Natural Resources Conservation Service

Conservation Practice Standard

Pest Management

(Acre)

Code 595

# Definition {#definition .Style-Heading-1-+-Before:--0-pt}

Utilizing environmentally sensitive prevention, avoidance, monitoring
and suppression strategies, to manage weeds, insects, diseases, animals
and other organisms (including invasive and non-invasive species), that
directly or indirectly cause damage or annoyance.

# Purposes

This practice is applied as part of a Resource Management System (RMS)
to support one or more of the following purposes:

-   Enhance quantity and quality of commodities.

-   Minimize negative impacts of pest control on soil resources, water
    resources, air resources, plant resources, animal resources and/or
    humans.

# Conditions Where Practice Applies

Wherever pests will be managed.

# CRITERIA

## General Criteria Applicable to All Purposes

A pest management component of a conservation plan shall be developed.

All methods of pest management must comply with Federal, State, and
local regulations, including management plans for invasive pest species,
noxious weeds and disease vectors. Compliance with the Food Quality
Protection Act (FQPA); Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide
Act (FIFRA); Worker Protection Standard (WPS); and Interim Endangered
Species Protection Program (H7506C) is required for chemical pest
control.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) that strives to balance economics,
efficacy and environmental risk, where available, shall be incorporated
into planning alternatives. (IPM is a sustainable approach to pest
control that combines the use of prevention, avoidance, monitoring and
suppression strategies, to maintain pest populations below economically
damaging levels, to minimize pest resistance, and to minimize harmful
effects of pest control on human health and environmental resources. IPM
suppression systems include biological controls, cultural controls and
the judicious use of chemical controls.) \[State Standards shall
identify commodity-specific IPM available in the State.\]

An appropriate set of mitigation techniques must be planned and
implemented to reduce the environmental risks of pest management
activities in accordance with quality criteria in the local Field Office
Technical Guide. Mitigation techniques include practices like a Filter
Strip or Conservation Crop Rotation, and management techniques like
application method or timing.

All methods of pest management must be integrated with other components
of the conservation plan.

Clients shall be instructed to pay special attention to all
environmental hazards and site-specific application criteria listed on
pesticide labels and contained in Extension and Crop Consultant
recommendations.

## Additional Criteria to Protect Quantity and Quality of Commodities

As an essential component of both commodity-specific IPM and IPM general
principles, clients shall be encouraged to use the minimum level of pest
control necessary to meet their objectives for commodity quantity and
quality.

## Additional Criteria to Protect Soil Resources

In conjunction with other conservation practices, the number, sequence
and timing of tillage operations shall be managed to maintain soil
quality and maintain soil loss at or below the soil loss tolerance (T)
or any other planned soil loss objective. \[State Standards shall
include approved erosion prediction tools such as the Revised Universal
Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ), and soil
quality rating procedures such as the Soil Conditioning Index (SCI).\]

Clients shall be encouraged to pay special attention to pesticide label
instructions for limiting pesticide residues in soil that may negatively
impact non-target plants, animals and humans.

## Additional Criteria to Protect Water Resources

Pest management environmental risks, including the impacts of pesticides
in ground and surface water on humans and non-target plants and animals,
must be evaluated for all identified water resource concerns. \[State
Standards shall include approved evaluation procedures such as NRCS\'
Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST) and National Agricultural
Pesticide Risk Analysis (NAPRA).\]

When a chosen alternative has significant potential to negatively impact
important water resources, (e.g., WIN-PST "Extra High", "High" or
"Intermediate" soil/pesticide human risk ratings in the drainage area of
a drinking water reservoir), an appropriate set of mitigation techniques
must be put in place to address risks to humans and non-target plants
and animals. \[State Standards shall identify appropriate mitigation
techniques by pesticide loss pathway and resource concern (e.g., a
Filter Strip, Irrigation Water Management or pesticide incorporation may
be appropriate mitigation techniques for pesticide solution loss that is
impacting a surface water body.)\] Clients shall be encouraged to pay
special attention to pesticide label instructions for limiting pesticide
residues in leachate and runoff that may negatively impact non-target
plants, animals and humans.

The number, sequence and timing of tillage operations shall be managed
in conjunction with other sediment control tactics and practices, in
order to minimize sediment losses to nearby surface water bodies.

## Additional Criteria to Protect Air Resources

Clients shall be encouraged to pay special attention to pesticide label
instructions for minimizing volatilization and drift that may negatively
impact non-target plants, animals and humans.

## Additional Criteria to Protect Plant Resources

Clients shall be encouraged to pay special attention to pesticide label
instructions including those directed at:

-   Preventing misdirected pest management control measures that
    negatively impact plants (e.g., removing pesticide residues from
    sprayers before moving to the next crop and properly adjusting
    cultivator teeth and flame burners).

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-   Appropriate climatic conditions, crop stage, soil moisture, pH, and
    organic matter in order to protect plant health.

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-   Limiting pesticide residues in soil that can carry over and harm
    subsequent crops.

## Additional Criteria to Protect Animal Resources

Clients shall be encouraged to pay special attention to pesticide label
instructions that minimize negative impacts to animals.

## Additional Criteria to Protect Humans

Clients shall be encouraged to pay special attention to pesticide label
instructions that minimize negative impacts to humans.

# Considerations

If commodity-specific IPM is not available, the following IPM principles
should be considered:

-   Prevention, such as using pest-free seeds and transplants, cleaning
    tillage and harvesting equipment between fields, irrigation
    scheduling to avoid situations conducive to disease development,
    etc.

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-   Avoidance, such as using pest resistant varieties, crop rotation,
    trap crops, etc.

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-   Monitoring, such as pest scouting, soil testing, weather
    forecasting, etc. to help target suppression strategies and avoid
    routine preventative pest control.

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-   Suppression, such as cultural, biological and chemical controls,
    that can reduce a pest population or its impacts. Chemical controls
    should be used judiciously in order to minimize environmental risk
    and pest resistance.

Adequate plant nutrients and soil moisture, including favorable pH and
soil conditions, should be available to reduce plant stress, improve
plant vigor and increase the plant\'s overall ability to tolerate pests.

On irrigated land, irrigation water management should be designed to
minimize pest management environmental risk.

# PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS

The pest management component of a conservation plan shall be prepared
in accordance with the criteria of this standard and shall describe the
requirements for applying the practice to achieve its intended
purpose(s).

As a minimum, the pest management component of a conservation plan shall
include:

-   Plan map and soil map of managed site, if applicable (use RMS plan
    maps if available).

-   Location of sensitive resources and setbacks, if applicable (use RMS
    plan maps if available).

-   Environmental risk analysis, with approved tools and/or procedures,
    for probable pest management recommendations by crop (if applicable)
    and pest.

-   Interpretation of the environmental risk analysis and identification
    of appropriate mitigation techniques.

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-   Operation and maintenance requirements.

# Operation and Maintenance

The pest management component of a conservation plan shall include
appropriate operation and maintenance items for the client. These may
include:

-   Review and update the plan periodically in order to incorporate new
    IPM technology, respond to cropping system and pest complex changes,
    and avoid the development of pest resistance.

-   Maintain mitigation techniques identified in the plan in order to
    ensure continued effectiveness.

-   Develop a safety plan for individuals exposed to chemicals,
    including telephone numbers and addresses of emergency treatment
    centers for individuals exposed to chemicals and the telephone
    number for the nearest poison control center. The National Pesticide
    Information Center (NPIC) telephone number in Corvallis, Oregon may
    also be given for non-emergency information:

**1-800-858-7378**

Monday - Friday

6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time

For advice and assistance with emergency spills that involve
agrichemicals, the local emergency telephone number should be provided.
The national 24-hour CHEMTREC telephone number may also be given:

**1-800-424-9300**

-   Follow label requirements for mixing/loading setbacks from wells,
    intermittent streams and rivers, natural or impounded ponds and
    lakes, or reservoirs. (State or local regulations may be more
    restrictive).

-   Post signs according to label directions and/or Federal, State, and
    local laws around sites that have been treated. Follow restricted
    entry intervals.

-   Dispose of pesticides and pesticide containers in accordance with
    label directions and adhere to Federal, State, and local
    regulations.

-   Read and follow label directions and maintain appropriate Material
    Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).

-   Calibrate application equipment according to Extension and/or
    manufacturer recommendations before each seasonal use and with each
    major chemical change.

-   Replace worn nozzle tips, cracked hoses, and faulty gauges.

-   Maintain records of pest management for at least two years.
    Pesticide application records shall be in accordance with USDA
    Agricultural Marketing Service\'s Pesticide Record Keeping Program
    and state specific requirements. \[State Standards shall describe
    record keeping requirements.\]