VA Core Manual: Applying Pesticides Correctly: Unit 4. Pesticide Formulations - Terms to Know 100% Correct

VA Core Manual: Applying Pesticides Correctly: Unit 4. Pesticide Formulations - Terms to Know 100% Correct Abrasive Capable of wearing away or grinding down another object Precipitation The formation of a solid in a solution resulting from a chemical reaction Absorption The process of taking in (soaking up) a substance Acidic The opposite of alkaline; having a pH less than 7 Active Ingredient (a.i.) A chemical in a pesticide product that affects or controls the target pest Adjuvant A substance added to a pesticide formulation or tank mix to increase its effectiveness or safety (ex. emulsifiers and wetting agents) Adsorption The process of adhesion; coating a particle or binding something to a surface Agitation The process of stirring or mixing Alkaline The opposite of acidic; having a pH greater than 7 Carrier The primary material used to allow a pesticide to be dispersed effectively. Examples include talc in a dust formulation, water mixed with a wettable powder before a spray application, and air that disperses the pesticide in an air-blast application Conductivity A measure of water's ability to conduct electricity. Dissolved substances (ex. soluble salts) increase this Dilute To make less concentrated Emulsion A mixture of two or more liquids that are not soluble in one another. One is suspended as small droplets in the other, and each retains its identity and properties. Agitation may be necessary to prevent separation Formulation A pesticide product as sold, usually a mixture of active and inert ingredients Impregnates Solid materials with one or more pesticide active ingredients incorporated into them (ex. livestock ear tags, plastic pest strips and adhesive tapes, and pet collars) Incompatible A combination of ingredients that is not usable, stable, safe, or effective Inert Ingredient Inactive component of a formulated pesticide product added to dilute the pesticide or to make it safer, more effective, and/or easier to handle. Inert ingredients have no direct effect on target pests Insoluble Does not dissolve in a liquid Microbe An organism (such as a bacterium