Facilitating Registration of Pest Management Technology For Specialty Crops and Specialty Uses

Food Program: Obtain regulatory approval of safe and effective pesticides for fruits, vegetables, nuts and other specialty food crops and minor uses on major food crops with an emphasis on low hazard or reduced risk products and uses that are compatible with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. Annually, IR-4 will initiate about 100 multiyear residue studies consisting of 600 field trials and 50 efficacy/crop safety trials to facilitate pesticide tolerances and registrations. IR-4 will also assist specialty crops through the establishment of international Maximum Residue Levels to remove pesticide residues as a barrier to trade which allows producers better access to lucrative export markets. The need for IR-4?s services will increase with introduction of new/invasive pests, with pests becoming resistant to available pesticides, with increased need for product performance data, with increased complexity of regulatory data requirements, with internationalization of data
requirements, and with emerging regulatory issues (e.g. pollinator protection). Biopesticide/Organic Support Program: Research to enhance the development and registration of biochemical pesticides, microbial pesticides, plant incorporated protectants and other technology to manage pests for use in conventional and organic production systems. IR-4 will also assist public sector associates and small biopesticide companies by providing guidance on how to successfully navigate through EPA?s biopesticide registration process. IR-4 will also provide regulatory support for USDA deregulation of genetically modified organisms associated with plant incorporated protectants. IR-4?s intends to conduct 20 studies to determine which biopesticide(s) exhibit potential to manage critical pests and provide regulatory support for at least two project, annually. The need for IR-4?s Biopesticide Program services will increase given growing demand for a more natural approach to pest management,
including organics, for the continued challenge of new pests or pests becoming resistant to available pesticides, and for emerging regulatory issues (e.g. pollinator protection) with conventional pesticides. There is also anticipation that there will be emerging biopesticides (e.g. RNAi) that will require IR-4?s assistance. Public Health Pesticides: Provide assistance in the development/registration of pesticides and for use in controlling arthropod pests that transmit diseases to humans and minor animal species. IR-4?s activities target mosquitoes, ticks, sand flies, etc. that impact human health through vectoring diseases (e.g. West Nile virus, Lyme disease, malaria, dengue). IR-4 works with Department of Defense (DoD) and ARS to get the products registered through EPA. Specifically IR-4 will identify and assist in the evaluation of underutilized pesticides with vector control relevance, will evaluate novel products and technology developed for registration feasibility
and regulatory data needs, will provide regulatory consulting services for public sector collaborators leading towards EPA registrations and will collaborate with international to facilitate global development of new technology.