When making recommendations about the use of pesticides, Master Gardeners must:

When making recommendations about the use of pesticides, Master Gardeners must:

• A. follow the current Extension recommendations
• B. call area garden centers to locate the product
• C. recommend what he or she has successfully used in their own garden
• D. recommend only organic products

Answer: (A)

Pesticide guidance from Master Gardeners should be based on current Extension recommendations. These guidelines come from university Extension services and are regularly updated to reflect the latest pest biology, resistance management, safety data, and local conditions. By aligning advice with these evidence-based, region-specific recommendations, Master Gardeners provide consistent, scientifically sound, and legally appropriate guidance. This approach also fits the principles of Integrated Pest Management: identify the pest correctly, determine whether control is needed, use non-chemical methods when possible, and choose the least hazardous effective option with proper labeling and timing. Relying on a product you find at a garden center, or on personal experience, can lead to using the wrong product, at the wrong rate, or inappropriately for the current situation. Recommending only organic products overlooks cases where Extension guidelines may call for conventional options based on efficacy and safety.

Pesticide guidance from Master Gardeners should be based on current Extension recommendations. These guidelines come from university Extension services and are regularly updated to reflect the latest pest biology, resistance management, safety data, and local conditions. By aligning advice with these evidence-based, region-specific recommendations, Master Gardeners provide consistent, scientifically sound, and legally appropriate guidance.

This approach also fits the principles of Integrated Pest Management: identify the pest correctly, determine whether control is needed, use non-chemical methods when possible, and choose the least hazardous effective option with proper labeling and timing. Relying on a product you find at a garden center, or on personal experience, can lead to using the wrong product, at the wrong rate, or inappropriately for the current situation. Recommending only organic products overlooks cases where Extension guidelines may call for conventional options based on efficacy and safety.