IR-4 Project

The IR-4 Project - Minor Use Program

The IR-4 Project - Minor Use Program

IR-4 Mission

To provide pest management solutions to growers of fruits, vegetables and other minor crops. People who benefit from the program are consumers, growers and food processors.


Minor Crops - Major Value
1997 Value For All Crops	$98.1B	Leading Minor Crop States
1997 Value For Minor Crops	$39.7B	California	$14.4B	Georgia	$1.1B
Fruits, Nuts & Berries	$12.7B	Florida	$ 4.7B	Michigan	$1.1B
Nursery/Greenhouse	$10.9B	Washington	$ 2.3B	Texas	$1.1B
Others	$ 8.8B	Oregon	$ 1.4B
Vegetables	$ 8.4B


	States with Minor Crop Value More Than 50% of All Crops
	Hawaii - 100%	Washington - 72%
	Florida - 98%	New York - 68%
	Rhode Island - 97%	Oregon - 68%
	Massachusetts - 97%	Pennsylvania - 66%
	Connecticut - 97%	West Virginia - 62%
	Maine - 92%	Kentucky - 57%
	New Hampshire - 90%	Georgia - 57%
	New Jersey - 89%	Arizona - 54%
	California - 84%	Idaho - 53%
	Alaska - 79%	South Carolina - 53%
	Virginia - 77%	Alabama - 51%
	Vermont - 75%

TOTAL = 23 States

Brief History

1963 - Initiated by State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors and USDA Cooperative State Research Service
1975 - Established four Regional Labs
1976 - Established USDA-ARS program component
1977 - Expanded to non-food uses - i.e. nurseries, ornamentals, floral crops, etc.
1982 - Established a Biological Control Program
1989 - Developed a FIFRA 1988 Strategy. Also established a Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Program
1993 - Established a Quality Assurance Unit with SOP's and GLP Guidelines
1995 - Updated Strategic Plan to start Reduced Risk Product and Biopesticide Initiatives and completed FIFRA 1988 Reregistration Program
1997 - Fully implemented Reduced Risk Strategy and expanded Biopesticide Programs
1999 - Proactive Partnership Initiatives with the EPA, Crop Protection Industry, Land Grant System and Growers/Commodity Groups
Revised Strategic Plan

IR-4 Organization

Headquarters staff at Rutgers University/Cook College coordinates U.S. and International programs.
Regional Laboratories at Michigan State University/East Lansing, Cornell University/Geneva, University of Florida/Gainesville and University of California/Davis plus 3 USDA-ARS - conduct field residue and laboratory analyses programs.
Satellite Laboratories - 7 Land Grant to conduct residue analysis.
Field Research Centers - 18 Land Grant plus 7 USDA-ARS, to conduct field residue program.
USDA-ARS - Partnership Program managed by Minor Use Officer at Beltsville, MD.
Project Management Committee - Comprised of 4 Regional Directors, ARS and CSREES Representatives, Commodity Liaison Committee Chair, Administrative Advisory Committee Chair and IR-4 Executive Director and Executive Secretary - provides program strategic focus and policies.
Administrative Advisors - composed of one per region plus CSREES and ARS Representatives (6 total) - provides liaison between State Agricultural Experiment Stations, the USDA and the Program.
Commodity Liaison Committee - Stakeholder organization and link between IR-4 and minor food and ornamental crop growers - provides guidance and advice on how the program can best serve minor crop producers.

IR-4 Partnership Initiatives

EPA Three Year Petition Submission Schedule Reduced Risk Chemical Priorities Streamlined Petition Submissions EPA/IR-4 Technical Working Group (Quarterly Meetings)	Crop Protection Industry 30 Month Project Completion Schedule Early Commitment for New Chemistries on Minor Crops Develop Minor Crop Strategies Expanded Biopesticide Support Methyl Bromide Alternatives Program

Land Grant System More Involvement at State Level Early Stage Evaluation of New Technologies Support for Regional Labs and Field Research Centers	Commodity Groups/Growers/Stakeholders More Active Involvement in Priority Setting for Projects Input for Program Strategies and Longer Term Focus

IR-4 Program Accomplishments

1963-1999

Over 5000 Food Use Clearances - About 40% of total granted by EPA
Over 7000 Ornamental Crop Clearances - over 50% of total granted by EPA
Over 100 Biopesticide Clearances

Food Quality Protection Act Responses

1997 45 Reduced Risk Projects of 150 total - 524 trials
8 Biopesticide Projects
1998 78 Reduced Risk Projects of 163 total - 609 trials
14 Biopesticide Projects
1999 82 Reduced Risk Projects of 136 total - 600 trials
37 Biopesticide Projects

Contact one of the following offices for further information:
Headquarters, IR-4 Project Center for Minor Crop Pest Management Technology Center of New Jersey Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 681 U.S. Highway #1 South North Brunswick, NJ 08902-3390 Phone: (732)932-9575 FAX:(732)932-8481 http://pestdata.ncsu.edu/ir-4/	Southern Regional Coordinator Institute of Food & Agricultural Science Food & Environmental Toxicology Laboratory P.O. Box 110720, SW 23rd Drive University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611-0720 Phone: (352)392-2399 FAX:(352)392-1988
Northeast Regional Coordinator NE Regional Pesticide Laboratory NYSAES - Cornell University Geneva, NY 14456 Phone: (315)787-2308 FAX:(315)787-2397	Western Regional Coordinator Department of Environmental Toxicology University of California Davis, CA 95616-8588 Phone: (530)752-7633 FAX:(530)752-2866
North Central Regional Coordinator National Food Safety & Toxicology Center Michigan State University 182 Food Safety & Toxicology Building Fort Lansing, MI 48824-1302 Phone: (517)353-9497 FAX:(517)432-2098	United States Department of Agriculture ARS/Office of Minor Use Pesticides BARC-W, NRI, Bldg. 003, Room 325 10300 Baltimore Avenue Beltsville, MD 20705-2350 Phone: (301)504-8256 FAX:(301)504-8142

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