IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 THE PROJECT I NTERREGIONAL R ESEARCH PROJECT NO. 4 THE MINOR USE PROGRAM Funding provided by USDA (CSREES and ARS) and the SAES IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 Regional Director and USDA/ARS Contact Locations IR-4 Regional Director Locations: University of California at Davis University of Florida at Gainesville Cornell University at Geneva Michigan State University at East Lansing ARS/IR-4 Minor Crop Coordinator: Agricultural Research Service Beltsville, MD

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 Headquarters Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Center for Minor Crop Pest Management The Technology Centre of New Jersey 681 U.S. Highway #1 South North Brunswick, NJ IR-4: A National Agricultural Program to Clear Pest Control Agents for Minor Use

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers USDA State Land Grant Universities IR-4 IR-4 is the only publicly funded program that conducts research and submits petitions to EPA for registration of pest control products.

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 is the major data source for pest control product registrations on minor crops. What is a minor crop ?? Total U.S. acreage of 300,000 or less

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers Minor Crops – Major Value 1997 Value for all U.S.crops$98.1B Fruits/ Nuts/ Berries Nursery/Greenhouse Vegetables Other $12.7B $10.9B $8.4B $8.8B 1997 Value for minor crops $39.7B Figures taken from the 1997 USDA Census of Agriculture

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers Minor Crops – Major Value

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers The IR-4 Mission To provide pest management solutions to growers of fruits, vegetables, and other minor crops for the benefit of consumers, growers and food processors.

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 Brief History 1963 IR-4 is initiated by State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors and USDA Cooperative State Research Service 1975Established four Regional Labs 1976 Established USDA-ARS program component 1977 Expanded to non-food uses - i.e. nurseries, ornamentals, floral crops 1982 Established a biological control program

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 Brief History 1989 Developed a FIFRA 1988 Strategy. Established a Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) program Established a Quality Assurance Unit with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and GLP Guidelines Completed FIFRA 1988 Reregistration Program. Began Reduced Risk Product and Biopesticide Initiatives.

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 Brief History 1997 Fully implemented Reduced Risk Strategy and expanded Biopesticide Programs Partnership Initiatives with: EPA ARS Crop Protection Industry Land Grant System Growers/Commodity groups

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 Program Overview USDA Cooperative State Research, Education & Extension Service CSREES IR-4 Management Committee IR-4 Headquarters New Jersey State Agricultural Experiment Stations (SAES) & Land Grant Universities USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Commodity Liaisons ARS Liaisons; Labs and Field Stations IR-4 Regional Offices: California Florida Michigan New York IR-4 State Liaisons

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers Requests for minor crop pest management needs originate from: Growers Grower groups Extension agents Ag scientists IR-4 is a “Grass Roots” Organization

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers Part 1 – Submitting the Pesticide Clearance Request Form (PCR) The IR-4 Process, Part 1 PCR IR-4 Liaisons Commodity Groups Minor Crop Growers Agricultural Researchers Extension Specialists Pest Control Problem/ Possible Solution

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers The IR-4 Process, Part 2 Part 2 – Turning PCRs into researchable projects PCR Regional Field Coordinators/ Headquarters Coordination Growers Commodity groups University Staff USDA-ARS and CSREES National Research Planning Meeting Where research projects are assigned to locations for the coming year Where PCRs are prioritized Annual Food Use Workshop

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers The IR-4 Process, Part 3 Lab Directors Study Directors Field Coordinators Registrants Protocols Part 3 – Developing data from the projects Laboratory and Field Protocols are developed for each project Quality Assurance Review Field Trials Laboratory Analysis Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers Field trials and residue analyses are set up across the U.S ARS Field Research Centers Puerto Rico = IR-4 HQ IR-4 Regional Labs State Satellite Labs State Field Research Centers ARS Labs Hawaii=

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers Study Directors Prepare Petition to Submit to EPA The IR-4 Process, Part 4

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers Product Registration If everything is in order, a tolerance is granted (for food use products) and a registration follows. A new product is now available for minor use. EPA The petition is sent to where it is reviewed.

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers The continued availability of minor crop pest control products has recently become a major concern because of:

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers The FQPA has EPA reassessing the risk of many pesticides applied to food crops. A significant number of registrations could be lost.

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers To counter the FQPA losses, IR-4 has a Risk Reduction Strategy for minor crops…

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers Reduced risk pesticide registrations for minor crops. Reduced risk use patterns for existing pesticide registrations. Registration of new and support for existing pest control products essential to Integrated Pest Management. Registration of biologically-based pest control products. Risk Reduction Strategy

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers The IR-4 Risk Reduction Strategy will ensure that a selection of existing and new pest control products will be available for minor crops in the future.

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 Food Quality Protection Act Responses reduced risk projects of 150 total – 524 trials. Eight biopesticide projects reduced risk projects of 163 total – 609 trials. Fourteen biopesticide projects reduced risk projects of 136 total – 600 trials. Thirty-seven biopesticide projects

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 Partnership Initiatives: ARS Improve coordination of field and laboratory research for the generation of data Strengthen the bonds that keep ARS an active part of the Minor Use Team

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 Partnership Initiatives: EPA year petition submission schedule Reduced risk chemical priorities Streamlined petition submissions EPA/IR-4 Technical Working Group quarterly meetings

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers month project completion schedule Early commitment for new chemistries on minor crops Develop minor crop strategies Expanded biopesticide support Transgenic minor crop program Methyl bromide alternatives program IR-4 Partnership Initiatives: Crop Protection Industry

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 Partnership Initiatives: Commodity Groups/Growers/Stakeholders More active involvement by these groups in priority setting for projects Increased input for program strategies and longer term focus

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 Partnership Initiatives: The Land Grant System More involvement at the state level Early stage evaluation of new technologies Support for Regional Labs and Field Research Centers

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 Program Accomplishments: Over 5000 food use clearances – about 40 % of the total granted by EPA Over 7000 ornamental crop clearances – about 50 % of the total granted by EPA Over 100 biopesticide clearances

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers IR-4 is a partnership providing integrated pest management options for growers of minor crops. The Bottom Line

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers For more information on IR-4 contact : California Michigan Florida New York The IR-4 web site: IR-4 Headquarters at: (phone) (fax) Each state has an IR-4 State Liaison. Contact the Regional Center nearest you for the name. Prepared by Sandy Perry, IR-4 Outreach Specialist. ARS/IR-4 Program (phone) (fax)

IR-4 USDA ARS USDA CSREES SAESEPA AGRICHEMICALS INDUSTRY Consumers Food Processors Commodity Producers Would you like to receive the IR-4 quarterly newsletter? Contact George Markle at IR-4 Headquarters: x 606