the manufacturer's label.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.