the application of powdered pesticides in atomized form by means of dusters; the pesticide is applied to plants, the soil, and the bodies of insects to control pests, diseases, and weeds in farm and forest crops.
Pesticides in dust form are used for dusting. The preparations used should atomize easily and settle evenly on the surfaces being treated, and they should have minimum susceptibility to being carried off by the wind. Dusting is done in the morning and evening and during the day, but only in cool, overcast weather. Dusting times depend on the biological characteristics of the pests and agents of disease in agricultural crops, and also on meteorological conditions. Dust consumption is 10–50 (usually 15–25) kg per hectare. Dusting is used in arid regions, where spraying is difficult because of the high water consumption. The main drawback of dusting is serious air pollution. Dusting is being supplanted by low-volume spraying, which is more efficient and productive.