Location: Application Technology Research
2023 Annual Report
Objectives
Obtain performance data and/or residue samples or analyze crop samples to support the registration of minor-use pesticides for food, ornamental and specialty crops. [NP304, C3, PS 3B]
Approach
The program has four specific goals: 1) Provide growers with safer pesticide chemicals needed to maintain crop quality and productivity; 2) Maintain a viable ARS Minor Use Pesticide Program to cooperate with the IR-4 national program and assist in the registration of new crop protection tools for specialty crops; 3) Generate sufficient, high quality residue data to support tolerances for specialty food crops and expand existing label registrations; and 4) Develop crop safety and efficacy data to add new uses to existing pesticide labels for growers of nursery and floral crops. As a result of these efforts, adequate pest and pathogen control measures will be available for continued growth and marketing of high-quality, high-yielding commodities, as well as plants for landscapes, homes, and gardens. Further, this work will result in an expanded availability of safe, effective pest control materials for conventional and organic, large and small farm and greenhouse production systems, replacing higher risk, less environmentally friendly products. As an added benefit, the expanded technologies will improve resistance management schemes due to reduced reliance on a few pesticides.
Progress Report
In FY23, the ARS in Wooster, OH the IR-4 food use project conducted 14 vegetable and herb projects for residue analysis using good laboratory practices, and the IR-4 ornamentals project conducted 11 nursery crop trials testing crop safety of herbicides and fungicides. Since the USDA, ARS, Unit is co-located at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster, Ohio, trials were held at the Wooster Campus in fields and greenhouses; and at the Muck Crops Agricultural Research Station (OARDC) in Huron County, the North Central Agricultural Research Station (OARDC) in Sandusky County, and a grower’s farm near Wooster. The impacts of the IR-4 trials were to support hundreds of registrations for specialty crops that pesticide companies would not otherwise support.
Accomplishments
