California has a uniquely detailed database of pesticide use. These data are critical for conducting economic and pest management analyses of proposed pesticide regulation. Federal and state agencies considering pesticide regulatory changes often need to consider potential economic and pest management impacts. Detailed pesticide use data greatly facilitate analyses of pesticide regulatory proposals. California has required full use reporting for agricultural pesticides since 1990. Data collected include product applied, crop, area treated, amount applied, location, date and time. Combined with knowledge of pest management, these data provide a detailed view of past practices. As new regulations come up, these data can be analyzed to give expected economic and pest management implications. Because of the wide array of crops grown in California, it is rarely possible to analyze every crop which might be affected by a regulation. For analysis of proposed regulations, focal crops are selected based on the importance of a particular active ingredient to a crop, which is generally related to percentage of acres treated and the availability of effective alternatives. Pesticide use and pest management data on these crops in then used to create estimates of pest management costs before and after the proposed regulation. Other variables which may be considered include pricing and relative efficacy of products as well as active ingredient mode of action in regard to resistance management. More complex analyses may involve pest management models, weather or GIS data, including soils and the proximity of sensitive habitats or urban dwellings. These analyses give regulators more information on the expected economic and pest management impacts of proposed regulation.

Economic and pest management analysis of proposed pesticide regulations

2019 Fall National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.