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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Research Project #429535

Research Project: Pesticide Trials in Vegetables and Ornamental Crops to Support the IR-4 Program

Location: Vegetable Research

2017 Annual Report


Objectives
To obtain efficacy and residual data of insecticides, miticides, herbicides and fungicides on vegetable crops and ornamentals against insects and mites.


Approach
Field evaluations of insecticides, miticides, fungicides, and herbicides will be conducted on vegetable and ornamental crops. Research will be conducted according to IR-4 protocols and good laboratory practices. No specific treatments can be mentioned ahead of time because program needs change depending on industry requests. Residue samples will be assayed by appropriate federal, state, or private laboratories.


Progress Report
Field data were collected in cooperation with the IR-4 Project (previously named Interregional Research Project #4) and cooperating crop protection industries. The IR-4 project is a national minor-use pesticide program. Food crop residue and performance trials with insecticides, fungicides and herbicides were conducted for food crop studies. Also, pesticide performance trials were conducted for ornamental crop studies. Food crop samples were provided to cooperators for pesticide residue analyses, and completed field data books were provided to the IR-4 Project headquarters. Also, a scientist on this project in Charleston, South Carolina coordinated the food and ornamental minor use program for USDA-ARS. This work supports the registration of needed pesticides for use on specialty crops. The pesticides in the study will eventually be available for use by specialty crop producers who have a limited number of pest control options available for their productions at any given time.


Accomplishments
1. Research supporting the registration of pesticides on vegetable and ornamental crops. There is a need for data to support the registration of new pesticides for use on vegetable and ornamental crops. Therefore, ARS researchers have developed information at Charleston, South Carolina on potential new uses for target compounds in cooperation with the IR-4 Project and cooperating crop protection industries. The IR-4 Project is a national minor-use pesticide program headquartered at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Research on insecticides, fungicides and herbicides were completed for 8 food crop residue studies [including bean (snap), cabbage, onion (green), pea (edible pod) and peanut]. Also, 14 fungicide, herbicide, and insecticide performance trials were completed for studies on ornamental crops (cotoneaster, crape myrtle, eucalyptus, euonymus, hedera ivy, hibiscus, hydrangea, oleander, plains coreopsis, privet, rhododendron, viburnum, and white cedar). Results from this work are being used to support the registration of needed pesticides on specialty crops, and many of these pesticides will subsequently be available for use by growers.