by Calvin Trostle, Ph.D., Professor & Extension Agronomist. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Lubbock, TX; (806) 746-6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu
Whether on your home computer, your tablet, or with your smart phone in the field, there is a convenient way to access chemical labels for everything from a quick check to assistance in planning your herbicide program.
Chemical Data Management Systems, http://www.cdms.net, offers quick access to labels and Material Safety Data Sheets for herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, seed treatments, and many other labeled agricultural products. I rely on this website a lot in my Extension agronomy work.
Colleague Dr. Josh McGinty, Corpus Christi, and I have compiled a user guide for how to best utilize this valuable on-line resource. The document, “Ready On-Line Access to Chemical Labels for Agricultural Production,” is available to view, print, or download from
http://lubbock.tamu.edu/files/2015/04/Ready-On-line-Access-Chemical-Labels-CDMS-April2015.pdf
It is relatively simple to access labels online, and CDMS makes it even easier by compiling them all in one place. This URL also enables you conduct several additional tasks (register for free):
• Search by active ingredient. This will enable you to find alternative chemicals or possibly more cost effective generics.
• Learn what other chemical options may be available for your crop. For example, you can search by ‘chemical type,’ (e.g., insecticide, herbicide, etc.) and your target crop (grain sorghum, sunflower, etc.). You can also search for products that control a specific pest (e.g., cotton thrips, root knot nematode, johnsongrass, etc.). This will provide you with a list—and links—to labeled chemicals, and is a convenient way to identify additional chemical options you might not otherwise be aware of.
• Minor crops provide a challenge as there may be few labeled herbicide or other chemical options. Rather than read a dozen or more labels, find which ones to read first by searching by crop and chemical type.
Other chemical search options exist (Greenbook, chemical company websites, etc.), but we find this one is the most convenient to use, and rarely do we not find what we are looking for in the database.
Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status.
The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating
April 2015
Professor and Extension Specialist
Lubbock, TX
803.746.6101
ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu