REGULATIONS - Agrochemical and Pesticide Safety - page 43

3. Type of Pesticide

The type of pesticide usually is listed on the front panel of the pesticide
label. This short statement indicates in general terms what the product will
control. For example:

• Insecticide-ovicide for control of certain insects on cotton

• Herbicide for nonselective weed control on industrial sites in noncrop

areas

• Fungicide for the control of certain diseases in broccoli, cabbage,

cauliflower, cucurbit vegetables, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes.

4. Formulation

Sometimes, the front panel states how the product is formulated. The
formulation may be abbreviated as part of the trade name (e.g., Aaterra EC).
EC is the abbreviation for emulsifiable concentrate. If the label does not state
the formulation, you can often figure out what it is by reading the directions
for use.

5. Ingredient Statement

The ingredient statement tells you what is in the container. Ingredients
are usually listed as active or inert (inactive). The active ingredient is the
chemical that does the job that the product is intended to do. The ingredient
statement must list the official chemical names and/or common names for the
active ingredients. Inert ingredients need not be named, but the label must
show what percent of the total content they comprise. Inert ingredients may
be the wetting agent, the solvent, the carrier, or the filler which give the pro-
duct its desirable qualities for application. The common name is the generic
name accepted for the active ingredient of the pesticide product regardless of
the brand name. Only common names that are officially accepted by the EPA
may be used in the ingredient statement on the pesticide label. The chemical
name of the pesticide is the one that is long and difficult to pronounce unless
you are a chemist. It identifies the chemical components and structure of the
pesticide. For example, AAtrex is a brand name, and the common name for
this fungicide is Atrazine. The chemical name of the active ingredient in
Aatrex is 6-chloro-N-ethyl-N'-(1-methylethyl)-1,3,5-trazine-2,4-diamine.
Always check the common or chemical names of pesticides when you make a
purchase to be certain of getting the right active ingredient.