About Us
County Impact Statements - Washington County
Extension Programs Promote Safe Use of Pesticides
Pasture weed control is a big concern in Washington County, Arkansas. Dollars
spent on chemical weed control often times offer a greater return to production
than any other single practice. Most of the more effective and widely used
products require a license to purchase.
The State Plant Board has entrusted the Cooperative Extension Service with
the responsibilities of training the people who purchase these chemicals to use
them safely. This involves a training class which lasts around three hours.
Certified applicators are required to attend the class at least once every five
years to keep their license.
The staff at the Washington County Cooperative Extension Service tries each
year to adjust this training as much as possible to specific situations in the
county. The training covers proper pesticide selection, safe use, proper
storage, label directions, equipment care and set up, and disposal of excess
products.
Two field days in Washington County included proper herbicide selection,
application rates, equipment calibration, comparisons of different herbicides,
the use of markers on equipment to ensure uniform applications, and a comparison
of application dates. These field days also encouraged reduced dependence on
chemicals for pest control by encouraging natural biological predators and using
mechanical methods when possible.
Fence row brush control demonstration. Three different products
used to show comparison.
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Impacts
- 174 Producers were certified or re-certified to purchase and use
restricted-use pesticides in 2001.
- 381 Producers were certified or re-certified to purchase and use
restricted-use pesticides in 2000.
- The Ballard Creek steering committee identified army worm identification
and control as a topic needed at the Fall 2001 public meeting.
- Weed identification and chemical control recommendations account for a
lot of the phone calls into the Washington County office.
- The City of Fayetteville created a new policy on pesticide use in parks
based on Extension Service recommendations.
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