WISCONSIN PESTICIDE APPLICATOR FINAL
PAPER 2026 SOLVED QUESTIONS AND FULL
SOLUTION UPDATED
◉ 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 it is derived
from minerals that occur in nature.
,◉ What is the difference between the different types of pesticide
names?
Answer: Chemical name: complies with accepted guidelines
established by chemists.
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.
◉ What are the health concerns associated with different
formulations?
Answer: Emulsifiers are easily absorbed through the skin and
contain a very high concentration of active ingredients. Soluble
powders pose the greatest risk when they are being mixed and
loaded when you might be able to inhale the concentrate powder.
◉ What are the functions of, and precautions regarding the use of
adjuvants?
Answer: Adjuvants are chemical additives that are meant to modify
the product's physical properties and/or enhance the pesticide
performance. They serve several purposes such as: wetting agents
and emulsifiers which allow pesticides to mix with water and or coat
treatment surfaces more effectively; spreaders allow pesticides to
spread over the treated surface; stickers increase the adherence of
the pesticides to treated leaves; penetrants which aid in the
absorption of a pesticide by the plant. Adjuvants must not be used
indiscriminately because misuse can lead to injury of a desirable
plant, compatibility problems, or reduced pest control.
PAPER 2026 SOLVED QUESTIONS AND FULL
SOLUTION UPDATED
◉ 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 it is derived
from minerals that occur in nature.
,◉ What is the difference between the different types of pesticide
names?
Answer: Chemical name: complies with accepted guidelines
established by chemists.
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.
◉ What are the health concerns associated with different
formulations?
Answer: Emulsifiers are easily absorbed through the skin and
contain a very high concentration of active ingredients. Soluble
powders pose the greatest risk when they are being mixed and
loaded when you might be able to inhale the concentrate powder.
◉ What are the functions of, and precautions regarding the use of
adjuvants?
Answer: Adjuvants are chemical additives that are meant to modify
the product's physical properties and/or enhance the pesticide
performance. They serve several purposes such as: wetting agents
and emulsifiers which allow pesticides to mix with water and or coat
treatment surfaces more effectively; spreaders allow pesticides to
spread over the treated surface; stickers increase the adherence of
the pesticides to treated leaves; penetrants which aid in the
absorption of a pesticide by the plant. Adjuvants must not be used
indiscriminately because misuse can lead to injury of a desirable
plant, compatibility problems, or reduced pest control.
