Pesticide Toolkit

What is the Pesticide Toolkit?

The Pesticide Toolkit simulates the change of pesticide concentrations after application over time. The simulation of pesticide concentration change is based on the application conditions (weather and elevation) as well as the properties of the specific pesticide that was applied. This information can be used to guide application timing, inform decisions for reapplication, and be used for regulatory purposes. The concentrations predicted by the Pesticide Toolkit are also compared to toxicity thresholds for insects to show how toxic the concentrations on a field are to pollinators over time after application. The Pesticide Toolkit has toxicity data for the honeybee and bumblebee, but data for alfalfa weevil, lygus bug, and alfalfa leafcutting bee is coming soon.

Who is this intended for?

• Farmers
  

  Farmers can use the Pesticide Toolkit to get a site- and condition-specific prediction of pesticide concentration after application. This can help guide application timing (morning or evening) based on the properties of the active ingredient of the pesticide used. This can also help guide decisions for reapplication.

• Regulators
  

  Regulators can use the Pesticide Toolkit to investigate recommendations for the pre-harvest interval (PHI), the re-entry interval (REI), and other timelines that are dependent on the rate of pesticide dissipation.

• Researchers
  

  Researchers can use the Pesticide Toolkit to assist with planning field work in terms of timing and the pesticide to study. The simulation of field work can guide decisions about sampling times as well as indicate the most critical application conditions to record over the study (specific weather conditions and plant properties).