WISCONSIN PESTICIDE APPLICATOR EXAM REVIEW 2025- TURF & LANDSCAPE|WELL
STRUCTURED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS| CH1-23|
-Chew on seeds, roots, leaves, stems, & fruits
-Tunnel in roots, stems, & leaves
-Suck plant juices
Ch.1 List the general kinds of damage insect pests can cause
-Promote gall formation and other malformations
-Inject toxins into plants -Transmit diseases to plants
-Create a nuisance for people
Insects have: body form has 3 regions: head, thorax, abdomen; 3
Ch.1 Describe the structural features of insects pairs of legs attached to thorax; 0, 1, or 2 pairs of wings attached
to thorax; 1 pair of antennae
Arthropods have: exoskeleton; body form has 2 regions: head &
Ch.1 Explain how to distinguish insects from other arthropods abdomen; usually 4 pairs of legs attached to head; no wings; no
antennae
-Simple: "Incomplete Metamorphosis"; 3 stages: egg, nymph, &
Ch.1 Contrast the difference between simple and complete meta-
adult
morphosis
-Complete: 4 distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa, & adult
*Temperature & humidity preferences vary for each insect.
*Combined effect of both on reproduction & development is more
dramatically different than the effect of either alone.
Ch.1 Explain how temperature and humidity affect insect devel- -Temperature: development is faster with heat & slower with cold
opment temps; insects die at the high levels of developmental threshold
temps and become inactive at low levels
-Humidity: effects insect diseases; effects moisture levels required
for survival
Advantages:
-Effective against economically damaging pests
-Can combine 1 or 2 insecticides to combat several pests
-They act quickly to control pests before reaching damaging levels
-For new pests, there are many compounds that have been proven
effective
-Effective insecticides, suitable formulations, & application equip-
Ch.1 List the advantages and disadvantages of using insecticides
ment are normally available
Disadvantages:
-Often eliminate beneficial insects, allowing target organisms to
rebound quickly
-Repeated exposure can lead to resistance in a pest population
-Yearly dependence on applications is an added cost
-Always a potential for drift, residues, and damage
Ch.2 Explain what determines whether a given plant is a weed Weeds are unwanted plants
1. Minimize weed competition
Ch.2 List the two main goals of weed management 2. Limit the weed's reproduction so that you can still manage the
weed population in future years
-Interfere with management practices
-Produce chemical inhibitors that directly retard the growth of
desirable plants (allelopathy)
-Create a poor impression on customers
Ch.2 Describe ways that weeds can pose problems in turf and
-Interferes with pesticide applications
landscapes (7)
-Support insect pests and plant diseases or provide cover for
rodents
-Are poisonous, allergenic, or irritating to people or pets
-Dry out or die and become fire hazards
-Grasses (Monocots): most common weeds; have a single seed
leaf (cotyledon) when they germinate; narrow leaves with parallel
viens
Ch.2 Distinguish grasses from broadleaf plants and woody from -Broadleaves (Dicots): have 2 seed leaves when they germinate;
herbaceous plants veins form a net-like or branching pattern; can be broken down
into Woody and Herbaceous plants
--> Woody: have thickened outer layer on stems (bark)
--> Herbaceous: lacks bark
Ch. 2 Describe the life cycles and propagation of annual, biennial,
and perennial plants
,-Annuals: live less than 12 months; most seeds germinate the
following year, some are dormant taking several years; prolific
seed producers.
--> Summer Annuals: germinate from seed in spring, flower/pro-
duce seeds in summer, die in late summer/early fall.
--> Winter Annuals: germinate from seed in fall, overwinter as
low-growing plants, flower/produce seeds in spring, then die.
-Biennials: live for 2 growing seasons; germinate from seeds in
spring or summer and produce a rosette of leaves, overwinter in
rosette stage, flower the following year, produce seed, and die.
-Perennials: live for at least 2 years, sometimes longer; may repro-
duce by seed or spread vegetatively (stolons, rhizomes, spreading
roots, tubers, bulbs)
-Annuals: kill the whole shoot by tillage or with herbicides during
seeding stage.
--> Summer Annuals: kill with tillage or herbicides during seeding
stage.
Ch.2 Outline what is needed to kill annual, biennial, and perennial
--> Winter Annuals: kill with tillage or herbicides during seeding
weeds and when it is easiest to do so
stage.
-Biennials: best controlled with herbicides during rosette stage.
Perennials: controlled by repeatedly tilling or with herbicides that
translocates to all plant parts.
-Preplant: done before planting.
-Preemergence: usually (not always) done after planting but be-
fore plants/weeds emerge.
Ch.2 Distinguish the difference between preplant, preemergence,
-Postemergence: done selectively after plants/weeds emerge;
and postemergence herbicide applications
timing is important; if the desirable plant is smaller or larger than
the growth stage listed on the label, it may be damaged by the
herbicide.
-Fine textured soils or soils with high organic matter often require
higher herbicide rates than soils with coarser texture or low organic
matter.
Ch.2 Explain the effects of soil texture, organic matter, and pH and -Some herbicides prohibit product use on certain soils with a light
herbicide persistence on herbicide activity texture, low organic matter, or high pH to guard against excessive
plant damage or herbicide persistence.
-Excessive leaching on sandy soils with shallow water tables may
result in groundwater contamination.
-Apply spray to lower 18 inches of stems
-Thoroughly wet stem, crown, and exposed roots
Ch.2 Describe how and when to make a basal-bark treatment
-Can make treatments throughout the year as long as the bark is
not wet or when snow or water prevent spraying to the ground
-Recommended for plants with thick bark or trunk is greater than
5 inches in diameter.
Ch.2 Describe how and when to make an effective cut-stump -Thoroughly wet plant so runoff covers barks, crown buds, ex-
treatment posed roots, root collar, outer portion of cut surface.
-Should be applied to cut surface before exposed plant tissue
dries, within 2-3 hours.
-Prevent spray drift, drift of volatile products, runoff.
-Spray when weeds are most susceptible so the minimum amount
of herbicide results in maximum weed control.
-Use less volatile formations
Ch.2 List steps to take when applying herbicides to minimize
-Apply on days when temps are less than 80 degrees F
adverse effects in urban areas
-Avoid spraying during midsummer; garden plants and vegetables
are more susceptible.
-Avoid applying herbicides on dry, compacted soils
-Keep pesticides off impermeable surfaces
State and local laws require landowners to control certain weeds
Chapter 2 Know the Law
to prevent their spread and distribution
Ch.3 Define plant disease and what causes it
, Any harmful change in the physiology and/or structure of a plant
caused by some outside agent.
-Fungi (blights)
-Oomycetes (downy mildews) -Nematodes (root rot)
Ch.3 List examples of the major groups of plant pathogens (7) -Bacteria (fire blight
-Phytoplasmas (corn stunts)
-Viruses (soybean mosaic)-Viroids (potato spindle tuber)
-Fungi: wind, rain splash, insect vectors
-Oomycetes: wind, rain splash, transfer of infested soil
-Nematodes: transfer of infested soil, infested planting stock
Ch.3 Describe how the major groups of plant pathogens are -Bacteria: rain splash, insect vectors, tools
spread from plant to plant -Phytoplasmas: only by insect vectors
-Viruses: insect vectors, mechanical transmission, rubbing of in-
fected leaf to another, seed borne, vegetative propagation
-Viroids: mechanical transmission, vegetative propagation
1. A pathogen population capable of causing disease
2. A host that is susceptible to infection by that pathogen popula-
Ch.3 List the four prerequisites for plant disease to occur tion
3. Environmental conditions that favor disease development
4. Sufficient time for disease to actually develop
-Disease: starts small, gradually increases in size and severity
Ch.3 Describe clues that help you distinguish plant diseases from
over several days.
plant injury
-Injury: appears suddenly in a uniform pattern
1. Other control practices are unavailable or inadequate
2. The plant has high aesthetic value or its use allows little toler-
Ch.3 List factors that call for using pesticides to control plant
ance for disease
diseases (4)
3. Quality is reduced by even a low level of disease
4. A sudden and unexpected disease outbreak occurs
Uses: act as protectants
Ch.3 List some of the uses and limitations of soil fungicides
Limitations: somewhat eradicative
Ch.3 Explain why you need full coverage when using a foliar Reduced rate/lower spray volumes may not be effective. Requires
fungicide, and how to get such coverage saturation with multiple applications to get full coverage.
Temperature extremes; Soil moisture extremes; Reduced oxy-
gen levels; Unfavorable light conditions; Naturally occurring toxic
Ch.3 List examples of abiotic agents that induce plant injury
chemicals; Salt; Soil compaction; Deficiency, excess, or imbalance
of soil nutrients; Pollutants
Ch.4 Describe factors that complicate management of pest mam- Mobility, Unpredictability, Public Perception, Legal Status, Man-
mals (5) agement Techniques
Using pesticides to control mammals and birds is strictly regulated
Ch.4 Explain the regulations regarding the use of pesticides to
and often involves obtaining special permits from the WI Dept of
control mammals
Ag, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and/or the WI DNR
-Meadow Mice: girdle roots, kill/injure trees and shrubs.
-Rabbits: browse on bark and branches of trees and shrubs.
-Moles: tunnels interfere with mowing, expose roots to air killing
Ch.4 Describe the damage that pests discussed in this chapter grass/other plants.
can cause to turf and landscapes -Ground Squirrels: problem in gardens and lawns.
-Skunks: mostly beneficial, disliked because of stink
-Deer: damage woody plants by feeding on buds and young
branches, rubbing, trampling.
-Meadow Mice: rodenticide baits
-Rabbits: no lethal pesticides; virtually impossible to eliminate.
Ch.4 Outline your management options for controlling the pests -Moles: poison baits with food.
discussed in this chapter -Ground Squirrels: toxic bait or rodenticides for large areas.
-Skunks: no lethal pesticides; trapping or habitat destruction.
-Deer: repellents, scare devices, fencing
You need a use permit to use any pesticide for the control of
Chapter 4 Know the Law
mammals (other than rats and mice) or to use strychnine or 1080
STRUCTURED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS| CH1-23|
-Chew on seeds, roots, leaves, stems, & fruits
-Tunnel in roots, stems, & leaves
-Suck plant juices
Ch.1 List the general kinds of damage insect pests can cause
-Promote gall formation and other malformations
-Inject toxins into plants -Transmit diseases to plants
-Create a nuisance for people
Insects have: body form has 3 regions: head, thorax, abdomen; 3
Ch.1 Describe the structural features of insects pairs of legs attached to thorax; 0, 1, or 2 pairs of wings attached
to thorax; 1 pair of antennae
Arthropods have: exoskeleton; body form has 2 regions: head &
Ch.1 Explain how to distinguish insects from other arthropods abdomen; usually 4 pairs of legs attached to head; no wings; no
antennae
-Simple: "Incomplete Metamorphosis"; 3 stages: egg, nymph, &
Ch.1 Contrast the difference between simple and complete meta-
adult
morphosis
-Complete: 4 distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa, & adult
*Temperature & humidity preferences vary for each insect.
*Combined effect of both on reproduction & development is more
dramatically different than the effect of either alone.
Ch.1 Explain how temperature and humidity affect insect devel- -Temperature: development is faster with heat & slower with cold
opment temps; insects die at the high levels of developmental threshold
temps and become inactive at low levels
-Humidity: effects insect diseases; effects moisture levels required
for survival
Advantages:
-Effective against economically damaging pests
-Can combine 1 or 2 insecticides to combat several pests
-They act quickly to control pests before reaching damaging levels
-For new pests, there are many compounds that have been proven
effective
-Effective insecticides, suitable formulations, & application equip-
Ch.1 List the advantages and disadvantages of using insecticides
ment are normally available
Disadvantages:
-Often eliminate beneficial insects, allowing target organisms to
rebound quickly
-Repeated exposure can lead to resistance in a pest population
-Yearly dependence on applications is an added cost
-Always a potential for drift, residues, and damage
Ch.2 Explain what determines whether a given plant is a weed Weeds are unwanted plants
1. Minimize weed competition
Ch.2 List the two main goals of weed management 2. Limit the weed's reproduction so that you can still manage the
weed population in future years
-Interfere with management practices
-Produce chemical inhibitors that directly retard the growth of
desirable plants (allelopathy)
-Create a poor impression on customers
Ch.2 Describe ways that weeds can pose problems in turf and
-Interferes with pesticide applications
landscapes (7)
-Support insect pests and plant diseases or provide cover for
rodents
-Are poisonous, allergenic, or irritating to people or pets
-Dry out or die and become fire hazards
-Grasses (Monocots): most common weeds; have a single seed
leaf (cotyledon) when they germinate; narrow leaves with parallel
viens
Ch.2 Distinguish grasses from broadleaf plants and woody from -Broadleaves (Dicots): have 2 seed leaves when they germinate;
herbaceous plants veins form a net-like or branching pattern; can be broken down
into Woody and Herbaceous plants
--> Woody: have thickened outer layer on stems (bark)
--> Herbaceous: lacks bark
Ch. 2 Describe the life cycles and propagation of annual, biennial,
and perennial plants
,-Annuals: live less than 12 months; most seeds germinate the
following year, some are dormant taking several years; prolific
seed producers.
--> Summer Annuals: germinate from seed in spring, flower/pro-
duce seeds in summer, die in late summer/early fall.
--> Winter Annuals: germinate from seed in fall, overwinter as
low-growing plants, flower/produce seeds in spring, then die.
-Biennials: live for 2 growing seasons; germinate from seeds in
spring or summer and produce a rosette of leaves, overwinter in
rosette stage, flower the following year, produce seed, and die.
-Perennials: live for at least 2 years, sometimes longer; may repro-
duce by seed or spread vegetatively (stolons, rhizomes, spreading
roots, tubers, bulbs)
-Annuals: kill the whole shoot by tillage or with herbicides during
seeding stage.
--> Summer Annuals: kill with tillage or herbicides during seeding
stage.
Ch.2 Outline what is needed to kill annual, biennial, and perennial
--> Winter Annuals: kill with tillage or herbicides during seeding
weeds and when it is easiest to do so
stage.
-Biennials: best controlled with herbicides during rosette stage.
Perennials: controlled by repeatedly tilling or with herbicides that
translocates to all plant parts.
-Preplant: done before planting.
-Preemergence: usually (not always) done after planting but be-
fore plants/weeds emerge.
Ch.2 Distinguish the difference between preplant, preemergence,
-Postemergence: done selectively after plants/weeds emerge;
and postemergence herbicide applications
timing is important; if the desirable plant is smaller or larger than
the growth stage listed on the label, it may be damaged by the
herbicide.
-Fine textured soils or soils with high organic matter often require
higher herbicide rates than soils with coarser texture or low organic
matter.
Ch.2 Explain the effects of soil texture, organic matter, and pH and -Some herbicides prohibit product use on certain soils with a light
herbicide persistence on herbicide activity texture, low organic matter, or high pH to guard against excessive
plant damage or herbicide persistence.
-Excessive leaching on sandy soils with shallow water tables may
result in groundwater contamination.
-Apply spray to lower 18 inches of stems
-Thoroughly wet stem, crown, and exposed roots
Ch.2 Describe how and when to make a basal-bark treatment
-Can make treatments throughout the year as long as the bark is
not wet or when snow or water prevent spraying to the ground
-Recommended for plants with thick bark or trunk is greater than
5 inches in diameter.
Ch.2 Describe how and when to make an effective cut-stump -Thoroughly wet plant so runoff covers barks, crown buds, ex-
treatment posed roots, root collar, outer portion of cut surface.
-Should be applied to cut surface before exposed plant tissue
dries, within 2-3 hours.
-Prevent spray drift, drift of volatile products, runoff.
-Spray when weeds are most susceptible so the minimum amount
of herbicide results in maximum weed control.
-Use less volatile formations
Ch.2 List steps to take when applying herbicides to minimize
-Apply on days when temps are less than 80 degrees F
adverse effects in urban areas
-Avoid spraying during midsummer; garden plants and vegetables
are more susceptible.
-Avoid applying herbicides on dry, compacted soils
-Keep pesticides off impermeable surfaces
State and local laws require landowners to control certain weeds
Chapter 2 Know the Law
to prevent their spread and distribution
Ch.3 Define plant disease and what causes it
, Any harmful change in the physiology and/or structure of a plant
caused by some outside agent.
-Fungi (blights)
-Oomycetes (downy mildews) -Nematodes (root rot)
Ch.3 List examples of the major groups of plant pathogens (7) -Bacteria (fire blight
-Phytoplasmas (corn stunts)
-Viruses (soybean mosaic)-Viroids (potato spindle tuber)
-Fungi: wind, rain splash, insect vectors
-Oomycetes: wind, rain splash, transfer of infested soil
-Nematodes: transfer of infested soil, infested planting stock
Ch.3 Describe how the major groups of plant pathogens are -Bacteria: rain splash, insect vectors, tools
spread from plant to plant -Phytoplasmas: only by insect vectors
-Viruses: insect vectors, mechanical transmission, rubbing of in-
fected leaf to another, seed borne, vegetative propagation
-Viroids: mechanical transmission, vegetative propagation
1. A pathogen population capable of causing disease
2. A host that is susceptible to infection by that pathogen popula-
Ch.3 List the four prerequisites for plant disease to occur tion
3. Environmental conditions that favor disease development
4. Sufficient time for disease to actually develop
-Disease: starts small, gradually increases in size and severity
Ch.3 Describe clues that help you distinguish plant diseases from
over several days.
plant injury
-Injury: appears suddenly in a uniform pattern
1. Other control practices are unavailable or inadequate
2. The plant has high aesthetic value or its use allows little toler-
Ch.3 List factors that call for using pesticides to control plant
ance for disease
diseases (4)
3. Quality is reduced by even a low level of disease
4. A sudden and unexpected disease outbreak occurs
Uses: act as protectants
Ch.3 List some of the uses and limitations of soil fungicides
Limitations: somewhat eradicative
Ch.3 Explain why you need full coverage when using a foliar Reduced rate/lower spray volumes may not be effective. Requires
fungicide, and how to get such coverage saturation with multiple applications to get full coverage.
Temperature extremes; Soil moisture extremes; Reduced oxy-
gen levels; Unfavorable light conditions; Naturally occurring toxic
Ch.3 List examples of abiotic agents that induce plant injury
chemicals; Salt; Soil compaction; Deficiency, excess, or imbalance
of soil nutrients; Pollutants
Ch.4 Describe factors that complicate management of pest mam- Mobility, Unpredictability, Public Perception, Legal Status, Man-
mals (5) agement Techniques
Using pesticides to control mammals and birds is strictly regulated
Ch.4 Explain the regulations regarding the use of pesticides to
and often involves obtaining special permits from the WI Dept of
control mammals
Ag, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and/or the WI DNR
-Meadow Mice: girdle roots, kill/injure trees and shrubs.
-Rabbits: browse on bark and branches of trees and shrubs.
-Moles: tunnels interfere with mowing, expose roots to air killing
Ch.4 Describe the damage that pests discussed in this chapter grass/other plants.
can cause to turf and landscapes -Ground Squirrels: problem in gardens and lawns.
-Skunks: mostly beneficial, disliked because of stink
-Deer: damage woody plants by feeding on buds and young
branches, rubbing, trampling.
-Meadow Mice: rodenticide baits
-Rabbits: no lethal pesticides; virtually impossible to eliminate.
Ch.4 Outline your management options for controlling the pests -Moles: poison baits with food.
discussed in this chapter -Ground Squirrels: toxic bait or rodenticides for large areas.
-Skunks: no lethal pesticides; trapping or habitat destruction.
-Deer: repellents, scare devices, fencing
You need a use permit to use any pesticide for the control of
Chapter 4 Know the Law
mammals (other than rats and mice) or to use strychnine or 1080
