Before heading out to the fields this spring, here is a quick review on how to read chemical labels and some of the things to look out for. Handling and using chemicals properly will help prevent dangerous situations for yourself and the environment.
All chemical labels will contain a variety of information including the chemical trade name, chemical common name, chemical name and the application rate. The trade name is the name the product is sold under. The common name identifies the active ingredients that are found in the chemical, and the chemical name describes the active ingredients.
Chemical rates can be given in terms of active ingredient per acre. To calculate the active ingredient per acre, look at the example below. The product formulation represents the amount in pounds of active ingredient per gallon of chemical. Multiply the product formulation by the amount of product per acre to find the amount of active ingredient per acre.
The product formulation is calculated a little differently depending on whether you are using liquid or dry chemicals. For dry chemicals, divide the pounds per acre of active ingredient by its concentration in the product.
For example, if 2 pounds of active ingredients are needed per acre and the product is a 75 percent powder, you will divide 2 by.75 to get 2.67 pounds. This is the amount of powder needed per acre.
Liquid chemical labels, on the other hand, may give the concentration in the acid equivalent. Divide the pounds per acre of acid equivalent that is needed by the pounds per gallon the product contains.
Some of the terms you should be familiar with when working around chemicals include the active ingredient, other ingredients, mode of action and mechanism of action. Chemical labels will typically contain these types of information that can help you with your plan of action.
Active ingredient dictates the amount of non-acid chemical in the formulation. The active ingredient in an herbicide is the part of the chemical that kills weeds and normally makes up a small portion of the whole chemical.
Other ingredients typically serve some function other than what the active ingredient does. For example, the other ingredients may increase shelf-life or help spread the product more evenly on plant surfaces.
A chemical’s mode of action describes which plant processes will be affected by the application. Some examples of these processes include absorption, translocation and metabolism.
The mechanism of action, also known as the site of action, refers to the biochemical site within a plant where the herbicide directly interacts.
It is important to follow safety guidelines when working with chemicals and to use personal protective equipment. This will help protect you from coming in direct contact with harmful chemicals that can be hazardous to your health.
It is important to always read the chemical label before each use and to ensure the chemical is appropriate for your application. Using the right chemical is not enough though, it is equally as important to use the recommended amount of chemical for each application. Working outside of the label and manufacturer recommendations can cause injury to the plants and can be harmful to yourself.
The Environmental Protection Agency is currently pushing for a web-distributed labeling system as part of an initiative to improve pesticide labeling. According to the EPA’s website, the new approach would largely replace the paper-based system and relies on the applicator to contact an official pesticide labeling website or call a toll-free number to obtain proper instructions for the chemical’s use.
Understand label contents
All chemical labels will contain a variety of information including the chemical trade name, chemical common name, chemical name and the application rate. The trade name is the name the product is sold under. The common name identifies the active ingredients that are found in the chemical, and the chemical name describes the active ingredients.
Chemical rates can be given in terms of active ingredient per acre. To calculate the active ingredient per acre, look at the example below. The product formulation represents the amount in pounds of active ingredient per gallon of chemical. Multiply the product formulation by the amount of product per acre to find the amount of active ingredient per acre.
The product formulation is calculated a little differently depending on whether you are using liquid or dry chemicals. For dry chemicals, divide the pounds per acre of active ingredient by its concentration in the product.
For example, if 2 pounds of active ingredients are needed per acre and the product is a 75 percent powder, you will divide 2 by.75 to get 2.67 pounds. This is the amount of powder needed per acre.
Liquid chemical labels, on the other hand, may give the concentration in the acid equivalent. Divide the pounds per acre of acid equivalent that is needed by the pounds per gallon the product contains.
Chemical purpose and how it works
Some of the terms you should be familiar with when working around chemicals include the active ingredient, other ingredients, mode of action and mechanism of action. Chemical labels will typically contain these types of information that can help you with your plan of action.
Active ingredient dictates the amount of non-acid chemical in the formulation. The active ingredient in an herbicide is the part of the chemical that kills weeds and normally makes up a small portion of the whole chemical.
Other ingredients typically serve some function other than what the active ingredient does. For example, the other ingredients may increase shelf-life or help spread the product more evenly on plant surfaces.
A chemical’s mode of action describes which plant processes will be affected by the application. Some examples of these processes include absorption, translocation and metabolism.
The mechanism of action, also known as the site of action, refers to the biochemical site within a plant where the herbicide directly interacts.
Chemical safety
It is important to follow safety guidelines when working with chemicals and to use personal protective equipment. This will help protect you from coming in direct contact with harmful chemicals that can be hazardous to your health.
It is important to always read the chemical label before each use and to ensure the chemical is appropriate for your application. Using the right chemical is not enough though, it is equally as important to use the recommended amount of chemical for each application. Working outside of the label and manufacturer recommendations can cause injury to the plants and can be harmful to yourself.
What’s next with chemical labels?
The Environmental Protection Agency is currently pushing for a web-distributed labeling system as part of an initiative to improve pesticide labeling. According to the EPA’s website, the new approach would largely replace the paper-based system and relies on the applicator to contact an official pesticide labeling website or call a toll-free number to obtain proper instructions for the chemical’s use.
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