# Soil and stored-grain fumigants: crop, storage and label checks URL: https://leafwrit.com/us/farm-fumigant-selection/ Reviewed: 2026-10-29 ## Agricultural fumigants: choose the treatment site first For pesticide fumigation, identify whether the job concerns soil, stored grain or an empty structure. Select the product and application method with a qualified applicator. Soil-fumigation safeguards include management plans, buffer zones, posting, handler training and emergency preparation. ### Describe the field and its surroundings For soil treatment, give the applicator the crop, field boundaries, soil conditions, equipment and nearby occupied places. Establish the application blocks before calculating their buffers. Soil-fumigant buffers depend on application rate, field size, equipment, method and emission controls. Find the distance in the selected product's lookup table. High-barrier tarps and soils with high clay or organic-matter content can qualify for emission-control credits that reduce buffer distances. A method requiring a particular tarp has a different equipment and labor requirement from an untarped application. ### Complete the fumigation management plan Prepare the site-specific fumigation management plan before application begins. You can use an EPA template, a vendor's plan or your own document that meets the label requirements. Have the supervising certified applicator check the completed site information. Match the template to the labeling. Phase 2 labels have a “terms used in labeling” section; phase 1 labels lack it. The requirements were phased in during 2010 and 2012. Unchanged applicator information, handler details, recordkeeping procedures and emergency procedures can be reused across sites. The supervising certified applicator must verify that those elements remain current and applicable to each application block. Keep the buffer calculation with its inputs. The EPA calculator uses product-specific label tables and allows adjustments for qualifying credits. Verify its result against the actual label; follow the label if the two disagree. ### Arrange posting and emergency communication Post buffer signs at usual entry points and likely approach routes unless a physical barrier prevents access. Signs must carry the do-not-walk symbol, fumigant product name and fumigator contact information. Assign responsibility for applicable state or tribal notification, emergency preparedness and community communication. Use the [Soil Fumigant Toolbox](https://www.epa.gov/soil-fumigants) to reach the relevant notification and emergency resources. ### Identify handler tasks before scheduling the crew Operating equipment, assisting application and monitoring fumigant air concentrations are handler activities. So are installing, repairing, perforating and removing tarps. Required respirator arrangements include fit testing, training and medical evaluation. Very high air concentrations can require handlers to stop work and leave. Put the applicable response instructions where the crew can use them. Gases retained beneath a tarp can escape during perforation and removal. Schedule those operations using the product's intervals, equipment and protection instructions. ### Confirm field preparation and weather conditions Check label-required soil preparation, tillage, moisture, temperature, sealing, calibration and weather conditions with the applicator. Recheck conditions at application if weather changes after preparation. ## Grain bin insecticide selection: distinguish grain from structures Choose insecticides for stored-grain pest control by the treatment target. An empty-bin surface treatment, grain protectant applied during loading, top dressing and fumigation serve different storage jobs. ### Clean the receiving and storage equipment Old grain, chaff, fines and broken kernels shelter insects and support reproduction. Small infested accumulations can contaminate incoming grain. Sweep or vacuum bins and inspect beneath slotted flooring, where debris can remain hidden. Check cracks and openings after cleaning. Inspect augers and grain trucks as well as the bin. Grain left in an unused auger or truck corner can carry an infestation into the next harvest. Include those equipment locations in the sanitation review before moving clean grain. ### Inspect kernels and identify the pest Stored-grain pests include saw-toothed grain beetles, grain weevils and meal moths. Look for hollow kernels, beetle exit holes and larval webbing that clumps grain. Immature insects can remain inside seeds, so examine the grain beyond its surface appearance. This gives the commercial provider a specific infestation to assess. ### Place protectant treatment after drying Augering and especially heat degrade insecticides. Plan residual protection for final storage after the grain has passed through drying and transfers. Explain the full movement route before deciding where to apply a protectant. Ask potential buyers whether they accept the proposed treatment before treating the lot. Some wheat and barley buyers reject treated grain. ### Maintain grain condition after treatment Fines restrict airflow and are especially susceptible to insects and molds. Grain warmer than its surroundings can develop moisture migration, creating wetter areas within the stored mass. Use a commercial fumigator for stored-grain fumigation. Fumigants provide no residual insect protection; warm, damp or moldy grain can support renewed infestation afterward. Include continuing grain-condition management in the storage plan. ## Next step For soil work, open the [fumigant planning resources](https://www.epa.gov/soil-fumigants). For stored grain, see [wheat and barley storage](https://extension.umn.edu/agriculture/crop-production/small-grains/storing-wheat-and-barley) and the [product label](/us/read-pesticide-label/).