Benefits of keeping lawn pesticide records
Our warm-season lawns should be at their peak of
performance over the next couple of months with adequate cultural practices
of fertility, watering, mowing and pest management.
Pest management is often neglected until the lawn is in
serious trouble. Scouting for insects and diseases should be a part of
your weekly lawn activities just as mowing.
Do you keep records of pesticide applications to your home
lawn? There are many benefits to thorough record keeping on the pesticides
we apply to our home lawns.
- Effectiveness – use your records to analyze your
pest management program. What works and what does not work.
- Resolve pesticide failures – recorded information
will help determine causes of poor product performance due to timing,
rates, environmental conditions, etc.
- Improve purchasing abilities – records will help
in purchasing correct amounts for following years. You’ll save
money and eliminate excess pesticide disposal problems.
- Determine carryover injury – records are necessary
to evaluate the what, when, where, and how much was applied.
- Document your legal use – accurate records are
your best defense if you are accused of an improper application that
causes drift or personal injury.
- Provides medical emergency information – if an
accident does occur, records can provide medical personnel treatment
information.
Published June 22, 2009
Dr. Wayne Wells is an Extension Professor and Turfgrass
Specialist. His mailing address is Department of Plant and Soil Sciences,
Mail Stop 9555, Mississippi State, MS 39762. wwells@ext.msstate.edu