Pesticide labels are changing to better protect endangered species. This means applicators will want to carefully review pesticide labels for substantial changes this year and into the future. For more on the background of these label changes, check out the Herbicides and The Endangered Species Act page from the Weed Science Society of American or this article on the Endangered Species Act written by Bill Chism, a retired senior biologist with the EPA. This spring, applicators can prepare for the growing season by addressing several new requirements that may be present on pesticide labels.
Check Bulletins Live! Two if required on the label
Search all pesticide labels for a reference to endangered species and Bulletins Live! Two (Figure 1). If the label requires you to visit Bulletins Live! Two, note the EPA Registration Number for the pesticide on the first page of the label, as you will need this to get a printable bulletin. The requirement to check Bulletins Live! Two is on numerous pesticide labels already, including the new Stryax label referenced below.
Visit Bulletins Live! Two and add the field location, intended month of application, and the EPA Registration Number for the product. Once the map comes up, press the green “Printable Bulletin” box in the upper righthand corner of the map to download the bulletin. Keep this bulletin as part of your pesticide application records; if the field is located in a Pesticide Use Limitation Areas (PULA) for a pesticide, make sure to follow the additional prescribed requirements for application.
Applicators should repeat this process for each field they intend to apply the product to. In many cases, you will be able to search by county to reduce the number of maps you need to print.
Check pesticide labels for any runoff/erosion mitigation measures
The runoff/erosion mitigation measures will include the number of points (between zero and nine) that each field must have in order to apply the product. The example below states each field must have a minimum of three points (Figure 3) if the field does not meet criteria to be exempt from the points. Applicators can find points and practices on the EPA’s Mitigation Menu website. Many conservation practices and other field characteristics are worth points, including in-field and field-adjacent practices. Additionally, some fields in Iowa will be exempt from these points.
While it is not a requirement that applicators keep written records of how they achieved the points needed for each field, recording each field’s mitigation points is relatively easy given all the resources available. If a field achieves nine points, then it would meet the runoff/erosion point requirements for any pesticide, as long as the practices do not change. For example, the field in table 1 will meet the maximum possible point requirement for any pesticide, as long as the land manager does not begin using irrigation or remove the grassed waterway.
| Table 1. Mitigation point tracking for hypothetical field in Boone County, Iowa via the EPA’s runoff points calculator Excel file. | |
|---|---|
| Mitigation measures | Points |
| Mitigation relief points for reduced pesticide runoff vulnerability | 2 |
| Mitigation tracking | 1 |
| Non-irrigated field | 3 |
| Grassed waterway | 2 |
| Using mitigation measures from multiple categories | 1 |
| Total mitigation points for field/management unit | 9 |
Two of the most useful resources for recording mitigation points are the Pesticide App for Label Mitigations (PALM) and the Spray Drift and Runoff Mitigation Calculator. Both are listed in the paragraph immediately above the table of mitigation relief options on the Mitigation Menu website. The Spray Drift and Runoff Mitigation Calculator is a downloadable Excel document that allows applicators to create tabs for each field.
Follow any in-season spray drift mitigations during application
Pesticide labels may specify additional spray drift mitigations that applicators will want to understand prior to applications. Examples of new spray drift mitigations might be specific nozzle or spray quality requirements, maximum sprayer application speed, maximum boom heights, or downwind spray drift buffers. Adhering to these new restrictions will reduce off-target movement and protect endangered species and other sensitive plants and animals downwind from applications.
Pesticide labels are currently undergoing the biggest changes seen in years. Pesticide applicators have the opportunity to prepare for these changes by collecting bulletins and calculating points for runoff/erosion mitigation for the fields under their management prior to the onset of spring field work. We should expect to continue to see label updates to all pesticides in the coming years. Keep up with news on these strategies from the EPA via their Agriculture News and Alerts website: https://www.epa.gov/agriculture/agriculture-news-and-alerts.
Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Integrated Crop Management News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on March 11, 2026. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.
- Field Agronomist in Central Iowa