On April 6, Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE) and Crop Life America (CLA) conducted a roundtable at their annual Spring Regulatory Conference in Washington, D.C., called EPA Labels Live!. The discussion focused on the full life cycle of how pesticide labels make it from the lab, eventually to the end user. Attendees included EPA label reviewers, industry distributors and manufacturers. More than 100 guests from the EPA and industry packed the room to learn about efficacy testing, the label life cycle, product containers and container labels and golf course applications.

The focus of the discussion was to inform the EPA label reviewers about where products went once a label was approved. Many of the EPA label reviewers were not fully aware of how the products they reviewed were used in a daily scenario.

As the representative of GCSAA, I was invited to explain how golf course superintendents make decisions on the purchasing and application of the products. I gave a 10-minute overview of the use of the products on the golf course.

My explanation started with how superintendents purchase products and use past trends on the property to make an informed decision, such as using weather data and scouting to predict a pest problem, then making a decision on the product to apply. Then I explained the type of equipment used to apply the product and how the label guides our decision on the application rate, timing, personal protective equipment and re-entry intervals. The labels are an important tool in this process.

Each of the five groups that rotated through my station showed genuine interest in how products were used in a golf course application. Several people approached me to ask more questions or gather additional information.

It is important for superintendents to be heard by the government agencies that regulate our industry. The more we can inform them, the better decisions they will be able to make regarding our use of pesticides.

Eric David, superintendent
Baltimore (Md.) Country Club
Mid-Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents