If you see '3EC' on a container of liquid product, what does it mean?

• A. The liquid product contains 3 pounds active ingredient per gallon of product
• B. The liquid product contains 3 percent active ingredient
• C. The product contains 3 ounces of active ingredient per gallon
• D. The liquid product uses 3 EC as a concentration code

Answer: (A)

Seeing a number followed by EC on a liquid pesticide indicates the formulation type and how much active ingredient is in each gallon. EC stands for emulsifiable concentrate, and the preceding number shows pounds of active ingredient per gallon of product. So, 3EC means 3 pounds of active ingredient per gallon. This is different from a percent label (which would state a percent of active ingredient by weight) or an ounces-per-gallon measure. The EC designation tells you both the formulation and the exact AI concentration you’ll be applying, which you use with your spray volume to determine the total amount of active ingredient applied per area.