Wisconsin Pesticide Applicator Test
Commercial Category 6.0 Questions
and Actual Detailed Answers.
What determines whether a given plant is a weed? - Answer A weed is any unwanted plant
What are the two main goals of weed management? - Answer The primary goal is to minimize
weed competition and the other main goal is to limit the weed's reproduction in order to
manage the weed population in years to come.
Distinguish grasses from broadleaf plants and herbaceous from woody plants - Answer
Grasses are considered monocots, meaning they have a single seed leaf, they also have narrow
leaves with parallel veins and a fibrous root system. Broadleaf plants have two seed leaves and
are therefore called dicots; they have broad leaves with veins that form a net pattern. 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.
Describe the life cycles and propagation of annual, biennial, and perennial plants - Answer
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 winter as a low-growing plant,
both summer and winter annuals are easiest to control when they are small. Biennial plants live
for two growing seasons, they germinate from seed in the spring or summer 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. Perennial 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 easiest to do so? -
Answer 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 underground vegetative
structures by either repeatedly tilling the soil or by using a herbicide that translocates to destroy
all of the plant parts.
How should you time herbicide application with respect to a plant's life cycle and which timing
is most effective? - Answer All weeds may start as seedlings and it is most effective to treat the
plants at this stage because less energy is required to kill the plants at this stage than at any
other. Biennials and Annuals are controlled by a fall or early spring treatment, and perennials
are controlled best with a fall treatment as well.
,How do you keep soil herbicides from moving off target? - Answer Do not apply herbicides to
areas where they may leach into groundwater, or run off into water sources or cropping areas.
Also avoid applying herbicides to areas where desired tree and shrub roots may extend and DO
NOT apply herbicides to frozen soils.
How and when should you apply soil herbicides? - Answer Soil treatments are commonly used
when a site requires residual non-selective control, such as electric transformer 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.
When are foliar sprays appropriate and not appropriate? - Answer Foliar sprays are not
recommended for large brush because of the potential for drift. Foliar sprays should be
operated from the ground close to the plant and can either be applied through broadcast or
spot application.
What are the factors in timing a foliar spray? - Answer 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 developed foliage of an actively growing plant. They should be
applied at a temperature between 60 and 80 degrees F, and should have adequate time to soak
into to plant, thus applying right before it rains is ineffective.
How are adjuvants used most effectively? - Answer Adjuvants may be necessary to use for
better absorption by foliage that is extremely waxy or hairy.
What are the similarities and differences between foliar, cut-surface, and basal bark
applications? - Answer Foliar applications are put directly onto the foliage of a growing plant.
Basal bark applications are used to control shrubs, canes and thickets or trees up to 5 inches in
diameter and are applied to the lower 18 inches of the stems. Cut-surface treatments are used
to control plants with thick bark or when they have trunks larger than 5 inches in diameter at
the base.
Define and explain "pesticide". - Answer A pesticide is any substance used to directly control
pest populations or to prevent or reduce pest damage. Pesticides can range from anything such
as an insecticide to a herbicide to a fungicide.
What is the difference between organic and inorganic? - Answer Organic means the
compound contains the element carbon, it does not mean it is natural. Inorganic means that the
, Common name: normally appear on the label before or above the chemical name and refers to
an active ingredient.
Trade name: the name given by the manufacturer, appears in large letters at the top of the label
Compare selective and non-selective herbicides: - Answer Selective herbicides only harm
certain plants and leave others unharmed. Non-selective herbicides are toxic to most or all
plants.
What are the uses and characteristics of contact and systemic herbicides? - Answer Contact
herbicides do not move within the plant, they are sprayed on and only kill the parts of the plant
they actually touch. Systemic herbicides are absorbed through leaves or roots and then mover
or translocate within the treated plant.
What are the effects and uses of plant growth regulators? - Answer Plant growth regulators do
not kill plants, but are used to increase, decrease, or change in some fashion the normal growth
and or reproduction of the plant. They may be used to retard plant growth and reduce the need
for other chemical or mechanical management measures.
Describe the function of inert ingredients: - Answer They do not possess pesticidial activity but
are added to improve application effectiveness, safety, handling, storage or other characteristics
of the final product.
Why are there different kinds of formulations and what needs to be considered when selecting
one? - Answer The chemistry of the active ingredients dictate which formulations are possible,
so when selecting a formulation the following should be considered: effectiveness of the active
ingredient, registered use of the active ingredient, risks to the user, treated site and
environment, measurability of the formulation, characteristics of the formulation and how they
will effect equipment, temperature at which the formulation needs to be stored ect.
Which formulations applied as liquids do the following: form suspensions or solutions when
diluted, require agitation in the spray tank after mixing, tend to clog nozzles, are abrasive or
may cause sprayer parts to deteriorate, and are likely to cause phytotoxicity. - Answer
Emulsifiable concentrates form milky suspensions and require minimal agitation to keep the
suspension uniformly mixed. Water-soluble concentrates and soluble powders are both true
solutions in water and are non abrasive. Dry Flowables form a suspension in water and require
some agitation in the spray tank, they are abrasive to sprayer components. Flowables or
suspension concentrates are not soluble in water and they form suspensions that require
moderate agitation, but they seldom clog spray nozzles. Granules are usually applied as a solid
and are nearly always used to treat soil and release the active ingredient slowly.
Commercial Category 6.0 Questions
and Actual Detailed Answers.
What determines whether a given plant is a weed? - Answer A weed is any unwanted plant
What are the two main goals of weed management? - Answer The primary goal is to minimize
weed competition and the other main goal is to limit the weed's reproduction in order to
manage the weed population in years to come.
Distinguish grasses from broadleaf plants and herbaceous from woody plants - Answer
Grasses are considered monocots, meaning they have a single seed leaf, they also have narrow
leaves with parallel veins and a fibrous root system. Broadleaf plants have two seed leaves and
are therefore called dicots; they have broad leaves with veins that form a net pattern. 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.
Describe the life cycles and propagation of annual, biennial, and perennial plants - Answer
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 winter as a low-growing plant,
both summer and winter annuals are easiest to control when they are small. Biennial plants live
for two growing seasons, they germinate from seed in the spring or summer 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. Perennial 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 easiest to do so? -
Answer 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 underground vegetative
structures by either repeatedly tilling the soil or by using a herbicide that translocates to destroy
all of the plant parts.
How should you time herbicide application with respect to a plant's life cycle and which timing
is most effective? - Answer All weeds may start as seedlings and it is most effective to treat the
plants at this stage because less energy is required to kill the plants at this stage than at any
other. Biennials and Annuals are controlled by a fall or early spring treatment, and perennials
are controlled best with a fall treatment as well.
,How do you keep soil herbicides from moving off target? - Answer Do not apply herbicides to
areas where they may leach into groundwater, or run off into water sources or cropping areas.
Also avoid applying herbicides to areas where desired tree and shrub roots may extend and DO
NOT apply herbicides to frozen soils.
How and when should you apply soil herbicides? - Answer Soil treatments are commonly used
when a site requires residual non-selective control, such as electric transformer 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.
When are foliar sprays appropriate and not appropriate? - Answer Foliar sprays are not
recommended for large brush because of the potential for drift. Foliar sprays should be
operated from the ground close to the plant and can either be applied through broadcast or
spot application.
What are the factors in timing a foliar spray? - Answer 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 developed foliage of an actively growing plant. They should be
applied at a temperature between 60 and 80 degrees F, and should have adequate time to soak
into to plant, thus applying right before it rains is ineffective.
How are adjuvants used most effectively? - Answer Adjuvants may be necessary to use for
better absorption by foliage that is extremely waxy or hairy.
What are the similarities and differences between foliar, cut-surface, and basal bark
applications? - Answer Foliar applications are put directly onto the foliage of a growing plant.
Basal bark applications are used to control shrubs, canes and thickets or trees up to 5 inches in
diameter and are applied to the lower 18 inches of the stems. Cut-surface treatments are used
to control plants with thick bark or when they have trunks larger than 5 inches in diameter at
the base.
Define and explain "pesticide". - Answer A pesticide is any substance used to directly control
pest populations or to prevent or reduce pest damage. Pesticides can range from anything such
as an insecticide to a herbicide to a fungicide.
What is the difference between organic and inorganic? - Answer Organic means the
compound contains the element carbon, it does not mean it is natural. Inorganic means that the
, Common name: normally appear on the label before or above the chemical name and refers to
an active ingredient.
Trade name: the name given by the manufacturer, appears in large letters at the top of the label
Compare selective and non-selective herbicides: - Answer Selective herbicides only harm
certain plants and leave others unharmed. Non-selective herbicides are toxic to most or all
plants.
What are the uses and characteristics of contact and systemic herbicides? - Answer Contact
herbicides do not move within the plant, they are sprayed on and only kill the parts of the plant
they actually touch. Systemic herbicides are absorbed through leaves or roots and then mover
or translocate within the treated plant.
What are the effects and uses of plant growth regulators? - Answer Plant growth regulators do
not kill plants, but are used to increase, decrease, or change in some fashion the normal growth
and or reproduction of the plant. They may be used to retard plant growth and reduce the need
for other chemical or mechanical management measures.
Describe the function of inert ingredients: - Answer They do not possess pesticidial activity but
are added to improve application effectiveness, safety, handling, storage or other characteristics
of the final product.
Why are there different kinds of formulations and what needs to be considered when selecting
one? - Answer The chemistry of the active ingredients dictate which formulations are possible,
so when selecting a formulation the following should be considered: effectiveness of the active
ingredient, registered use of the active ingredient, risks to the user, treated site and
environment, measurability of the formulation, characteristics of the formulation and how they
will effect equipment, temperature at which the formulation needs to be stored ect.
Which formulations applied as liquids do the following: form suspensions or solutions when
diluted, require agitation in the spray tank after mixing, tend to clog nozzles, are abrasive or
may cause sprayer parts to deteriorate, and are likely to cause phytotoxicity. - Answer
Emulsifiable concentrates form milky suspensions and require minimal agitation to keep the
suspension uniformly mixed. Water-soluble concentrates and soluble powders are both true
solutions in water and are non abrasive. Dry Flowables form a suspension in water and require
some agitation in the spray tank, they are abrasive to sprayer components. Flowables or
suspension concentrates are not soluble in water and they form suspensions that require
moderate agitation, but they seldom clog spray nozzles. Granules are usually applied as a solid
and are nearly always used to treat soil and release the active ingredient slowly.
