About the Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST)

The USDA NRCS West National Technology Support Center, Water Quality and Quantity National Technology Development Team, developed and supports the Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).  NRCS Pest Management Policy (November 2001) requires the use of WIN-PST or other NRCS-approved environmental risk analysis tools in supporting the development of the pest management component of a conservation plan.

WIN-PST is an environmental risk screening tool for pesticides. NRCS field office conservationists, extension agents, crop consultants, pesticide dealers and producers can use it to evaluate the potential of pesticides to move with water and eroded soil/organic matter and affect non-targeted organisms.

NRCS partners (such as private pest control advisors) now have access to this easy-to-use science-based tool for considering environmental risk and making recommendations. WIN-PST goes beyond previous NRCS screening tools in considering the impact of water table depth, rainfall probability, pesticide application area, application method and rate class (Standard, Low, Ultralow).

WIN-PST users can specify pesticides by product name or active ingredient.  Long-term human and fish toxicity data and ratings are also included in WIN-PST.  These toxicity ratings can be combined with the off-site movement potential ratings to provide an overall rating of the potential risks from pesticide movement below the root zone and past the edge of the field.

< Back to the Main WIN-PST 3.1 Page