The EPA's primary strategy for managing pesticide use is to prioritize mitigation measures to endangered species by implementing practices like spray drift buffers, specific application timing and targeted geographic restrictions. The EPA has developed separate strategies for herbicides and insecticides, outlining mitigation measures to reduce spray drift and runoff/erosion. The SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources reviewed the Final Herbicide Strategy commented on the Herbicide Strategy and Insecticide Strategy with South Dakota applicators and producers in mind.
Pesticide mitigation measures are techniques that limit how much pesticide moves off of agricultural fields as well as reduce risk to endangered or threatened species and their designated habitat. Mitigation requirements will appear on the product label and/or in product bulletins on EPA's Bulletins Live, Two! system. A points system allows applicators to choose from a collection of mitigation measures to reduce pesticide risks.
The pesticide label may have drift reduction and runoff/erosion reduction language on the pesticide label. The pesticide label may have drift reduction measures listed on the label and the applicator will have to reference the EPA mitigation website and mitigation calculator tool to determine and employ before using a pesticide for their operation each year. The mitigation credits/points are divided into the following areas: General rainfall/runoff vulnerability generated by the county of the site; Field characteristics; In-field mitigation measures and field adjacent measures (credit is given for many of the conservation practices that may already be in place; Application parameters including rate reduction and application area reduction.â€