NYSDEC Pesticide Applicator Exam !| !| !| !|
with precise answers !| !|
Explain what determines whether a given plant is a weed - Correct answer
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
✔Unwanted plant (diminishes safety, utility, attractiveness, or effectiveness of
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
a managed area)
!| !|
List the two main goals of weed management. - Correct answer ✔1)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
Minimize competition with desirable plants !| !| !| !|
2) Limit weed reproduction so the weed population is manageable in future
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
years
Distinguish grasses from broadleaf plants and herbaceous from woody plants.
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- Correct answer ✔Grasses (-) vs. Broadleaf (*)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- monocots (one cotyledon)
!| !| !|
- first leaves seen are true leaves
!| !| !| !| !| !|
- narrow leaves, parallel veins
!| !| !| !|
- fibrous root system
!| !| !|
- produce tillers (secondary stems) from buds at base of primary stem
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
*dicots (two cotyledons) !| !|
*cotyledons always opposite each other on stem !| !| !| !| !| !|
*broad leaves with net-like veins
!| !| !| !|
*tap root or spreading roots
!| !| !| !|
,Herbaceous (-) vs. woody (*) !| !| !| !|
- no hard woody material
!| !| !| !|
* thickened layer of dense tissue on outside of stem (bark)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
Describe the life cycles and propagation of annual, biennial, and perennial
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
plants. - Correct answer ✔Annual
!| !| !| !|
- live <12 months
!| !| !|
- great # seeds single growing season (many germinate following year)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- most troublesome in early successional areas
!| !| !| !| !| !|
- easiest to control but abundant and costly
!| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- summer annuals: overwinter as seed, germinate in spring, flower in
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
summer, die in late summer/fall
!| !| !| !|
- winter annuals: germinate in fall, overwinter as low-growing plants,
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
flower/reproduce/die in spring !| !|
Biennial
- live for 2 growing seasons
!| !| !| !| !|
- germinate in spring/summer, produce a rosette of leaves, overwinter in
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
rosette stage, flower/seed/die the next year
!| !| !| !| !|
- reproduce by seed
!| !| !|
- most serious in lawns, neglected areas
!| !| !| !| !| !|
Perennial
,- live at least 2 years
!| !| !| !| !|
- reproduce by seed, or spread by stolons, rhizomes, spreading roots, tubers,
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
bulbs.
- don't flower first year
!| !| !| !|
- survival depends on storing food in underground veg. structures
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- most persistent and difficult to control
!| !| !| !| !| !|
Outline what is needed to kill annual, biennial, and perennial weeds and
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
when it is !| !|
easiest to do so. - Correct answer ✔Annuals/Biennials (*)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- tillage
!|
- herbicides
!|
- kill whole shoot (cut off from roots or killed by herbicide)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
*pull/mow flowering biennials !| !|
Perennials
- destroy new topgrowth repeatedly until plant exhausts underground food
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
reserves
- destroy topgrowth of seedling (no reserves)
!| !| !| !| !| !|
-*Destroy underground vegetative structures (repeatedly till the soil or use
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
herbicide that translocates) !| !|
Describe how to time herbicide applications with respect to a plant's life
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
cycle and
!|
, why such timing is most effective. - Correct answer ✔BEST: apply herbicide
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
during true seedling stage because less energy required to kill
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- veg. stage application works too
!| !| !| !| !|
WORST: application during flowering stage not effective (plants approaching
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
death/maturity)
BIENNIAL: fall or spring treatments w/ broadleaf herbicide (this timing hits
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
seedling or veg stages) !| !| !|
PERENNIAL: Kill underground portions by applying in true seedling stage !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
or in bud/early flower stage (greatest drain on underground food reserves)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- OR treating regrowth in fall after mowing/clipping in summer
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- apply multiple treatments.
!| !| !|
WOODY PLANTS: treat seedlings if found. Late spring/early summer
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
treatments of mature plants (leaves fully expanded but penetrable and plant
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
growing, so transports herbicide better) !| !| !| !|
- Krenite just needs leaves
!| !| !| !|
Explain the effects of soil texture and organic matter content on applications
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
of soil
!|
herbicides. - Correct answer ✔Soil Texture: some particles absorb herbicides,
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
preventing absorption into weeds. Fine-textured soils require higher
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
herbicide rates !|
with precise answers !| !|
Explain what determines whether a given plant is a weed - Correct answer
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
✔Unwanted plant (diminishes safety, utility, attractiveness, or effectiveness of
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
a managed area)
!| !|
List the two main goals of weed management. - Correct answer ✔1)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
Minimize competition with desirable plants !| !| !| !|
2) Limit weed reproduction so the weed population is manageable in future
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
years
Distinguish grasses from broadleaf plants and herbaceous from woody plants.
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- Correct answer ✔Grasses (-) vs. Broadleaf (*)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- monocots (one cotyledon)
!| !| !|
- first leaves seen are true leaves
!| !| !| !| !| !|
- narrow leaves, parallel veins
!| !| !| !|
- fibrous root system
!| !| !|
- produce tillers (secondary stems) from buds at base of primary stem
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
*dicots (two cotyledons) !| !|
*cotyledons always opposite each other on stem !| !| !| !| !| !|
*broad leaves with net-like veins
!| !| !| !|
*tap root or spreading roots
!| !| !| !|
,Herbaceous (-) vs. woody (*) !| !| !| !|
- no hard woody material
!| !| !| !|
* thickened layer of dense tissue on outside of stem (bark)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
Describe the life cycles and propagation of annual, biennial, and perennial
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
plants. - Correct answer ✔Annual
!| !| !| !|
- live <12 months
!| !| !|
- great # seeds single growing season (many germinate following year)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- most troublesome in early successional areas
!| !| !| !| !| !|
- easiest to control but abundant and costly
!| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- summer annuals: overwinter as seed, germinate in spring, flower in
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
summer, die in late summer/fall
!| !| !| !|
- winter annuals: germinate in fall, overwinter as low-growing plants,
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
flower/reproduce/die in spring !| !|
Biennial
- live for 2 growing seasons
!| !| !| !| !|
- germinate in spring/summer, produce a rosette of leaves, overwinter in
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
rosette stage, flower/seed/die the next year
!| !| !| !| !|
- reproduce by seed
!| !| !|
- most serious in lawns, neglected areas
!| !| !| !| !| !|
Perennial
,- live at least 2 years
!| !| !| !| !|
- reproduce by seed, or spread by stolons, rhizomes, spreading roots, tubers,
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
bulbs.
- don't flower first year
!| !| !| !|
- survival depends on storing food in underground veg. structures
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- most persistent and difficult to control
!| !| !| !| !| !|
Outline what is needed to kill annual, biennial, and perennial weeds and
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
when it is !| !|
easiest to do so. - Correct answer ✔Annuals/Biennials (*)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- tillage
!|
- herbicides
!|
- kill whole shoot (cut off from roots or killed by herbicide)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
*pull/mow flowering biennials !| !|
Perennials
- destroy new topgrowth repeatedly until plant exhausts underground food
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
reserves
- destroy topgrowth of seedling (no reserves)
!| !| !| !| !| !|
-*Destroy underground vegetative structures (repeatedly till the soil or use
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
herbicide that translocates) !| !|
Describe how to time herbicide applications with respect to a plant's life
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
cycle and
!|
, why such timing is most effective. - Correct answer ✔BEST: apply herbicide
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
during true seedling stage because less energy required to kill
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- veg. stage application works too
!| !| !| !| !|
WORST: application during flowering stage not effective (plants approaching
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
death/maturity)
BIENNIAL: fall or spring treatments w/ broadleaf herbicide (this timing hits
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
seedling or veg stages) !| !| !|
PERENNIAL: Kill underground portions by applying in true seedling stage !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
or in bud/early flower stage (greatest drain on underground food reserves)
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- OR treating regrowth in fall after mowing/clipping in summer
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
- apply multiple treatments.
!| !| !|
WOODY PLANTS: treat seedlings if found. Late spring/early summer
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
treatments of mature plants (leaves fully expanded but penetrable and plant
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
growing, so transports herbicide better) !| !| !| !|
- Krenite just needs leaves
!| !| !| !|
Explain the effects of soil texture and organic matter content on applications
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
of soil
!|
herbicides. - Correct answer ✔Soil Texture: some particles absorb herbicides,
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
preventing absorption into weeds. Fine-textured soils require higher
!| !| !| !| !| !| !| !|
herbicide rates !|
