The information and recommendations in this Note were developed for North Carolina and may not apply in other areas.
# Current address: University of Buffalo, State University of New York, Department of Family Medicine, Erie County Medical Center, 462 Grider Street, NY 14215
## Current address: University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, P. O. Box 670576, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0576
The information and recommendations in this Note were developed for North Carolina and may not apply in other areas.
Sixteen 2-day certification/licensing schools are held annually by
the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service for commercial
pesticide applicators, public operators and dealers seeking
pesticide licenses. In North Carolina, commercial pesticide
applicators must be certified to buy or apply any pesticide and
dealers must be licensed to sell restricted use pesticides.
Certified commercial applicators and dealers must be recertified
every 5 years. Recertification requirements range from 3 to 10
credit hours per 5 year period, depending on the licensing
specialty (Ornamental & Turf, Structural, etc.). Credits can be
earned by attending professional meetings approved by the North
Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA). Over three hundred
recertification opportunities are offered annually across the
state. Private pesticide applicators (i.e., farmers) must also meet
certification and recertification requirements in North Carolina.
For initial certification, farmers can choose a 4-hour classroom
program, independent programmed instruction, or take a test
administered by the NCDA. For recertification, farmers must
participate in a 2-hour recertification program every 3 years or
pass a recertification test given by the NCDA. For more
information on pesticide certification/recertification programs
in North Carolina, contact your local county Cooperative Extension
Service center or John H. Wilson, Department of Horticultural
Science, North Carolina State University, Box 7609, Raleigh, NC
27695, Telephone: 919/515-3113.
The North Carolina State University (NCSU) College of Agriculture
and Life Sciences sponsors the annual Crop Protection School in
conjunction with the meeting of the Pesticide Association of North
Carolina. At this conference, NCSU faculty and staff discuss
problems, research and recommendations in the areas of pest
management and pesticide application with manufacturers,
formulators, dealers, salesmen, professional agricultural workers
and farm managers. Pesticide recertification credits can be earned
at the 2-day school. The Pest Control Technicians School is
sponsored in association with the North Carolina Pest ControlAssociation. The 3-day school offers pest control technicians the
latest information on pests, pesticide materials, and methods of
application. Pesticide recertification credits can be earned by
attending the school. A separate program during the school
provides instruction for Structural Pest Control certification.
For more information on the Crop Protection School, contact John H.
Wilson, Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State
University, Box 7609, Raleigh, NC 27695, Telephone: 919/515-3113.
For more information on the Pest Control Technicians School,
contact Michael G. Waldvogel, Department of Entomology, North
Carolina State University, Box 7613, Raleigh, NC 27695, Telephone:
919/515-2703.
The North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals Manual, revised and
published annually by the NCSU College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences, contains recommendations for chemical control of
agricultural, household and other pests. Prepared by Extension
specialists and researchers from several departments at NCSU, these
recommendations are based upon information provided on
manufacturers' product labels and performance of pesticide
chemicals in field trials. The manual also includes useful
instructions on pesticide application and safety, and
recommendations for fertilizer use. For further information,
contact the Publications Office, North Carolina State University,
Box 7603, Raleigh, NC 27695, Telephone: 919/515-3173.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) established the National
Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program (NAPIAP) in 1976
for the purpose of providing the most objective and accurate data
available for defining and evaluating benefits and risks of
selected pesticides having critical agricultural and forestry
uses. The NAPIAP uses data on the uses and benefits of
pesticides furnished by Extension specialists and researchers in
North Carolina to support the continuation of federal pesticide
registrations important for production of agricultural crops.
Additional data needed to evaluate the benefits of registered
pesticides and the impact of these chemicals on the environment are
generated by short-term research projects conducted in the state
with funding from the NAPIAP. The Pesticide Impact Assessment
Program in North Carolina also provides up-to-date label
information from pesticide products registered with the U. S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and North Carolina Department
of Agriculture via the National Pesticide Information Retrieval
System. For further information, contact Stephen J. Toth, Jr.,
Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Box
7613, Raleigh, NC 27695, Telephone: 919/515-2703.
Potential sales of pesticides for pest control on fruits,
vegetables, nuts, herbs and other minor crops are often so small
that pesticide manufacturers are not willing to devote the time and
resources necessary to obtain label clearances for these crops.
The Interregional Project 4 (IR-4), a national program involving
the State Agricultural Experiment Stations, USDA, U. S.
Environmental Protection Agency, U. S. Food and Drug
Administration, and pesticide manufacturers, coordinates the
development of residue data to support tolerances for pesticide
residues on minor crops. IR-4 plays a major role in obtaining
label clearances for minor uses of pesticides. North Carolina
State University faculty and staff participate actively in this
program, helping to provide safe, effective methods of pest control
on minor crops in the state. For further information, contact Ross
B. Leidy, Department of Toxicology, North Carolina State
University, Box 8604, Raleigh, NC 27607, Telephone: 919/515-3391.
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, as amended,
contains provisions for the registration of pesticides for special
local needs and for the issuance of exemptions to normal
registration procedures to allow nonregistered uses of pesticides
in special or crisis situations. North Carolina State University
assists the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the state
agency responsible for regulation of pesticides, by providing data
relevant to Special Local Need registrations and Special and Crisis
exemptions and helping to determine when pest outbreaks are serious
enough that Special and Crisis exemptions are needed. For further
information, contact Thomas J. Monaco, Department of Horticultural
Science, North Carolina State University, Box 7609, Raleigh, NC
27695, Telephone: 919/515-3131.
The Pesticide Residue and Analytical Toxicology Laboratory is a
facility of the Department of Toxicology, College of Agriculture
and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University. The primary
responsibility of the laboratory is to provide analytical support
for research on pesticide residues in food, feeds, soil, water, and
other environmental components. Costs of performing residue
analyses prohibit acceptance, on a routine basis, of samples that
are not a part of the planned research program. However, the
laboratory contributes significantly to many research projects
which benefit the citizens of North Carolina. For further
information, contact Ross B. Leidy, Department of Toxicology, North
Carolina State University, Box 8604, Raleigh, NC 27607, Telephone:
919/515-3391.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the land-
grant universities, has established integrated pest management
(IPM) programs in all of the states. The purpose of the IPM
programs is to develop and promote methods for controlling pests
with minimal pesticide use. IPM blends cultural, physical, and
biological pest control methods into a cohesive program to maintain
pest levels below economically damaging levels. Row crops,
horticultural crops, livestock and poultry are included in the
program. The Extension IPM program in North Carolina conducts
training for Extension agents, farmers, agribusiness professionals,
and poultry industry fieldmen. On-farm demonstrations are
conducted in counties to show producers how IPM methods are
implemented and exhibit the results in actual field situations.
In addition, scouting schools, manuals, computer software, slide
sets, and video tapes are used to support IPM programs. For
further information, contact H. Michael Linker, Box 7620,
Department of Crop Science, N. C. State University, Raleigh, NC
27695, Telephone: 919/ 515-5644.
To inform pesticide applicators, agricultural workers and their
families about the selection, use and care of clothing that can
provide protection from pesticide exposure, Cooperative Extension
Service Home Economics Specialists, in conjunction with the
Pesticide Education Specialist, produce a variety of educational
materials. Fact sheets, publications, exhibits, and audiovisual
materials provide information on selection and use of protective
clothing for applying pesticides, and on appropriate techniques for
handling and laundering pesticide-soiled clothing. For further
information, contact Judy Mock or Harriet Jennings, Department of
Home Economics, North Carolina State University, Box 7605, Raleigh,
NC 27695, Telephone: 919/515-2770.
The Agromedicine Program was established through a cooperative
agreement between the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service,
the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences, and the East Carolina University School of Medicine to
promote safe, healthy and efficient food production methods while
enhancing the quality of life of North Carolina citizens. A
special interest of the Agromedicine Program is the acute and
chronic health effects of pesticide exposure. For further
information, contact Ernest Hodgson, Department of Toxicology,
North Carolina State University, Box 7633, Raleigh, NC 27695,
Telephone: 919/515-5295.
A Cooperative Extension Service Specialist in the Department of
Toxicology at North Carolina State University is available as a
resource for information on the toxicity associated with the
various classes of agricultural and other chemicals. Questions
concerning pesticides, dioxin (TCDD), pool disinfectants, solvents
(e.g., benzene), and lead are routinely directed to the Department
of Toxicology. Educational materials on the human health effects
of pesticides, pesticide residues in food, and the risk assessment
process have been prepared for dissemination to the Cooperative
Extension Service centers and the public. Faculty of the
Toxicology Department at NCSU also participate in the Agromedicine
Program, a collaborative effort with the East Carolina University
School of Medicine to prevent agriculture-related injuries. For
further information, contact Mary Beth St. Clair, Department of
Toxicology, North Carolina State University, Box 7633, Raleigh, NC
27695, Telephone: 919/515-5296.
The effects of pesticide use on non-target wildlife populations has
concerned wildlife enthusiasts for decades. Pesticide use can harm
wildlife populations directly through mortality, or indirectly by
reducing food or cover. Although newer pesticides are generally
safer, some pesticides used in North Carolina have been involved in
wildlife die-off incidents. Thus, farmers need reliable
information on pest management practices that will minimize the
potential impacts of pesticides on wildlife. To address this need,
the Department of Zoology at North Carolina State University and
the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service publish crop-
specific fact sheets. Since many aspects of the effects of
pesticide use on wildlife are unknown or undocumented, research is
conducted on the effects of typical farm practices, including
pesticide use, on the bobwhite quail. For further information,
contact Peter T. Bromley, Department of Zoology, North Carolina
State University, Box 7646, Raleigh, NC 27695, Telephone: 919/515-
7587.
The residents of North Carolina, like most Americans, are concerned
about the quality of their ground and surface waters. In response
to this concern, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
has adopted water quality as a major program initiative. Four
components of the water quality initiative are: waste management
and utilization, residential water quality, nonpoint source water
pollution control, and public policy. The latter three components
address the prevention of pesticide contamination of water.
Educational programs are directed at pesticide users (farm and
nonfarm), pesticide dealers, well water users, and others. The
emphases of these educational programs are on eliminating
unnecessary pesticide use, proper selection and handling of
pesticides, well-head protection, and soil and water management.
The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service works closely with
local, state, and federal agencies in these efforts. For further
information, contact Frank J. Humenik, Department of Biological and
Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, Box
7625, Raleigh, NC 27695, Telephone: 919/515-2675.
Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University at Raleigh, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.
Web page last modified on August 14, 1996 by Stephen J. Toth, Jr.