The National Corn Growers Association says following pesticide labels is critical through the end of the season.

As harvest season slowly begins, NCGA says it’s important to pay close attention to preharvest interval requirements.

These requirements are designed to ensure that any potential traces of the product left behind are at levels that will not cause disruptions in trade.

Every pesticide has a maximum residue level specific to each crop for which it is labeled.

The levels are a measurement of acceptable pesticide residues, set far below toxicological safety limits, for every product treated with pesticides.

Those limits provide a standard to help ensure that food treated with pesticides is safe for consumption and ultimately verify that farmers have used crop protection products correctly.

Especially in international markets, if shipments are tested and the level for one or more pesticides is exceeded that delivery may be rejected.

While the instances are rare, NCGA encourages farmers to continue to use responsible application practices to avoid rejected exports.