APPLY PESTICIDES CORRECTLY
A GUIDE FOR COMMERCIAL APPLICATORS
SEED TREATMENT
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
OFFICE OF PESTICIDE PROGRAMS
WASHINGTON, O.C. 20460
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Acknowledgments 1
Preface 1
Introduction 2
Seeds Commonly Treated 2
Seed Pests 2
Nonchemical Control of Pests 2
Chemical Control of Pests 2
Seed Treatment Formulations 2
Pesticide Labels 3
Application Equipment 3
Coloring Treated Seed 3
Labeling Treated Seed 4
Safety and Environmental Precautions ... 4
Appendix 5
1976
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PREFACE
This guide has been developed by Kansas State Uni-
versity under U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) contract number 68-01-2693. This
contract was issued by the Training Branch, Opera-
tions Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, EPA.
The leader of this group effort was Frank G.
Bieberly, Kansas State University. Editors were
Mary Ann Wamsley, EPA, and Donna M. Ver-
meire, North Carolina State University.
Contributors were:
E. L. Poland, E.I. duPont de Nemours & Company,
Wilmington, Delaware
Dell E. Gates, Kansas State University
Earl D. Hansing, Kansas State University
Claude L. King, Kansas State University
W. H. Lange, University of California
Harold D. Loden, American Seed Trade Associa-
tion, Washington, D.C.
Harvey Lowery, Georgia Crop Improvement Asso-
ciation, Athens, Georgia
John J. MacFarlane, Jr., Gustafson, Inc., Dallas,
Texas
Don McGillivray, Funk Seeds International, Bloom-
ington, Illinois
Foil McLaughlin, North Carolina Crop Improve-
ment Association, Raleigh, North Carolina
Glenn D. Moore, Northrup, King & Company,
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Richard F Moorer, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency
Earl Olson, Lynk Brothers and Baird Company,
Marshalltown, Iowa
M. L. (Curt) Palmer, Corn States Hybrid Service.
Inc., Des Moines, Iowa
Otto E. Schultz, Cornell University
Walter Walla, Texas A&M University
Robert T. Wallace, Chevron Chemical Company,
San Francisco, California
William G. Willis, Kansas State University
Federal regulations establish general and specific
standards that you must meet before you can use
or supervise the use of certain pesticides. Your State
will provide material which you may study to help
you meet the general standards.
This guide contains basic information to help you
meet the specific standards for applicators who are
engaged in seed treatment pest control. Because the
guide was prepared to cover the entire nation, some
information important to your State may not be
included. The State agency in charge of your train-
ing can provide the other materials you should
study.
This guide will give you information about:
• types of seeds that may require chemical protec-
tion against pests,
« seed treatment pesticide formulations,
• seed treatment methods,
• labeling treated seed, and
• safety and environmental precautions.
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INTRODUCTION
Seed treatment, as defined by the Federal Seed Act,
means: " given an application of a substance or
subjected to a process designed to reduce, control, or
repel disease organisms, insects, or other pests
which attack seeds or seedlings growing therefrom."
It includes control of pests while the seed is in stor-
age and after it has been planted.
A person treating seed should know:
• the kinds of seeds which should be treated, and
• the correct use of seed treatment pesticides.
The kinds of pesticides used vary according to lo-
cality. Get specific information from the local Co-
operative Extension Service or the pesticide manu-
facturer. Registered chemical products are effective
and safe when used as directed.
Match each seed treatment pesticide with equip-
ment that can apply it correctly. The manufacturer
can provide you information on how to use and
maintain the equipment.
SEEDS COMMONLY
TREATED
The kinds of seeds usually treated include:
wheat,
barley,
rye,
oats,
rice,
sorghums and sorghum-Sudan grass hybrids,
field corn and sweet corn,
cotton,
sugar beets,
soybeans,
sunflowers,
peas and beans, and
peanuts.
SEED PESTS
Major kinds of seed pests are:
• fungi and bacteria (such as seed rots, seedling
blight, and smuts of grains),
• soil insects (such as the seed corn beetle and wire-
worms), and
• storage insects (including weevils, moths, and
beetles).
NONCHEMICAL CONTROL
OF PESTS
Although most seed protection is done with chemi-
cals, you also should know about nonchemical
methods, such as:
• development of plant and crop varieties whose
seeds are resistant to pests,
• use of low humidity and low temperature in stor-
age areas to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold,
and mildew, and to slow the growth of insect
pests, and
• use of good sanitation practices (such as remov-
ing waste seed and seed particles from the storage
area) to reduce food and shelter for pests.
CHEMICAL CONTROL
OF PESTS
There are three types of chemical control for seed
diseases and insects:
• Seed surface disinfestation—complete covering of
the seed with a pesticide which kills spores and
other disease agents on the surface of the seed.
• Seed protection—applying a pesticide to the seed
to protect the seed and young seedling from dis-
ease agents or insects in the soil or in storage.
• Systemic treatment—applying a pesticide which
penetrates the seed and/or extends into the plant
as it grows. It repels or kills certain types of fungi
or insects, or keeps them from causing damage.
SEED TREATMENT
FORMULATIONS
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS—The label lists the
names of all active ingredients and tells what per-
cent of the formulation each makes up.
INERT INGREDIENTS—Seed treatment pesticide
formulations often contain carriers, binders, wetting
agents, emulsifiers, suspending agents, and dyes.
These materials are inert ingredients, which do not
have to be listed individually on the label. They are
added to the formulation to:
« improve appearance,
8 increase coverage,
• increase adherence,
• prevent dusting-off, and
• provide hazard recognition.
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They have little or no effect on seed germination.
TYPICAL SEED TREATMENT
PESTICIDE FORMULATION
Active Ingredient:
Inert Ingredients:
Total:
Chemical Name 80%
Wetting Agent 3%
Dyes 2%
Suspending Agents 3%
Carriers 6%
Stickers 2%
Oils 4%
100%
COMPATIBILITY—Most seed treatment pesticides
are compatible when mixed together. Consult the
pesticide label or the pesticide manufacturer for
compatibility information. To test compatibility,
make a small slurry mixture of the materials in the
correct ratio before starting the actual mixing.
Check compatibility information before applying a
pesticide to inoculated seed.
PESTICIDE LABELS
Before using any seed treatment pesticide, read and
analyze the information on the label. The label con-
tains detailed information about:
• active ingredients,
• safety precautions,
• antidotes,
• type of seed the pesticide can be used on,
• application rate,
• pests the product will control, and
• care in handling and use of treated seed.
APPLICATION EQUIPMENT
Commercial seed treaters are designed to apply ac-
curately measured quantities of pesticides to a given
weight or volume of seed. Too much of a pesticide
may injure seed, and too little is often not effective,
To perform accurately, a seed treater:
• must be adjusted correctly at all times, and
• must be given continuous preventive maintenance.
Check often during use to see that the amount of
formulation that has been used is in the correct pro-
portion to the amount of seed that has been treated.
There are three basic types of commercial seed
treaters:
LIQUID TREATERS—for all formulations not re-
quiring agitation during application.
Advantages:
• no agitation needed,
• pesticide can be pumped directly from pesticide
container into equipment,
e machines require less space than other types,
• give good seed penetration.
Limitations:
• limited to liquid pesticide formulations,
• useful mainly on cottonseed and small grains,
• require a fume collection system.
SLURRY TREATERS—for formulations requiring
agitation during application.
Advantages:
• can be used to treat many seed types and varieties,
• give good coverage and are accurate,
• are economical.
Limitations:
• pesticides used need vigorous and continuous agi-
tation,
• require a dust and/or fume collection system,
• limited to wettable powders or emulsifiable con-
centrates.
DUST TREATERS—for dry formulations.
Advantages:
• add no moisture to the seed,
• easy to clean and operate.
Limitations:
• limited to dust formulations,
• sometimes inaccurate,
• dust drifts easily.
The operator's manual supplied by the manufacturer
will guide you in the correct use and maintenance of
the equipment.
COLORING TREATED
SEED
Food and Drug Administration regulations require
that all food grain seeds treated with seed treatment
pesticide formulations be dyed to prevent their use
as food or feed.
Most seed treatment pesticides for in-plant use come
from the manufacturer with the color added. Color-
ing is not required for planter-box formulations.
Some seed processors prefer to add more dye to get
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the color they want. Dyes approved for this purpose
have little or no effect on seed germination and pre-
sent little or no danger to people who process or
use the seed.
LABELING TREATED SEED
The Federal Seed Act regulates the labeling of
treated seed. (See Appendix.) The following infor-
mation, in type no smaller than 8 points, is required
on treated.seed containers:
• A statement indicating that the seed has been
treated.
• Name of the seed treatment pesticide used—either
the common name, chemical (generic) name, or
abbreviated chemical name.
• Seed treated with highly toxic substances requires
a label bearing a skull and crossbones and a pre-
cautionary statement, such as "This Seed Treated
With Poison." The skull and crossbones must be
at least twice the size of the type on the label.
The precautionary statement must be in red letters
on a contrasting background.
THIS SEED TREATED WITH
POISON
Treatment Used: Phorate
Federal Seed Act regulations contain a list of the
substances considered highly toxic.
Seed treated with most substances not on the
highly toxic substances list requires a label with
an appropriate precautionary statement, such as
"Do not use for food, feed, or oil purposes."
This Seed Treated With Captan
Do not use for food, feed or oil
purposes
Federal Seed Act regulations list the treatment
substances and rates of occurrence for which no
warning statement is necessary.
This information may appear on a separate tag or
seed analysis tag, or it may be printed conspicuously
on the side or top of the seed container. These are
minimum labeling requirements. Some seed treat-
ment pesticide labeling recommends additional in-
formation that should be added to the label on the
treated seed. You also should check for your own
State's requirements for these treated seed container
labels.
SAFETY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL
PRECAUTIONS
Some suggested precautions for seed treatment in-
clude:
• The seed treatment area should have an approved
exhaust and dust-collecting system to remove
toxic vapors and dust. Do not allow pesticide dust
or fumes to reach unprotected employees or to
reach commodities to be used for food, feed, or
oil purposes.
• To avoid contaminating seed with an incorrect
pesticide, the seed treating equipment must be
throughly cleaned before the treating process be-
gins. Consult the pesticide manufacturer for the
names of cleansers and directions for their use.
• Do not run water containing pesticides into a
stream or public sewer. Handle it as you would
an excess pesticide. Check with local authorities
when you have large amounts of such waste water.
• Dispose of empty treated seed containers and un-
used treated seed as you would excess pesticides.
Contact the Board of Health or other local au-
thority for requirements and disposal areas.
• Special tightly woven bags, or polyethylene or
foil-lined bags, are recommended for seed that
have been treated with some highly toxic pesti-
cides.
• Handle treated seed in accordance with instruc-
tions on the label of the pesticide that was applied
to the seed.
• Store treated seed in labeled containers away from
unprotected persons and food or feed products.
Treated seed must never be mixed with food and
feed products.
• Provide customers with copies of pertinent label-
ing information for the pesticide applied.
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APPENDIX
The production of organo mercurial pesticides for
seed treatment was prohibited by EPA on February
17, 1976. However, stocks formulated prior to that
date may be sold and used until exhausted. Further
action by EPA and other interested parties is to be
anticipated.
The following is excerpted from the Federal Seed
Act (Title 7, Ch. I, Part 201 of the Code of Federal
Regulations), for specific information about label-
ing of treated seed.
LABELING IN GENERAL
201.31a Labeling treated seed.— (a) Contents
of label.—Any agricultural seed or any mixture
thereof or any vegetable seed or any mixture there-
of, for seedling purposes, that has been treated shall
be labeled in type no smaller than 8 points to indi-
cate that the seed has been treated and to show the
name of any substance or a description of any
process (other than application of a substance) used
in such treatment, in accordance with this section;
for example,
Treated with
(Name of substance or process)
or treated.
(Name of substance or process)
If the substance used in such treatment in the
amount remaining with the seed is harmful to hu-
mans or other vertebrate animals, the seed shall
also bear a label containing additional statements as
required by paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section.
The label shall contain the required information in
any form that is clearly legible and complies with
the regulations in this part. The information may be
on the tag bearing the analysis information or on a
separate tag, or it may be printed in a conspicuous
manner on a side or top of the container.
bonate, cuprous oxide, zinc hydroxide, hexachloro-
benzene, and ethyl mercury acetate. The terms
"mercury" or "mercurial" may be used in labeling
all types of mercurials. Examples of commonly ac-
cepted abbreviated chemical names are: BHC
(1,2,3,-4,5,6,-Hexachlorocyclohexane) and DDT
(dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane).
(c) Mercurials and similary toxic substances.—
(1) Seed treated with a mercurial or similarly toxic
substance, if any amount remains with the seed,
shall be labeled to show a representation of a skull
and crossbones at least twice the size of the type
used for information required to be on the label
under paragraph (a) and shall also include in red
letters on a background of distinctly contrasting
color a statement worded substantially as follows:
"This seed has been treated with Poison," "Treated
with Poison," "Poison treated," or "Poison." The
word "Poison" shall appear in type no smaller than
8 points.
(2) Mercurials and
elude the following:
Aldrin, technical
Demetron
Dieldrin
p-Dimethylamino-
benzenediazo
sodium sulfonate
Endrin
Ethion
Heptachlor
similarly toxic substances in-
Mercurials, all types
Parathion
Phorate
Toxaphene
O-O-Diethyl-0-
(isopropyl-4-methyl-
6-pyrimidyl)
thiophosphate
O,O-Diethyl-S-2-
(ethylthio) ethyl
phosphorodithioate
Any amount of such substances remaining with
the seed is considered harmful within the meaning
of this section.
(b) Name of substance.—The name of any sub-
stance as required by paragraph (a) of this section
shall be the commonly accepted coined, chemical
(generic), or abbreviated chemical name. Com-
monly accepted coined names are free for general
use by the public, are not private trademarks, and
are commonly recognized as names of particular
substances; such as thiram, captan, lindane, and
dichlone. Examples of commonly accepted chemi-
cal (generic) names are: bluestone, calcium car-
(d) Other harmful substances.—If a substance,
other than one which would be classified as a mer-
curial or similarly toxic substance under paragraph
(c) of this section, is used in the treatment of seed,
and the amount remaining with the seed is harmful
to humans or other vertebrate animals, the seed
shall be labeled with an appropriate caution state-
ment in type no smaller than 8 points worded sub-
stantially as follows: "Do not use for food," "Do
not use for feed," "Do not use for oil purposes," or
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"Do not use for food, feed, or oil purposes." Any Allethrin—2 p.p.m. Piperonyl butoxide—8
amount of any substance, not within paragraph (c) Malathion—8 p.p.m. p.p.m. on oat and
of this section, used in the treatment of seed, which Methoxychlor—2 p.p.m. sorghum and 20
remains with the seed is considered harmful within p.p.m. on all other
the meaning of this section when the seed is in seeds.
containers of more than 4 ounces, except that the Pyrethrins—1 p.p.m. on
following substances shall not be deemed harmful oat and sorghum and
when present at a rate less than the number of parts 3 p.p.m. on all other
per million indicated: seeds.
GPO 906-287
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