APPENDIX C

Conversions & Calculations

E ffective application of pesticides

depends on many factors. One of
the more important is to correctly cal-
these recommendations are stated (such
as pounds of active ingredient [a.i.] per
acre, pounds of formulation per 100
culate the amount of material needed. gallons of spray, or ounces of a.i. per
Unless you have the right amount of 1,000 square feet), it is often necessary
pesticide in your tank mix, even a cor- to adapt the recommendations to dif-
rectly calibrated sprayer can apply the ferent areas and volumes, or even other
wrong rate. units. Sometimes the amount of active
Manufacturers provide application ingredient must be converted to the
rate instructions on every pesticide amount of actual product. This process
label. Due to the variety of ways in which can be very confusing.

Conversion Factors

To use this conversion table, multiply the number in the left-hand column by the conversion factor in
the center column. This converts your original number to the units in the right-hand column.
Examples:
1.0 gallon equals how many ounces? 2.5 gallons equals how many ounces?
1.0 gallon X 128 = 128 fluid ounces 2.5 gallons X 128 = 320 fluid ounces

Multiply By To get Multiply By To get

Acres 43,560 Square feet Gallons 128 Ounces (liquid)
Acres 4,840 Square yards Gallons 8 Pints (liquid)
Acres 0.405 Hectares Gallons 4 Quarts (liquid)
Bushels 64 Pints Gallons, H 2O 8.345 Pounds of water
Bushels 32 Quarts Grams 0.001 Kilograms
Cubic feet 1,728 Cubic inches Grams 1,000 Milligrams
Cubic feet 0.037 Cubic yards Grams 0.035 Ounces
Cubic feet 7.481 Gallons Grams per liter 1,000 Parts per million
Cubic feet 59.84 Pints (liquid) Hectares 2.47 Acres
Cubic feet 29.92 Quarts (liquid) Inches 2.54 Centimeters
Cups 8 Ounces (liquid) Kilograms 1,000 Grams
Cups 16 Tablespoons Kilograms 2.205 Pounds
Feet 30.48 Centimeters Kilometers 3,281 Feet
Feet 12 Inches Kilometers 0.621 Miles
Feet 0.305 Meters Liters 0.264 Gallons
Feet 1/3 or 0.333 Yards Liters 2.113 Pints (liquid)
Gallons 3.785 Liters Liters 1.057 Quarts (liquid)

CONVERSIONS & CALCULATIONS 189

 Multiply By To get Multiply By To get
Meters 100 Centimeters Pints (liquid) 0.5 Quarts (liquid)
Meters 3.281 Feet Pounds 453.592 Grams
Meters 39.37 Inches Pounds 16 Ounces
Meters 0.001 Kilometers Pounds 0.0005 Tons
Meters 1,000 Millimeters Quarts 2 Pints
Meters 1.094 Yards Quarts 0.25 Gallons
Miles 5,280 Feet Quarts 0.946 Liters
Miles 1,760 Yards Quarts (liquid) 32 Ounces (liquid)
Miles per hour 88 Feet per minute Quarts (liquid) 2 Pints (liquid)
Miles per hour 1.467 Feet per second Rods 16.5 Feet
Miles per minute 88 Feet per second Square miles 640 Acres
Miles per minute 60 Miles per hour Square yards 9 Square feet
Ounces (dry) 28.35 Grams Square yards 1,296 Square inches
Ounces (dry) 0.063 Pounds Tablespoons 3 Teaspoons
Ounces (liquid) 0.063 Pints (liquid) Temperature
Ounces (liquid) 0.031 Quarts (liquid) (°C) + 17.98 1.8 Temperature °F
Parts per million 0.001 Grams per liter Temperature
Pecks 16 Pints (dry) (°F) – 32 0.555 Temperature °C
Pecks 8 Quarts (dry) Tons 907.185 Kilograms
Pints 0.125 Gallons Tons 2,000 Pounds
Pints 0.473 Liters Yards 3 Feet
Pints 2 Cups Yards 36 Inches
Pints (liquid) 16 Ounces (liquid) Yards 0.914 Meters

PESTICIDE CALCULATIONS

Formulations such as wettable and soluble powders, common carrier, but kerosene, oil, and other liquids
emulsifiable concentrates, and flowables are sold are sometimes used. Below are examples of how to
as concentrates and must be diluted in the spray properly calculate how much pesticide should be
tank with an appropriate carrier. Water is the most added to a spray tank.

Mixing Soluble and Wettable Powders

Pounds per 100 gallons: Directions for wettable or soluble Example:
powders may be given in pounds of pesticide formulation per You need to spray only 1 acre, and your equipment is calibrated
100 gallons of carrier. You must know the capacity in gallons of to spray 60 gallons per acre. The label calls for 2 pounds of
your spray tank (or the number of gallons you will be adding to formulation per 100 gallons of water. How many pounds of
your spray tank if the job requires only a partial tank load). formulation should you add to the tank to make 60 gallons of
Then use the following formula: finished spray?
Gallons in tank X pounds per 100 gallons recommended Gallons in tank (60) X pounds per 100 gallons (2)
100 gallons 100 gallons
= pounds needed in tank = pounds needed in tank (1.2, or 19.2 ounces)
Example: 60 X 2 ÷ 100 = 1.2
Your spray tank holds 500 gallons. The label calls for 2 pounds Number of pounds to add is 1.2, or 19.2 ounces.
of formulation per 100 gallons of water. How many pounds of
formulation should you add to the tank? Pounds per acre: The label may list the recommended dosage
500 gallons X pounds per 100 gallons (2) as pounds per acre. If the job requires a full tank, you must
100 gallons know how many gallons your equipment applies per acre and
spray tank capacity. Use these formulas:
= pounds needed in tank (10)
500 X 2 ÷ 100 = 10
You should add 10 pounds to the tank.

190 APPENDIX C
 Gallons in tank = acres sprayed per tankful Mixing Liquid Formulations
gallons applied per acre
Rates for liquid formulations (e.g., EC and F) are often listed as
pints, quarts, or gallons per 100 gallons or per acre. Make these
Acres sprayed per tank X pounds formulation per acre calculations as you did in the formulas above for pounds per
= pounds of formulation needed in tank 100 gallons or pounds per acre, but substitute the appropriate
liquid measure for “pounds.”
Example:
Your sprayer applies 15 gallons per acre and your tank holds Example:
400 gallons. The label rate is 3 pounds of formulation per acre. The label rate is 2 pints of pesticide formulation per 100 gallons
Gallons in tank (400) of water. Your spray tank holds 300 gallons.
= acres sprayed per tankful (26.7)
gallons per acre (15) Gallons in tank (300) X pints per 100 gallons (2)
400 ÷ 15 = 26.7 100 gallons
= pints of formulation needed in tank (6)
Acres sprayed per tankful (26.7) X pounds formulation per acre (3)
= pounds formulation needed in tank (80.1) 300 X 2 ÷ 100 = 6
26.7 X 3 = 80.1 Example:
Your sprayer applies 22 gallons per acre, and your tank holds 400
Add 80 pounds of pesticide formulation to the tank.
gallons. The label rate is 1.5 quarts per acre.
If the job requires less than a full tank, you must know how
Gallons in tank (400) X quarts per acre (1.5)
many acres you wish to treat and how many gallons your
gallons per acre (22)
sprayer is pumping per acre. You must figure both the number
= quarts needed in tank (27.3)
of gallons needed in the tank and the pounds of formulation to
add. Use these formulas: 400 X 1.5 ÷ 22 = 27.3
Gallons per acre X acres to be treated = If the recommendation for a liquid formulation is listed as
gallons needed in tank pounds of active ingredient per acre, you must first convert that
figure to gallons of formulation to apply per acre. The label
Acres to be treated X pounds formulation per acre
of a liquid formulation always tells how many pounds of active
= pounds of formulation needed in tank
ingredient are in 1 gallon of the concentrated formulation (e.g.,
Example: 4 EC has 4 pounds of active ingredient per gallon; 6 EC con-
You wish to spray 3.5 acres, and your equipment is applying 15 tains 6 pounds of a.i. per gallon). Use the following formula:
gallons per acre. The label rate is 3 pounds per acre.
Pounds of a.i. needed per acre
Gallons per acre (15) X acres to be treated (3.5)
pounds of a.i. per gallon of formulation
= gallons needed in tank (52.5)
= gallons of formulation per acre
15 X 3.5 = 52.5
Example:
Acres to be treated (3.5) X pounds of formulation per acre (3) The recommendation is for 1 pound of active ingredient per acre.
= pounds of formulation needed in tank (10.5) You purchased an 8 EC, which contains 8 pounds of active ingre-
dient per gallon. Your tank holds 500 gallons and is calibrated to
3.5 X 3 = 10.5 apply 25 gallons per acre.
If the recommended dosage is given as pounds of active Pounds a.i. needed per acre (1) gallons per acre
ingredient per acre, you must first convert that figure to pounds =
pounds of a.i. per gallon (8) (1/8, or 1 pint)
of formulation per acre. Use the following formula:
1 ÷ 8 = 0.125 (1/8)
Pounds of a.i. per acre X 100 = pounds of formulation per acre
percent of a.i. in formulation Gallons in tank (500)
= acres per tankful (20)
gallons per acre (25)
Then follow the formulas listed above under “pounds per acre”
to find the pounds of formulation to add to your tank. 500 ÷ 25 = 20
Example: Acres per tankful (20) X gallons per acre (1/8 or 0.125)
You wish to apply 2 pounds of active ingredient per acre. Your = gallons to add to tank (2.5)
formulation is 80% WP.
20 X 0.125 = 2.5
Pounds of a.i. per acre (2) X 100
percent a.i. in formulation (80)
= pounds of formulation per acre (2.5)

2 X 100 ÷ 80 = 2.5

CONVERSIONS & CALCULATIONS 191

Square Feet vs. Acre Mixing
The label rate is sometimes given in pounds, pints, quarts,
or gallons per 1,000 square feet. If you have calibrated your
equipment in terms of 1,000 square feet, you must adjust the
formulas above from an acre to 1,000 square feet. The following
formulas may be used with either liquid or dry formulations:

Gallons per tank

gallons applied per 1,000 square feet by equipment
= number of 1,000-square-foot sections per tankful

Number of 1,000-square-foot sections sprayed per tankful X pints,

quarts, gallons, or pounds of formulation needed per 1,000 square
feet = amount of formulation to add to tank.

However, if you have calculated the target area in acres, you

must convert the 1,000-square-foot rate to a rate per acre as
follows:

43,560 square feet per acre = 43.5

1,000 square feet

Pints, quarts, gallons, or pounds per 1,000 square feet X 43.5 =

pints, quarts, gallons, or pounds of formulation to apply per acre.

To convert from the rate per acre to a rate per 1,000 square feet
(or 100 square feet):

Pints, quarts, gallons, or pounds

of formulation recommended per acre
43.5 (435 for 100 square feet)
= pints, quarts, gallons, or pounds of formulation
per 1,000 square feet (or 100 square feet)

From Penn State Pesticide Education Manual, third edition

The section on conversion tables was adapted from the Pocket Pesticide Calibration Guide,
compiled by Frank Boys and Frank Murphey, University of Delaware.

The section on pesticide calculations was adapted from Applying Pesticides Correctly:
A Guide for Private and Commercial Applicators, North Carolina State University.

192 APPENDIX C