A Reminder on Storage of Pesticides

A Reminder on Storage of Pesticides By: Andy Randall, NMDA State Chemist Improperly stored pesticides can present a potential risk to the applicator and those in proximity to the pesticides as well as to the environment. Many pesticides contain hazardous ingredients which could be very harmful to human beings, pets, livestock, fish, and the environment. There are many factors to consider for the safe storage of pesticides. These include, but are not limited to, location, environmental conditions, ventilation, compatibility, flammability, and quantity. Information on these considerations can be found in the "National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual." The environmental conditions during storage of pesticides are important because improper storage conditions will, in most cases, result in degradation of the active ingredient. The two most important sources of information regarding storage conditions are the label and the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) (formally called the Material Safety Data Sheet or MSDS). These documents will contain general information and instructions for the safe and appropriate storage of pesticides. Please note that they may not contain specific instructions. Some good general guidelines for storage of pesticides are: - Store herbicides away from fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, and seeds. - Store pesticides at temperatures between 32 ?F (0 ?C) and 100 ?F (38 ?C). - Avoid storage in direct sunlight or unventilated areas. o NOTE: Solar heating of the vehicle may result in exceeding storage temperatures when in the back of a truck or inside a vehicle (cab or trunk). This may cause decomposition of the active ingredient or pressurization of the storage container. o Some active ingredients may be light sensitive (will decompose to inactive ingredients when exposed to sunlight). - Flammable pesticides should be stored separately in a fire-proof storage cabinet. - Dry pesticides should not be stored with wet pesticides.

EPA Launches New Pesticides Website

EPA Launches New Pesticides Website EPA’s Pesticides website has a new look, feel, and address. Many of our stakeholders have noticed our gradual move to new versions of our content as part of the larger EPA effort to build a more user-friendly website. With the new pesticides website, information should now be easier than ever to access, regardless of the type of electronic device you use, including tablets and smartphones. With the transition to our new site completed, web page addresses will be different. This may cause links and bookmarks to break and EPA is working to fix any broken links on our website. The majority of the old pesticide pages will redirect to the new web areas, but we encourage you to update your bookmarks. Our new “Page Not Found” notification will help you find what you are looking for by providing suggested search terms, links to our A-Z index, and other helpful links. If you have trouble locating information, try using the search feature available on every EPA web page and in the archive (archive.epa.gov). Check out the new website at: http://www2.epa.gov/pesticides To help you find some of our most requested information, below are the updated URLs for some of our most popular web areas: Pesticide Registration http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-registration Bed Bugs http://www2.epa.gov/bedbugs Worker Safety http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety Pollinator Protection http://www2.epa.gov/pollinator-protection Endangered Species: http://www2.epa.gov/endangered-species Reporting Unintended Exposure and Harm from Pesticides http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-incidents Biopesticides: http://www2.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides Pesticide Labels http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-labels Managing Pests in School / School IPM: http://www2.epa.gov/managing-pests-schools Pest Control and Pesticide Safety for Consumers http://www2.epa.gov/safepestcontrol

PRUSSIC ACID POISONING OF LIVESTOCK CAN OCCUR AT FROST

PRUSSIC ACID POISONING OF LIVESTOCK CAN OCCUR AT FROST Prussic acid poisoning can occur when livestock are pastured on sorghum type plants, including grain sorghum, forage sorghum, sudan grass, sorghum sudangrass crosses, Johnson grass, sweet sorghums, and other sorghum-type plants. With all this fall moisture in Eddy County this year, plants are actively growing and the probity of this occurring when we get a frost is increased. Prussic acid poisoning (also known as cyanogenesis) is caused by hydrocyanic acid, one of the most toxic and rapidly acting poisons. Although many plants contain hydrocyanic acid, sorghum type plants contain amounts that can cause severe poisoning. Cattle, sheep, and goats are most susceptible, while horses and swine are generally not susceptible, but can be made sick. Mechanism of Prussic Acid Poisoning Prussic acid can form in young sorghum-type plants or in the leaves of stressed such as caused by frost of sorghum type plants. The first frost in Eddy County is most often is between October 24 and November 2, but has been as early as September 18 (1968), and as late as November 28 (1970). In Eddy County the most likely first frost is October 24, then it warms up for a few weeks and the plants start to grow and a second frost which can cause prussic poisoning is around November 16. If the grass starts to grow and it freezes it will produce toxic conditions again. The poison can also form in an animal's rumen after eating sorghum type plants. Prussic acid causes asphyxiation by inhibiting the action of the enzyme that links oxygen with red blood cells. Poison Symptoms and Treatment Prussic acid poisoning can occur within a few minutes after an animal consumes forage high in prussic acid potential. If poisoning occurs from within the rumen, symptoms may take slightly longer to appear depending upon the animal's condition, feed sources, and type and volume of forage consumed. The first symptoms of prussic acid poisoning are accelerated and deep respiration. The nose and mouth may become filled with foam, and in some cases, involuntary urination may occur. These symptoms are followed by depression, inability to stand, severe difficulty in breathing, and finally death. Because prussic acid is one of the fastest acting poisons known, prompt diagnosis and treatment are required. Extremely low levels of prussic acid are toxic: only 2 mg per pound of body weight per hour will kill an animal. Plants with more than 20 mg per 100 g (0.02%) are considered dangerous. Two antidotes are used to treat prussic acid poisoned animals: sodium nitrate and sodium thiosulfate. Recommended treatment is an intravenous injection of 1.2% sodium nitrate and 7.4% sodium thiosulfate in a 125-250 cc dose. If the injection is given before the heart stops, the animal may be saved. Take care that the animal is suffering from prussic acid poisoning rather than nitrate poisoning: If a nitrate poisoned animal is treated with sodium nitrate and sodium thiosulfate, it will die. The symptoms of prussic acid and nitrate poisoning are similar. However, nitrate poisoning usually occurs several hours after the animal has eaten high nitrate forage, and the animal's blood is dark chocolate brown in contrast to the red venous blood of the prussic acid-poisoned animal. Some Veterinarians use methylene blue solution to treat both nitrate and prussic acid poisoning. Call a Veterinarian as soon as possible and explain what you may have. Safe Use of Sorghum Forages Prussic acid poisoning is most likely to occur under the following conditions: • Grazing young sorghum plants. • Grazing sorghum plants stressed by drought or freeze. • Grazing sorghum plants following a period of stress. (For example, plants may be stressed shortly after a rain following drought or if re-growth occurs following a light freeze.) • Grazing plants that have re-grown following tissue damage from livestock traffic, haying or mowing. Remove the livestock if the crop is subsequently stressed. Also, provide livestock a source of starchy feed such as grain concentrate to reduce the potential for poisoning. Follow these tips to help reduce the potential for prussic acid poisoning: • Use sorghum or other forage that has been thoroughly cured as hay or dry fodder. • Silage that has been stored for several months is generally safe. • Grazing dry forage after a hard freeze is also generally safe. • Sudan grass has much less potential for prussic acid poisoning than the sorghums and is therefore much safer to use for grazing pasture. • After heading, most sorghums are safe to graze until frost. Subscribe to Eddy County Ag news at: http://nmsueddyag.blogspot.com/ Eddy County Extension Service, New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. All programs are available to everyone regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. New Mexico State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Eddy County Government Cooperating

New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Administration (NM WCA) has been working to educate agricultural employers

Good morning! This is a reminder of two upcoming forums listed below: The New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Administration (NM WCA) has been working to educate agricultural employers on a new change in the law requiring procurement of workers’ compensation insurance to protect their workers and their businesses. Officials from the NM WCA will be available to answer questions at two upcoming public forums on the new law affecting agricultural employers. • The first public forum will be at 2 p.m., Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at the Maxwell school auditorium, 4th and Parque, in Maxwell, NM. • The second public forum will be at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday October 20, 2015 at the Roswell Public Library, 301 N. Penn, in Roswell, NM. The public is invited to these free educational presentations. For more information, contact NM WCA Public Information Officer Diana Sandoval-Tapia (see contact information below). Thank you, Diana Sandoval-Tapia Public Information Officer NM Workers’ Comp Administration 505.841.6052 Diana.Sandoval@state.nm.us “One team, one goal: A better New Mexico for workers and employers!”

Agriculture Employeers and Workers Comp Meetintg.

There will be a SE NM Agriculture Workers Comp meeting to discuss what the new court decision is and how to comply. This will be in Roswell Tuesday October 20th in the small meeting room of the Public Library, 301 N Pennsylvania Ave at 1:30 pm. If you have any hired hands you need to attend this meeting.

NMSU’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences ranked sixth nationally as best value DATE: 10/12/2015

NMSU’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences ranked sixth nationally as best value DATE: 10/12/2015 WRITER: Darrell J. Pehr, 575-646-3223, pehr@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Jim Libbin, 575-646-3748, jlibbin@nmsu.edu New Mexico State University's College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences took sixth place in a recent ranking by College Values Online as one of the nation’s best values among agriculture colleges. The Best Value Agriculture Colleges ranking measured the top 30 agriculture schools in the country by comparing each school’s average 20-year net return on investment as calculated and posted by payscale.com. The schools also were rated on the cost of tuition, percentage of students receiving financial aid and the number of agricultural programs available at the school. “This ranking is a direct recognition of the hard work and effort as well as the amazing dedication of all of the faculty and staff of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University,” said Interim Dean Jim Libbin. “It is also a major tribute to the leadership of our former dean, Lowell Catlett, who led the college during the decade before the announcement. We already knew this ranking to be true, now the rest of the country and world know what a true gem the NMSU College of ACES is.” College Values Online noted that ranking the Best Value Agriculture Colleges is relevant for students today when one realizes that agriculture is still one of the largest industries in the United States. It noted that in 2010, $115 billion in agricultural goods were exported from the United States, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. “The agriculture industry doesn’t just grow food. It also engineers food, evaluates soil, finds ways to minimize environmental impact, develops new methods for resource and energy conservation, and sells and markets agricultural products,” according to College Values Online. “And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The agricultural industry offers a huge number of career options, and we want to connect you with the top 30 agricultural degree programs that constitute the best value for your time and money investment.” NMSU was rated ahead of numerous other larger universities, such as the University of California, Davis ( number 20), Penn State (number 22) and Colorado State University (number 26). - 30 - Follow NMSU News on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nmsunews Follow NMSU News on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NMSUNews

NMSU student named to 2016 National Beef Ambassador Team

NMSU student named to 2016 National Beef Ambassador Team DATE: 10/12/2015 WRITER: Kristie Garcia, 575-646-4211, kmgarcia@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Lauren Schlothauer, laurenss@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Shelly Hathorn, 505-334-9496, shporter@nmsu.edu If you are not familiar with beef nutrition, New Mexico State University student Lauren Schlothauer may be the person to educate you. Schlothauer was named to the 2016 National Beef Ambassador Team in September. Five young adults, ages 17 to 21, were selected based on their performance at the National Beef Ambassador competition in Denver. “It’s quite a privilege, as there were 21 other contestants,” Schlothauer said. “I met every one of the contestants, so to be selected is an honor.” National team members were judged on four categories: consumer promotion, media interview, issues response pertaining to a news release about beef and an interview highlighting an educational presentation with youth. Schlothauer is joined by four other team members from Arizona, Arkansas, Nebraska and Tennessee. As part of the competition, she answered questions such as, “Does beef cause cancer?” and “Can you safely prepare a beef meal in 30 minutes?” To reach the national competition, she first had to compete at the state level in April in conjunction with the New Mexico Future Farmers of America career development events at NMSU. Shelly Hathorn, director of the San Juan County Extension Office and the state beef ambassador chair, said Schlothauer will make an outstanding national beef ambassador. “Lauren very much wants to look at all aspects of agriculture,” Hathorn said. “Looking at agriculture as a whole, she wants to share the correct knowledge with the public. She’s already met with the four other national team members and is networking and planning things on a national level. “She’s involved with sharing information on social media, she attended the U.S. Dairy Consortium in Clovis this past summer, and she serves as an ambassador for the College of ACES.” Schlothauer will spend the next year serving as a spokesperson for the beef industry. She is required to take the lead on monthly outreach events on a larger scale. Such events may include giving a presentation at a school, distributing information at a well-attended community event or taking part in media interviews. She also hopes to visit Certified Angus Beef, travel to Denver for training, attend the 2015 Annual Cattle Industry Convention in San Diego and work with the legislature in Washington, D.C. A Las Cruces native, Schlothauer is studying agricultural communications with a minor in livestock production in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Her love of the industry comes from her family. “While I did not personally grow up on a ranch, I want to continue the legacy of my grandfather and great-grandfather who both ranched,” Schlothauer said. “I’m so drawn to the ag industry, and I can use my talents in communications to make an impact, answer questions, take photos and write.” She is a junior but has big plans for the future. “I’d like to stay in the region and do consumer outreach for the beef and dairy industry,” she said. “I’d like to expand my Dare to Cultivate blog and perhaps run a photography business. I hope to always have the privilege of being a voice in the agriculture community.” The American National CattleWomen, Inc. manages the National Beef Ambassador Program, while the New Mexico CowBelle organization oversees the state beef ambassadors.