The Role of the Federal Extension Service as it Relates to Pest Control

Abstract

First, I would like to report briefly about the flow of agricultural chemical information from the National level. Since the inception of the Miller Bill in 1954 the Federal Extension Service has been assembling, analyzing, interpreting, evaluating, refining and disseminating available agricultural chemicals information. This includes information pertaining to pesticides, feed additives, food additives, color additives and veterinary drugs. Special emphasis has been placed on distributing pesticidal registered uses compiled by the Pesticides Regulation Division of the United States Department of Agriculture and pesticidal residue and tolerance information obtained from the Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Of course, this is regulatory information—not recommendations. Because the registered uses or so-called “salmon or pink sheets” are very useful, every means at our disposal is used to quickly obtain, duplicate, and send these to the States. It is recognized that a delay of a few days on this can create problems for State Extension specialists. Information is obtained from many other governmental agencies, industry, various associations, and other organizations at the National level. For example, the Federal Register Weekly Report is compiled each week. This is an attempt to flag or call attention to important items relating to chemicals in the Federal Register. Up-to-date information is obtained from State Experiment Stations, State Cooperative Extension Services, State Departments of Agriculture, and other State agencies and redistributed to each State Cooperative Extension Service. Information includes publications, news releases, kits, exhibit materials, films, slides and other items concerned with agricultural chemicals used on farms, in the garden, and in the home. Each extension entomologist is encouraged to send 70 copies of new or revised entomological publications to our office. A copy is sent to each extension entomology location in the States. Letters of transmittal that list these publications are sent to all extension entomologists, full or part time, and to Heads of Departments. Those that do not receive copies of publications may order them from the State involved by referring to the letter of transmittal. Close to 100,000 different pieces of material arc sent each year from our office primarily to the State Extension Agricultural Chemical Contact.