News

Celebrating 2024 achievements and announcing Dr. Baron’s retirement.

Join us in honoring Rich Bonanno and Julie Coughlin.

Join us in celebrating the legacies of two outstanding collaborators.

Learn how IR-4 supports cranberry growers in this story by Robin Siktberg.

Learn about IR-4’s electronic Field Data Book rollout; by Raven E. Baez.

Save the date for the 2025 Food Use Workshop: September 9-11 in Denver, CO.

Join us February 20 for the 2025 Industry Technology Session.

Learn about IR-4’s role in supporting Hawaiian cacao growers.

Priority Upgrade Proposals and regional upgrades are due by October 1, 2024.

Read Jerry Baron’s letter and share your input on the IS platform.

The nomination period is open August 15-29, 2024.

Enjoy highlights from this year’s tour stops and learn about Van’s contributions over 20+ years.

Thanks to our presenters and attendees for an excellent event.

Join us in honoring our external partners through the SOAR award.

Learn about Lead QA Auditor Jane Forder in the latest People of IR-4 story by Raven E. Baez.

Access to methoxyfenozide expands insecticide toolbox for future infestations in rice crops.

Join us in celebrating Trammel’s countless contributions to IR-4.

IR-4’s Western Region Lab put Puerto Rican and Hawaiian coffees to the test: which bean buzzes better?

Save the date for the 2024 Food Use Workshop!

Read about IR-4’s impacts in 2023—our 60th year.

Register today to join us virtually on April 9 from 1-4 pm ET.

Learn more about this new leadership position for Gore.

Explore some of IR-4’s work on this glyphosate alternative for weed control.

Hausbeck fills the role previously held by John Wise, Ph.D. following his retirement.

Presentations have been posted from the 2024 Research Symposium.

Read Meister Media’s new digital report spotlighting our 60 years of impact.

Three recipients recognized as outstanding longtime partners to IR-4.

Barney was presented with an award for his efforts at the 2023 Food Use Workshop.

In 2022, EPA approved the use of mandestrobin on lettuce for protection against lettuce drop.

Watch the new video and submit your nominations.

Learn more about this gregarious Western Region Lab Analyst.

We invite stakeholders to learn more and get involved in our research cycle.

Join us in honoring our external partners through the SOAR award.

Fellows from four countries visited IR-4 in May to learn about MRL harmonization through a USDA-FAS program.

Learn more about this excellent North Central Region FRD.

Ethalfluralin has been approved by EPA for use on hemp seed; this is the first conventional pest management option for hemp growers.

Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, Bernie!

Isofetamid is now an option for rusty root disease management on ginseng. Learn about IR-4’s work securing this new use through EPA.

Learn IR-4’s perspective on a potential change in honey bee product regulation.

Save these dates and stay tuned for more details!

Employees honored with National Recognition of Excellence Awards, Technical and Meritorious Service Awards

2023 marks 60 Years of IR-4. Read more about our project’s impacts and longevity.

EPA has approved new tolerances for Pyriofenone on greenhouse cucumbers and fruiting vegetables.

EPA has approved a new tolerance for sulfur dioxide on blueberries. Read more here.

The IR-4 Project Research Symposium took place on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

The 2023 NEC was held Feb. 7-9 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Presentations now available!

The EPA recently released the sixth Final Rule in a series of updates to pesticide crop groupings. The revised crop group table is now available here.

EPA has released the sixth Final Rule in a series of updates to pesticide crop groups. This update includes new commodities and additional subgroups in Legumes and Cereal Grains.

Projects nominated as “A” priorities have been posted for viewing in advance of the 2022 Food Use Workshop. Only projects nominated as “A” priorities will be considered for funding at the annual priority setting event.

Summer is always one of the busier seasons for the IR-4 Project (IR-4) and this year did not disappoint. Some highlights of what happened in the last several months and what is coming up shortly are shared in this message.

The project nomination period for the 2022 Food Use Workshop opened on Wednesday, August 17. Requests that were submitted for residue studies, product performance or integrated solutions research in 2023 must be nominated in order to be considered at the 2022 workshop. The nomination period will end on Tuesday, September 6, at 5:00 p.m. EDT.

The IR-4 Project is known within the specialty crop agriculture community to be a highly productive government funded research project that has delivered many registrations of necessary crop protection products to growers.

Thanks to international partnerships and IR-4 research, ginseng and lowbush blueberry growers have a new tool to improve crop health and yields.

Registration is open for the 2022 Food Use Workshop taking place September 13-15 in Bloomington, MN

Two-spotted spider mites are attacking hops. Hop growers now have a new tool to fight back thanks to IR-4 research.

IR-4 is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 SOAR Award. This award honors partners who exemplify Service, Outreach, Altruism, and Research, while supporting growers and the mission of the IR-4 Project.

Experts gathered on April 18, 2022, to provide an overview of the hop industry, pest management issues, and international demand for American-grown hops.

The 2021 IR-4 Project Annual Report and Year-End Summary are now available.

Todd Scholz and Keith Pitts have been elected chair and vice chair of the IR-4 Commodity Liaison Committee, respectfully.

Dates announced for the 2022 Industry Technology Session and Food Use Workshop. More information on each event will be available later this year.

The inaugural IR-4 Project Research Symposium took place on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. Recorded presentations on entomology, plant pathology, and weed science IS and product performance projects are now available to be viewed.

Treevix by BASF has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use in fig orchards to control broadleaf weeds.

The SOAR Award was established to recognize external partners who excel in serving growers of specialty and minor use crops. Nominations will be accepted until Monday, February 28, 2022, at 5 p.m. EST.

Historically growers have not had fungicides available for use on pomegranates. Labels for use of Merivon on pomegranates are expected to be approved in 2022 in California and Florida.

Four mid-career researchers from Indonesia, Peru, South Africa, and Vietnam will join the IR-4 team for 19 days in fall of 2022.

For the first time, IR-4 has received a four-year grant for its operations, rather than a traditional one year grant. NC State University will award funding each year to IR-4’s regional host universities through subawards built into the grant. Indirect costs have been waived for the first year.

Experts from Hawaii and Puerto Rico provide a high level overview of the coffee crop, including pest management issues, economic value of domestically-produced coffee, and more.

The analytical laboratory located at Michigan State University will close effective July 31, 2022. The closure will have no impact on current or future IR-4 research or studies.

Effective October 1, 2021, The IR-4 Project headquarters has officially transitioned operations to NC State University.

Debbie Carpenter, Ph.D., has been named IR-4’s associate director and chief regulatory officer.

October 1, 2021, marks the beginning of a new chapter for the IR-4 Project as we fully complete our transition to NC State University. Learn more about this historic transition in this message from IR-4 Executive Director Jerry Baron.

The 2021 Environmental Horticulture Priority Setting Workshop was held September 28 – 30. National and regional research priorities were identified for 2022 and 2023 during this virtual event.

International approval of mandipropamid MRLs on citrus is currently being evaluated by Codex.

The 2021 Food Use Workshop was held September 13 – 16. Research priorities for food residue studies, efficacy and crop safety research, and integrated solutions projects for 2022 were identified during this virtual workshop.

Projects nominated as “A” priorities have been posted for viewing in advance of the 2021 Food Use Workshop. Only projects nominated as “A” priorities will be considered for funding at the annual priority setting event.

Nominations for 2022 research projects will be accepted from August 18 through September 1. Research projects that were submitted must be nominated in order to be considered at the workshop.

Registration is open for the 2021 Environmental Horticulture Priority Setting Workshop. Regional and national priorities for IR-4 environmental horticulture research in 2022 and 2023 will be established during this biennial event, taking place September 28 – 30.

Registration is now open for the 2021 Food Use Workshop! Research priorities for food residue studies, efficacy and crop safety research, as well as integrated solutions projects for 2022 will be identified during this four-day virtual workshop.

At the request of our administrative team at IR-4 headquarters, I am resuming my quarterly letter to keep you updated on the latest news and happenings here at the IR-4 Project. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to sign up for our email distribution list to receive the latest information as it is announced.

Producers of greenhouse-grown vegetables and herbs have a new tool in the fight against thrips, mites and other insects thanks to efforts of the IR-4 Project.

Recent confirmation of the presence of Box Tree Moth (BTM) in the United States has prompted IR-4’s Environmental Horticulture Program to respond with information for growers to help identify and eradicate the pest.

Since its first known discovery in Kenya in the mid-nineteenth century, coffee rust has been spreading around the world. Thanks to the IR-4 Project, coffee growers in Hawai’i have a new tool in the battle against this invasive pest.

Two multi-institutional research studies will soon be underway to analyze the movement and mitigation of invasive pests negatively impacting plants in North America.

The IR-4 Project is now accepting nominations for the 2021 SOAR Award. This award honors external partners who exemplify the areas of Service, Outreach, Altruism and Research, while supporting specialty crop growers and the mission of the IR-4 Project. If you know someone who demonstrates excellence in these areas, we encourage you to nominate them for this award. Nominees […]

IR-4 Project trial studies show cyflumetofen is an effective spider mite control on a variety of specialty crops. Spider mites can be a major pest on specialty crops including tomatoes, cucurbits, and strawberries. They can be a particularly difficult pest to control in southern states that produce food crops year-round. “Mites on strawberries are especially […]

The Minor Use Foundation has announced the top ten global priority crop protection needs to focus funding and research on during 2021 and 2022. The top priorities were narrowed down following a process that started earlier this year with a list of more than 4,000 new crop protection needs from 56 countries. In September, the […]

U.S. grape growers gain the use of permethrin insecticide through IR-4-sponsored residual trials. The United States is the world’s third largest producer of grapes behind China and Italy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that utilized grape production totaled 6.8 million tons in 2019. Grapes were produced on an estimated 935,000 acres with an average […]

Trying to control the diamondback moth on brassica crops can be a major challenge, especially in those areas where crops are produced year-round. Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella L.) is considered to be the most damaging pest of brassica crops worldwide. Growers of brassica crops, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussel sprouts and collards, are very […]

In the ongoing fight against Phytophthora spp., citrus growers have a new integrated pest management option. Fluopicolide is a welcome tool for growers that struggle to keep groves free of the bacterial and fungal pathogens that result in root damage, yield reductions and potential crop loss. This description is apt for many. In Florida alone, […]

Dear Friends, We are pleased to share with you the results of the 2020 IR-4 Priority Setting Workshop. The workshop was held in a virtual format from Monday, September 14 to Thursday, September 17. During the four-day workshop, the 200-plus participants established IR-4’s research priorities for residue studies (40), product performance research (9) and integrated […]

Dear Friends, It has been several months since we last shared an update of the transition of IR-4 Headquarters from Rutgers to NC State. Activities and actions continue to happen. To start, there have been several retirements in the Rutgers office including three Management Team Members. Tammy (White) Barkalow– Since January 1993, IR-4’s national Quality […]

Dear Friends, The on-line project nomination process to assist IR-4 and its specialty crop stakeholders prioritize the 2021 IR-4 research plan under the Food Use Program (residue studies and product performance research) and Integrated Solutions (residue mitigation, organic, PPWS or resistance research) is available Aug 21 thru Sept 3, 2020. Only projects given at least […]

Dear Friends, IR-4 is getting closer to our first ever Virtual Workshop, September 14-17, 2020 with the Registrant Product Presentations on July 29, 2020. The planned schedule is as follows: Times Wednesday 7/29/2020 Monday 9/14/2020 Tuesday 9/15/2020 Wednesday 9/16/2020 Thursday 9/17/2020 11 am – 4 pm ET 8 am – 1 pm PT Registrant Product […]

Until recently, many of us never imagined that foods we know and love might be missing from our grocery store shelves. We’ve taken for granted that the watermelons, tomatoes and avocados we depend upon will be there—perfectly shaped, blemish-free and abundantly stocked. Today, that work is even more critical, as we comprehend the importance of […]

Exploring some IR-4 Tropical Similarities… After attending the 2020 IR-4 National Education Conference (NEC) during last week of February held in San Diego CA, the IR-4 team from University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez (UPRM), Dr. Wilfredo Robles and Luis E. Almodóvar traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii. The reason for this trip was to observe and compare […]

THREE AWARDED DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURE CITATIONS Awards Presented During State Agriculture Convention For Immediate Release: February 11, 2016 Contact: Lynne Richmond (609) 633-2954 lynne.richmond@ag.state.nj.us (ATLANTIC CITY) – Harry “Skip” Bartlett, Dr. Gerald M. Ghidiu, and Dr. Bradley Majek were honored February 10 with Distinguished Service to Agriculture Citations by the New Jersey State […]

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released proposed interim registration review decisions for neonicotinoid insecticides (Federal Register Feb 3, 2020).

Hello IR-4 Stakeholders, We have been informed by Bayer CropScience that as of December 1, 2019, Gowan has acquired their fenamidone business (the AI in Reason® 500 SC fungicide). The companies are collaborating to enable a smooth transition of the business. Gowan will continue to make Reason® 500 SC fungicide available to U.S. specialty crop […]

You may have noticed some changes recently to the IR-4 website. We’re adding new elements including new types of posts to showcase impacts for food program activities and improving the location of content and menu items. Updated Home Page with our Mission and Recent News To make our news items more visible, we updated the […]

Dear Friends, We are pleased to provide you updates and preliminary results from IR-4’s first Week of Workshops (WOW). The stakeholder research priority setting event occurred September 23-26, 2019 at the Delta Marriott in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Over 225 IR-4 stakeholders and team members participated. The first day included a keynote address from USDA-National Institute […]

The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association presented its Researcher of the Year Award to Dr. Richard Raid, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Everglades Research and Education Center in Belle Glade. The award is given to deserving individuals who have dedicated themselves and their work to […]

Dear Friends, The on-line project nomination process to assist IR-4 and its specialty crop stakeholders prioritize the 2020 IR-4 research plan under the Food Use Program (residue studies and product performance research) and Integrated Solutions (residue mitigation, organic, PPWS or resistance research) is available Aug 29 thru Sept 11, 2019. The process is similar to prior […]

Dear Friends, Following up on my message earlier this year, IR-4 is getting closer to our first ever Week of Workshops, September 23-26, 2019 at the Delta Hotel (Marriott) in Hunt Valley, Maryland (just north of the Beltway around Baltimore). Recall, IR-4 is combining its traditional Food Use Residue priority setting with Food Crop Integrated […]

Introduction: Unconditional registration of the first food crop uses for the active ingredient (AI) pyrifluquinazon was granted by the EPA on November 19, 2018.

  For over 25 years, Keith Dorschner had been the lead Entomologist with IR-4. As Senior Research Scientist, Keith attended numerous domestic and

  A Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Standards inspection and data quality audit was conducted on December 11, 2018 at the USDA-ARS, Crop Improvement and Protection Research facility in Salinas, CA.

Authors – Kathryn Homa (IR-4 Headquarters), Dan Kunkel (IR-4 Headquarters), Mike Aerts (Director, Scientific & Regulator Affairs, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association) One plane ticket to Southwest Florida International Airport: $200…

Authors – Kathryn Homa, Roger Batts, Marylee Ross, and Stephen Flanagan There’s no project too big or too small – IR-4 will handle them all! There’s no doubt that IR-4 Field Research Directors (FRDs) work long, hard days to conduct difficult trials.

Author – Carolina Simao Roe-Raymond Our pollinator website (https://protectingbees.njaes.rutgers.edu/) was first launched around this time last year. It was a great starting point to present the Pollinator Research Project and introduce the ability to search for pollinator plants, but we wanted the website to reach a wider audience and hone in on the main purpose […]

Author – Thomas Pike, IR-4 Assistant Coordinator The spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest that was introduced to Berks County, PA sometime around 2014. Since then, it has spread further within Pennsylvania and into surrounding states. Given the damage it can cause to fruit trees and grape vines, as well as its potential as a […]

Northeast region liaisons and researchers gathered at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union on the main campus of the University of Maryland (UMD) in College Park. The objective of this meeting was to discuss our challenges and successes throughout the year as well as identify our priorities for the upcoming year. We were pleased to […]

Author – Stephen Flanagan, WSR Assistant RFC The Western Region IR-4 group had a lively strategy and planning meeting in Mt Vernon Washington with old hands present along with new state representatives from Nevada, Colorado and

The Western Michigan Greenhouse Growers Council funded a film project this past winter for consumer literacy of the environmental horticulture industry as a part of a video series highlighting Michigan agriculture. This video below visualizes how environmental plants are grown, from initial early plant propagation to consumers transplanting their new plants into the garden. High […]

IR-4 is looking a bit different these days with two new Regional Field Coordinators. The North Central Region… has appointed Dr. Anthony (Tony) VanWoerkom to replace Satoru Miyazaki. When asked to provide a little information about himself, Tony wrote, ”For the past ten years I have been a fruit entomologist with Michigan State University, where […]

— by Steven R. Miller, Ph.D. Director: MSU Center for Economic Analysis The Michigan State University Center for Economic Analysis (MSU/CEA) has updated their estimates of the economic significance of the IR-4 Project. Their findings show that the IR-4 Project supports over 95,000 U.S. jobs and contributes about $9.4 billion to annual gross domestic product […]

In December 2017, seventeen senior government officials signed a joint statement acknowledging the productive work of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) in building knowledge and capacity for developing countries in the area of pesticide maximum residue levels (MRLs). STDF provided the funding for the USDA’s IR-4 Project to provide […]