Pesticide Applicator Certification

Anyone who applies pesticides for a county agency or other government entity must be certified. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship-Pesticide Bureau administers the state’s pesticide applicator certification process. A description of this process — and related information — are in the appendix.

Roadside manager insights

We have an 800 gal tank. I like using a lot of water; bigger droplets = less drift.

-Jim Uthe, James Devig, Dallas County, 2024

Our spray rig came with an 8HP engine which failed due to a mechanic’s error and was replaced with an 11HP due to availability. It lasted 8 or 9 years and was replaced with a 13HP which lasted 8 or 9 years too. We are on our second 13HP now. Our pump is a Hypro centrifugal pump with an electric clutch.

-Jim Uthe, James Devig, Dallas County, 2024

The Legacy 6000 can be used as a datalogger and rate controller. When our old datalogger died, we just piggybacked the Legacy onto our existing rate controller because it was a lot less work than redoing everything.

-Jim Uthe, James Devig, Dallas County, 2024

We recommended a minimum of 2 chemical injection tanks, 1 brush, 1 thistle. We used to put 2,4-D in our third tank for use on large patches of various undesirable weeds (giant ragweed, hemp, crown vetch, parsnip, hemlock, etc.). Now we put a low rate (5 oz/ac) of Method herbicide in the third tank and use it in addition to our brush mix when spraying honeysuckle.  

-Jim Uthe, James Devig, Dallas County, 2024