Location: Southeast Watershed Research
2023 Annual Report
Objectives
Determine magnitude of the residues of pesticides in minor crops and conduct other residue studies as appropriate in support of registration petitions submitted to EPA by IR-4. Work primarily with reduced-risk compounds to replace uses that continue to be lost due to the tolerance reassessment mandated by the Food Quality Protection bAct (FQPA) of 1996.
Approach
All work will be in compliance with 40 CFR Part 160, "Good Laboratory Practice
Standards." Analytical methodology, Standard Operating Procedures, and GLP
documentation will be updated for the project as needed. Priorities and assignments
of crop/pesticide combinations for analysis are determined at an annual meeting.
Crop samples will be obtained from IR-4 Field Projects and analyzed by methods
approved by EPA. Laboratory residue data and all required documentation will be
reported to IR-4 Headquarters.
Progress Report
At the request of growers, pesticide residue research was conducted on pesticide/crop combinations (projects) to address specific insect, weed, and plant disease problems on minor crops. The field trials were conducted throughout the United States by ARS and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) cooperators. Samples were shipped to the Tifton IR-4 Project (previously named Interregional Research Project #4) Laboratory located at the Southeast Watershed Research Unit, Tifton, Georgia. During FY2023, the laboratory conducted residue analyses for 6 projects covering 41 field trials. For the fungicide azoxystrobin, analysis on parent azoxystrobin and its metabolite R230310 were completed on 4 projects totaling 30 field trials: olive (fruit and oil), basil (fresh and dried), and two separate projects for tomato (green house transplant). Difenoconazole and triazole metabolite analysis remain for one of the tomato projects. The fungicide ethaboxam is currently being analyzed on avocado which has 6 field trials. The fungicide propiconazole is also currently being analyzed for total propiconazole on avocado which has 5 field trials. Residue work was initiated on another 5 projects covering 40 trials which were assigned to the laboratory. EPA will establish pesticide tolerances based on this data so the growers of these crops will have the pest control tools they requested.
Accomplishments
