WISCONSIN PESTICIDE APPLICATOR EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
2025|WELL STRUCTURED|CATEGORY 6.0
What determines whether a given plant
A weed is any unwanted plant
is a weed?
The primary goal is to minimize weed
competition and the other main goal is to
What are the two main goals of weed
limit the weed's reproduction in order to
management?
manage the weed population in years to
come.
Grasses are considered monocots,
meaning they have a single seed leaf,
they also have narrow leaves with par-
allel veins and a fibrous root system.
Broadleaf plants have two seed leaves
Distinguish grasses from broadleaf
and are therefore called dicots, they have
plants and herbaceous from woody
broad leaves with veins that form a net
plants
patterns. Broadleaf plants can be further
classified into herbaceous and woody,
where the woody plants have a thick
layer of dense tissue called bark, which
herbaceous plants lack.
Annual plants live for less than a year,
they produce many seeds in one growing
season, and then die. Summer annuals
winter as seeds, and winter annuals win-
ter as a low-growing plant, both summer
and winter annuals are easiest to con-
trol when they are small. Biennial plants
live for two growing seasons, they ger-
Describe the life cycles and propagation
minate from seed in the spring or sum-
of annual, biennial, and perennial plants
mer and winter as a rosette of leaves.
They flower in their second year, produce
seeds and then die. Both annuals and
biennials reproduce only by seed. Peren-
nial plants live for at least 2 years and
sometimes longer, they may reproduce
by seed or vegetatively through several
different mechanisms.
What is needed to kill annual, biennial,
and perennial weeds and when is it eas-
iest to do so?
,To kill annuals or biennials, you must kill
the whole shoot. Controlling these weeds
with tillage or herbicides will kill them plus
stop seed production, which will reduce
future weed problems.The most effective
way to kill perennials is to destroy the un-
derground vegetative structures by either
repeatedly tilling the soil or by using a
herbicide that translocates to destroy all
of the plant parts.
All weeds may start as seedlings and it
is most effective to treat the plants at this
stage because less energy is required to
How should you time herbicide applica-
kill the plants at this stage than at any
tion with respect to a plant's life cycle and
other. Biennials and Annuals are con-
which timing is most effective?
trolled by a fall or early spring treatment,
and perennials are controlled best with a
fall treatment as well.
Soil organic matter and clay particles can
adsorb soil-applied herbicides, meaning
What are the effects of soil texture and more herbicide will be required in these
organic matter content on application of types of soils because the herbicide will
soil herbicides? be bound to the soil particles and will
not be available to be absorbed by the
weeds.
Do not apply herbicides to areas where
they may leach into groundwater, or run
off into water sources or cropping areas.
How do you keep soil herbicides from
Also avoid applying herbicides to areas
moving off target?
where desired tree and shrub roots may
extend and DO NOT apply herbicides to
frozen soils.
Soil treatments are commonly used
when a site requires residual non-selec-
How and when should you apply soil her- tive control, such as electric transformer
bicides? stations, rail ballasts and signpost bases.
They can be applied any time that the
soil is not frozen, and some soil applied
, herbicides need to be transported by rain
to be absorbed by the plant.
Foliar sprays are not recommended for
large brush because of the potential for
When are foliar sprays appropriate and drift. Foliar sprays should be operated
not appropriate? from the ground close to the plant and
can either be applied through broadcast
or spot application.
Foliar treatments can be made from the
time the leaves are fully expanded until
they begin to turn color in the fall, but
are most effective when applied to fully
What are the factors in timing a foliar developed foliage of an actively growing
spray? plant. They should be applied at a tem-
perature between 60 and 80 degrees F,
and should have adequate time to soak
into to plant, thus applying right before it
rains is ineffective.
Adjuvants may be necessary to use for
How are adjuvants used most effective-
better absorption by foliage that is ex-
ly?
tremely waxy or hairy.
Foliar applications are put directly onto
the foliage of a growing plant. Basal bark
applications are used to control shrubs,
What are the similarities and differences canes and thickets or trees up to 5 inches
between foliar, cut-surface, and basal in diameter and are applied to the low-
bark applications? er 18 inches of the stems. Cut-surface
treatments are used to control plants with
thick bark or when they have trunks larg-
er than 5 inches in diameter at the base.
A pesticide is any substance used to di-
rectly control pest populations or to pre-
Define and explain "pesticide". vent or reduce pest damage. Pesticides
can range from anything such as an in-
secticide to a herbicide to a fungicide.
Organic means the compound contains
the element carbon, it does not mean it is
2025|WELL STRUCTURED|CATEGORY 6.0
What determines whether a given plant
A weed is any unwanted plant
is a weed?
The primary goal is to minimize weed
competition and the other main goal is to
What are the two main goals of weed
limit the weed's reproduction in order to
management?
manage the weed population in years to
come.
Grasses are considered monocots,
meaning they have a single seed leaf,
they also have narrow leaves with par-
allel veins and a fibrous root system.
Broadleaf plants have two seed leaves
Distinguish grasses from broadleaf
and are therefore called dicots, they have
plants and herbaceous from woody
broad leaves with veins that form a net
plants
patterns. Broadleaf plants can be further
classified into herbaceous and woody,
where the woody plants have a thick
layer of dense tissue called bark, which
herbaceous plants lack.
Annual plants live for less than a year,
they produce many seeds in one growing
season, and then die. Summer annuals
winter as seeds, and winter annuals win-
ter as a low-growing plant, both summer
and winter annuals are easiest to con-
trol when they are small. Biennial plants
live for two growing seasons, they ger-
Describe the life cycles and propagation
minate from seed in the spring or sum-
of annual, biennial, and perennial plants
mer and winter as a rosette of leaves.
They flower in their second year, produce
seeds and then die. Both annuals and
biennials reproduce only by seed. Peren-
nial plants live for at least 2 years and
sometimes longer, they may reproduce
by seed or vegetatively through several
different mechanisms.
What is needed to kill annual, biennial,
and perennial weeds and when is it eas-
iest to do so?
,To kill annuals or biennials, you must kill
the whole shoot. Controlling these weeds
with tillage or herbicides will kill them plus
stop seed production, which will reduce
future weed problems.The most effective
way to kill perennials is to destroy the un-
derground vegetative structures by either
repeatedly tilling the soil or by using a
herbicide that translocates to destroy all
of the plant parts.
All weeds may start as seedlings and it
is most effective to treat the plants at this
stage because less energy is required to
How should you time herbicide applica-
kill the plants at this stage than at any
tion with respect to a plant's life cycle and
other. Biennials and Annuals are con-
which timing is most effective?
trolled by a fall or early spring treatment,
and perennials are controlled best with a
fall treatment as well.
Soil organic matter and clay particles can
adsorb soil-applied herbicides, meaning
What are the effects of soil texture and more herbicide will be required in these
organic matter content on application of types of soils because the herbicide will
soil herbicides? be bound to the soil particles and will
not be available to be absorbed by the
weeds.
Do not apply herbicides to areas where
they may leach into groundwater, or run
off into water sources or cropping areas.
How do you keep soil herbicides from
Also avoid applying herbicides to areas
moving off target?
where desired tree and shrub roots may
extend and DO NOT apply herbicides to
frozen soils.
Soil treatments are commonly used
when a site requires residual non-selec-
How and when should you apply soil her- tive control, such as electric transformer
bicides? stations, rail ballasts and signpost bases.
They can be applied any time that the
soil is not frozen, and some soil applied
, herbicides need to be transported by rain
to be absorbed by the plant.
Foliar sprays are not recommended for
large brush because of the potential for
When are foliar sprays appropriate and drift. Foliar sprays should be operated
not appropriate? from the ground close to the plant and
can either be applied through broadcast
or spot application.
Foliar treatments can be made from the
time the leaves are fully expanded until
they begin to turn color in the fall, but
are most effective when applied to fully
What are the factors in timing a foliar developed foliage of an actively growing
spray? plant. They should be applied at a tem-
perature between 60 and 80 degrees F,
and should have adequate time to soak
into to plant, thus applying right before it
rains is ineffective.
Adjuvants may be necessary to use for
How are adjuvants used most effective-
better absorption by foliage that is ex-
ly?
tremely waxy or hairy.
Foliar applications are put directly onto
the foliage of a growing plant. Basal bark
applications are used to control shrubs,
What are the similarities and differences canes and thickets or trees up to 5 inches
between foliar, cut-surface, and basal in diameter and are applied to the low-
bark applications? er 18 inches of the stems. Cut-surface
treatments are used to control plants with
thick bark or when they have trunks larg-
er than 5 inches in diameter at the base.
A pesticide is any substance used to di-
rectly control pest populations or to pre-
Define and explain "pesticide". vent or reduce pest damage. Pesticides
can range from anything such as an in-
secticide to a herbicide to a fungicide.
Organic means the compound contains
the element carbon, it does not mean it is
