BE WARY of phone offers of super specials on herbicides for weed control on crops, said a pest management specialist at the University of Missouri.

“This is the season for shady pesticide sales practices,” said Fred Fishel, MU extension specialist. “High-pressure sales persons are already calling farmers — an annual experience.”

Of the phone offers, Fishel said, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There are no silver bullets when it comes to pest control.”

Most of the sales pitches are within the law. They offer a product that is legal to sell. In recent examples, Fishel said the material sold by phone is accurately described as being registered with the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

What the sales pitch does not tell is that these are diluted versions of old formulations.