1

IR-4:Interregional Research

Project No. 4Minor Crop Pest Management:

A National Agricultural Program To Clear Pest Control Agents For Minor Uses

http://www.cook.rutgers.edu/~ir4

IR-4

USDAARS

USDACSREES

SAES EPA

AGRICHEMICALSINDUSTRY

Consumers

Food

ProcessorsCom

mod

ityPr

oduc

ers

2

IR-4 and minor crop pest control options….

What does it mean?

3

IR-4 is a leader in the registration of reduced risk pest control products for minor crops.

IR-4

4

• IR-4’s goal: to provide growers with safe, effective and economical tools to control pests on minor crops.

• Minor crops are high value crops such asfruits, vegetables, nursery and greenhouseplants – but low acreage compared to corn, wheat, soybeans and cotton.

• Minor crops are: worth $40 billion, produced in all states and make up 40% of the total value of U.S. crops.

5

IR-4 Program Overview

State Agricultural Experiment Stations (SAES) & Land Grant Universities

IR-4Management Committee

USDACooperative State

Research, Education & Extension Service

(CSREES)

USDAAgricultural Research

Service(ARS)

ARS Liaisons;Labs and

FieldStations

IR-4 Headquarters,

New Jersey

Commodity Liaisons

IR-4 State Liaisons

IR-4 RegionalOffices: California Florida Michigan New York

6

IR-4 conducts field research and residue analyses to register

pesticides and biopesticides on minor crops.

7

ARS Field Research Centers Puerto Rico =

IR-4 HQ

IR-4 Regional Labs

State Satellite Labs State Field Research Centers ARS Labs Hawaii =

Lab and Field Research Sites in The United States

8

Partners in the IR-4 procedure leading to

registration:

• Growers• Processors

• Commodity Groups•Land Grant Universities

• Environmental Protection Agency• U.S. Department of Agriculture

9

Why has the need for new minor crop pest control

products become so important ?

10

Implementation of the:

A new standard of food safety based on a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from exposure to pesticides in food, water, and from household and garden uses.

11

Before FQPA , exposure from each pesticide was considered independently for each food crop.

Guthion

Risk Cup

Risk Cup

Risk Cup

Lorsban

Mala

thio

n

Risk Cup = maximum allowed exposure considered acceptable by the Environmental Protection Agency

12

After FQPA, exposure from all pesticides with the same mode of action is combined not only forfood, but also water and household uses – with a safety factor added for kids when needed.

Guthion

Lorsbanmala

thion

Lorsban

Risk cup fills faster, and gets smaller to increase the safety factor for infants and children.

13

Guthion

Guthion

Common mechanismAggregate exposure

Kids safety factor

before FQPA

after FQPA

14

Because of

Some key pesticides used on important minor crops such as fruits and vegetables are certain to be lost or curtailed.

15

Does this mean…

*used with permission of Jack Pittman Jptoonist@aol.com & www.ruben.org/jackpittman/

16

NO!!!!

IR-4

17

Here’s the IR-4 procedure:

1. A pest control need is identified…..

18

2. New pest management strategies and options for control are identified……

19

3. A Pesticide Clearance Request (PCR) is submitted to IR-4 if a newpesticide or biopesticide control measure is desired……

Submit in writing or electronically….

20

4. The PCR’s are prioritized and IR-4 goes to work….

….setting up field trials and residue analyses across the U.S.

21

5. IR-4 puts the data collected into a registration petition for EPA…

22

EPA’s approval leads to registration for a new pest control product on a minor crop or crop grouping.

23

• 7000+ ornamental registrations

• 100+ biopesticide registrations

IR-4 successes since 1963:

• 5000+ food use registrations

IR-4 develops 40% of all the registrations approved by EPA.

24

IR-4 is a successful partnership providing integrated pest management options for growers of minor crops.

Can IR-4 be of service to you?

25

For more information on IR-4, Contact:

The IR-4 web site at: http://www.cook.rutgers.edu/~ir4

IR-4 Headquarters at: 732/932-9575 (phone) 732/932-8481 (fax)

Each state has an IR-4 state liaison. Contact the Regional Center nearest you for the name.

New York 315-787-2308 Florida 352-392-2399 Michigan 517-353-9497 California 530-752-7633

Prepared by Sandy Perry, IR-4 National Outreach Specialist, 517-432-5999 (perrys@msue.msu.edu). 3/00