How is a pesticide defined?

• A. Any substance or mixture intended to prevent, destroy, control, repel, attract, or mitigate any pest; or be used as a plant regulator, or a spray adjuvant, after being mixed with an EPA registered product; or be used as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant.
• B. A spray adjuvant only
• C. Any substance used to fertilize a lawn
• D. A pesticide used only outdoors

Answer: (C)

Pesticide definitions are broad: it covers any substance or mixture intended to prevent, destroy, control, repel, attract, or mitigate any pest; or to be used as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant. It also includes substances used as a spray adjuvant after being mixed with an EPA-registered product. This means a product can count as a pesticide not only for directly killing pests, but also for affecting plant growth or behavior, or for enhancing the performance of another pesticide when mixed with a registered product. A lawn fertilizer isn’t a pesticide because its primary purpose is to provide nutrients to the plant, not to manage pests, unless the label makes a pest-control claim.