Paraquat dichloride (commonly referred to as paraquat) is classified as a restricted use pesticide (RUP) because of its acute toxicity. Only certified applicators can purchase pesticides classified as EUPs. In March 2019, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that certified applicators must successfully complete an EPA-approved training before mixing, loading, and/or applying paraquat. Current labeling of the active ingredient paraquat dichloride (e.g., Gramoxone, Paraquat, Blanco, Bonfire Herbicide, Devour, Firestorm, Helmquat, Para-SHOT, Parazone, and Quik-Quat) will require this additional training.
The newest paraquat dichloride labels state that products may ONLY be mixed, loaded, or applied by a certified applicator who has successfully completed the paraquat-specific training. Applications “under direct supervision” of a certified applicator are NO LONGER allowed. Anyone purchasing and using these products must have a private applicator license or a commercial applicator license. If you have been applying under someone else’s license in the past you will need to get your own license before applying these products per the new label statements.
New label changes include improved toxicity communication in English and Spanish, and a “DANGER – ONE SIP CAN KILL” statement. Since 2000, 17 deaths have been caused by accidental ingestion of paraquat. Many of these deaths resulted from people illegally transferring the pesticide to beverage containers and consumed accidentally. A single sip can be fatal. Since 2000, three more deaths and many severe injuries have been caused by the pesticide getting onto the skin, in open wounds, or into the eyes of those working with it.
The only training that meets the requirements is housed on the eXtension website (http://usparaquattraining.com). There are both English and Spanish versions available. You will need to create an account if you do not already have one and allow 60 minutes for this training and assessment quiz. Once the training is complete a certificate will be provided. Certificates are valid for three years.
For more information, contact Dr. Peter Dotray at peter.dotry@ttu.edu.