Location: Southeast Watershed Research
2019 Annual Report
Objectives
To evaluate the effectiveness and phytotoxicity of nematicides, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and acaricides on minor food crops and ornamentals in the southern U.S., and to generate samples for analysis of pesticide residues to be used in registering pesticides on minor food crops and ornamentals.
Approach
Field and/or greenhouse tests will be conducted under good laboratory/field procedures to determine the effects of pesticides on pests of minor food crops and ornamentals. Nematode, disease, weed, insect, and mite population densities will be monitored in treated and untreated plots and pest damage, crop response and yields will be recorded. Mature fruit and/or plant parts will be harvested, shipped to designated laboratories, and analyzed for pesticide residues. Plant species, pesticides and treatment rates are determined by IR-4 Minor Use Pesticide protocols. Data will be summarized, analyzed, and reports will be submitted to IR-4 Headquarters to support registration and reregistration of pesticides on minor food crops and ornamentals.
Progress Report
The Interregional Research Project No. 4 (IR-4), Crop Protection and Management Research Unit, Tifton, Georgia, conducted eight residue food use field trials during FY19. These included four acaricide trials, three insecticide trials, and one fungicide trial. The acaricide trials (pesticide/crop) included the following: bifenazate/blueberry, cyflumetofen/cucumber, cyflumetofen/pepper(bell), and cyflumetofen/squash (summer). The insecticide trials included the following: flonicamid/cantaloupe, methomyl/blueberry, and tolfenpyrad/snap bean. The fungicide trial was mandestrobin/sweet potato.
Sixteen ornamental trials also were conducted during the year to provide phytotoxicity data for potted plants in field conditions including fourteen fungicide trials, one insecticide trial and one acaricide trial. The fungicide trials included the following: flutriafol/coneflower (two trials) and tickseed (two trials); mefentrifluconazole/bee balm, blanket flower, false goat’s beard, juniper, rosemary, sunflower, and tickseed (two trials); picarbutrazox/woodland sage; and pyriofenone/woodland sage. The insecticide trial was cyclaniliprole-flonicamid/woodland sage and the acaricide trial was cyflumetofen/pink.
These trials provide residue, efficacy and phytotoxicity data for numerous pesticide and crop combinations and will be used to support registration or re-registration of reduced risk pesticides on minor use food crops. All magnitude of residue trials were conducted in compliance with the Good Laboratory Practice Standards issued by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (40 CFR Part 160). Our research contributes to both the pest control technologies and chemical control of weeds components of the crop protection and quarantine national program action plan.
Accomplishments
