THE USDA FOREST SERVICE PESTICIDE SPRAY BEHAVIOR AND APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - AN OVERVIEW

The USDA Forest Service, even though a minor user of pesticides, has m aintained an active program for understanding the performance, atomiza tion, evaporation, efficacy, environmental fate, atmospheric dispersio n, and environmental impact of chemical and biological insecticides. S ince its self-imposed ban on use of dichroro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) in 1964, the USDA forest Service has pursued insecticides that a re less persistent and have reduced potential for impact on nontargrt organisms, application technology that supports their efficient and ef ficacious use, ansi computer models that predict insecticide face in t he environment. This program has been active over the last 3 decades, beginning with research for chemical insecticide substitutes for DDT p rogressing in time to biological insecticides and other biorational co ntrol agents. In our effort to make the less persistent insecticides w ork under forestry conditions, it was necessary to investigate insecti cide monitoring, detection, and sampling methods; application systems; atmospheric influences; tank mixes and adjuvants; nozzles and atomiza tion; evaporation; spray deposition and canopy penetration; biological response; and environmental fate. This paper reviews some ui this wor k that might be applicable to mosquito control.