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Part of Part two – Selling and buying pesticides

Sales to rural acreage owners and hobby greenhouse operators

Acreage owners and hobby greenhouse operators in Alberta may buy certain commercial class pesticides without an applicator certificate.

Explore pages in:
Part two – Selling and buying pesticides

Who qualifies?

Three groups have been identified who are not commercial agriculturalists but who are able to buy certain commercial pesticides.

Rural acreage owners

These individuals may have a substantial agricultural land base, but their primary income is not from agricultural production. This group may require pesticides for:

  • shelterbelts weed and insect control
  • weed control in small fruit plantings
  • vegetable weed and insect control
  • weed control in landscaped areas (trees, shrubs, turf, driveways)

Rural residents

These people are not using their land for agriculture but they have large landscaped areas to maintain.

Hobby greenhouse operators

These are operators of small greenhouses (less than 100 square metres). This group may require pesticides to manage fungal diseases in their greenhouses.

Verification

Vendors must verify that a purchaser is qualified to buy certain commercial pesticides. The sales record must have the purchaser’s legal land description. This includes the Alberta Township System parcel reference (meridian, township, range, section).

This will confirm that a buyer is an acreage owner or a hobby greenhouse operator.

Urban residents do not qualify for the rural acreage owner exemption.

Available products

Rural acreage owners and hobby greenhouse operators can only buy specific commercial class pesticides. They must contain active ingredients listed in the latest edition of the:

These products are limited to:

  • acetic acid (EcoClear®) for management of vegetation in shelterbelts and non-cropland areas such as fencerows, parking areas, sidewalks, patios and driveways
  • glyphosate for management of vegetation in shelterbelts and non-crop areas such as fence rows, parking areas and driveways
  • dichlobenil (Casoron®) for management of weeds in shelterbelts, woody ornamentals and small fruits
  • 2, 4-D alone or in combination with either dicamba or mecoprop, or both, for management of broadleaf weeds in turf
  • products for aquatic weed and algae control in farm dugouts
  • Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk) for management of caterpillar insect pests
  • mustard seed powder (Rocon® Concentrate Rodenticide) for control of Richardson’s ground squirrels

Learn more

Further information on pesticides available to acreage owners can be found here: Registered Pesticide Product Listing.

Copies of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and its regulations are available from:

Contact

Connect with Outreach Services:

Alberta Environment and Protected Areas
9th Floor, South Petroleum Plaza 9920 108 Street
Edmonton Alberta T5K 2G8

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Toll free: 310-3773 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Outside Alberta: 780-944-0313
Toll free: 1-877-944-0313
Email: [email protected]

Lakeland College

Connect with Lakeland College for questions about pesticide applicator or dispenser certification:

Phone: 1-866-853-8646
Email: [email protected]

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