Join UC IPM at the West Side Research and Extension Center for a ½ day workshop. While the focus will be regulatory update (providing 1 hour of Laws and Regulations CEU), a review and discussion of key pests in almond's and cotton will be highlighted.

Ant management in almonds and current stink bug status in cotton and vegetable crops will be discussed.

The new IPM Decision Support Tool will also be highlighted and the opportunity to try it out on your phone or tablet!

For details, click here.

What:IPM Workshop and Chlorpyrifos Update

Where: Deiner Hall, West Side Field Station, 17353 W. Oakland Ave, Five Points, CA

When: Tuesday, October 13, 2015, 8:00 AM – Noon

Breakfast and coffee available at 8 AM

Hope to see you there.

The UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) put together a 26-page card set in English and Spanish on understanding pesticide labels. Intended for pesticide handlers, applicators, safety trainers, and pest control advisers (PCAs), the cards explain when to read the label, describe what kind of information can be found in each section of a pesticide label, and point out specific instruction areas so that applicators can apply pesticides safely and avoid illegal pesticide residues.

Traces of pesticide residue are normal and even expected after pesticides are applied to food crops, but by the time produce is ready to be sold, purchased, and consumed, residues are usually far below the legal limit.

In its latest report from 2013, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) reported that there was little or no detectable pesticide residue in 97.8% of all California-grown produce. This demonstrates a strong pesticide regulation program and pesticide applicators that apply pesticides safely and legally. However, there have been instances in California where a pesticide not registered for a specific crop has been used unintentionally, resulting in illegal residues and eventually crop loss and destruction.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets tolerances for the maximum amount of pesticide residue that can legally be allowed to remain on or in food.

DPR regularly monitors domestic and imported produce for pesticide residues and is considered the most extensive state residue-monitoring program in the nation.

The primary way pesticide applicators can assure that they make proper applications and avoid illegal pesticide residues is to follow the pesticide label. UC IPM's new card set was developed from information in the upcoming third edition of The Safe and Effective Use of Pesticides as well as Lisa Blecker, UC IPM's Pesticide Safety Education Program coordinator. Bound with a spiral coil, this eye-catching instructional card set was designed for both English-speakers and when flipped over, for Spanish-speaking audiences as well. UC IPM also plans to release a new online course on preventing illegal pesticide residues sometime late fall.

To download copies of the card set in English or in Spanish, see the UC IPM web site.

As summer continues to heat up, keep in mind that regulations remain in effect to reduce the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can be emitted into the atmosphere by pesticides and other harmful chemicals and contribute to the amount of ozone or smog in the environment.  

Calculators from the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) that determine the VOC emissions from fumigant and non-fumigant pesticides before application are available to help growers, pest control advisers, and pesticide applicators comply with the regulations. The UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program provides a link to these calculators from each of the treatment tables in the UC Pest Management Guidelines. Click on the Air Quality – Calculate emissions button.

Take steps to reduce VOCs. Avoid emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulations as they release the highest VOC emissions. Pesticide control advisers and growers can also reduce VOC emissions by employing IPM practices such as using resistant varieties, traps, exclusion, and biological control. When using pesticides, spot-treat and seek low-emission materials. Solid formulations, such as granules or powders, are best.

Check the fact sheet on the DPR web site for the most up-to-date-information on VOC restrictions and regulations.

It's that time of year when volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions released from nonfumigant pesticide applications

 Here are highlights from Pam Wofford, Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), regarding the San Joaquin Valley. Pest control advisers cannot recommend and growers cannot use:

• high-VOC products containing abamectin, chlorpyrifos, gibberellins, or oxyfluorfen
• between May 1 and October 31, 2015 and again for May – Oct. 2016
• for alfalfa, almond, citrus, cotton, grape, pistachio, or walnut

 Review the updated factsheet for nonfumigant regulations, available on the DPR website. Limited, specific exceptions are allowed. For exceptions, a PCA recommendation is required.

 No regulations affect the use of low-VOC products. Pest control dealer requirements remain unchanged, as do fumigant VOC requirements.

 Nonfumigant VOC emissions regulations for the San Joaquin Valley strive to maintain VOC emissions below the state implementation plan goal of 18.1 tons/day. In 2013, emissions increased to 18.28 tons/day from 16.26 tons/day in 2012.

 View the 2013 VOC inventory for a report on all five ozone nonattainment areas on the DPR website. In addition to state implementation goals, there are VOC regulation benchmark goals to reduce emissions by 12 to 20% from emission levels in 1990. In 2013, VOC levels were reduced 11 to 88%.

 VOC resources:

• Department of Pesticide Regulation VOC information
• Nonfumigant pesticide product VOC information
• UC IPM VOC: learn to minimize emissions and use DPR's VOC calculators
• UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines

o   Alfalfa

o   Almond

o   Citrus

o   Cotton

o   Grape

o   Pistachio

o  Walnut