Final answer:
The statement is false; commercial applicators must keep records of all pesticide applications, as mandated by the EPA under FIFRA, to ensure proper use and to monitor environmental and human health impacts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that commercial applicators need only to keep records of restricted use pesticide applications is false. In the United States, pesticide oversight and regulation is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the authority of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
FIFRA is a federal law that requires the registration of all pesticides used in the U.S., and mandates that applicators keep detailed records of all pesticide applications, not just those classified as restricted use. This is crucial for ensuring safe use and for tracking any potential environmental or human health impacts.
Moreover, the record-keeping requirement helps in monitoring proper pesticide application techniques, such as those that aim to protect natural enemies of pests.
An example would be the targeted application on parts of the cotton plant's stem to combat the bollworm while preserving beneficial organisms. It is important for commercial applicators to be knowledgeable about and compliant with these regulations to avoid penalties and to ensure the safety of their applications.