IR-4 Program

IR-4 Program Index

During the past two years, slightly more than 50 percent of all pesticide registered by the EPA resulted from IR-4 submissions. (USDA)

Interregional Research Project No. 4 (IR-4 Project). IR-4 is the "minor use pesticides" program. It is a federal cooperative program established in 1963 to help the producers of minor crops obtain clearances for pest control materials on minor crops. The purpose of IR-4 is to work with farmers, agriculture scientists and Extension personnel to carry out research and petition the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to obtain tolerances for specific pesticide uses needed by minor crop producers. IR-4 is the principal public effort to gain EPA-approved tolerances for safe and effective pest control products on specialty food crops such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, and others. IR-4 also develops data to assist in the registration of pest control tools for floral, forestry, nursery and turf crops. With funding and support from USDA (both CSREES and ARS), and State Agricultural Experiment Stations, IR-4 coordinates a grass roots effort to provide pest control product alternatives compatible with minor crop integrated pest management programs. IR-4 carries out the research needed for the registration or "clearance" of pest control materials on minor crops. IR-4 prepares and submits petitions to the EPA requesting tolerances or exemptions for pest control products on minor crops. The Program is closely coordinated from a Headquarters located at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station in New Brunswick, NJ. The agrichemical industry, crop producers and the EPA all participate in the program. The IR-4 Liaison Representative for South Carolina is Dr. Robert G. Bellinger, in the Department of Entomology, Soils, & Plant Sciences. Supporting participants at Clemson University include Drs. Anthony Keinath, Plant Pathologist at the CU Coastal Research and Education Center in Charleston, SC; R. Walker Miller (retired), Plant Pathologist, at Clemson, Jay Chapin, Entomologist at the CU Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville, SC; Clyde S. Gorsuch (retired), Entomologist at Clemson; Prof. Randy Griffin (retired), Entomologist, at Clemson.

The following are links to important IR-4 related web sites:

Important South Carolina web sites

South Carolina Ag Profile
South Carolia Ag Stats - South Carolina Agricultural Statistics
South Carolina Fact Sheet - An agricultural economic fact sheet by the USDA Economic Research Service
South Carolina Dept. of Agriculture
Clemson University Agriculture and Forestry Research - part of Clemson University Public Service Activities.

Important regional web sites
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Southern Region Pesticide Coordinators - This site provides links to the Extension pesticide program sites (PAT & Pesticide education, NAPIAP, IR-4) and state pesticide regulatory agencies for USDA Southern Region states (includes EPA Region 4 and part of EPA Regions 3, 6). This page also links to associated EPA and USDA web sites. This site is maintained by the Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs for the Region.

Important national web sites
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Interregional Project 4 (IR-4) web site - This is the National Program site located at Rutgers University.
New Approaches to Minor Uses - EPA. Information on the Agency's minor use activities and partnerships with other agencies. From this site you can get a copy of EPA's Report on Minor Use Pesticides.
Fedstats - The Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy maintains this site to provide easy access to the full range of statistics and information produced by more than 70 agencies in the United States federal government. Produced are statistics of interest to the public, for public use. Has links to other statistics sites.
NASS - USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy - Articles by Leonard P. Gianessi
Food and Feed Commodity Vocabulary - The Food and Feed Commodity Vocabulary was developed to consolidate all the major Office of Pesticide Program Commodity Vocabularies into one standardized vocabulary. There are about 12,000 lookup or search terms in this database. Each lookup term is assigned an EPA preferred term, an EPA (40 CFR 180.41) crop group name/number, and a monograph number where further information about a specific commodity can be found. About 1500 preferred commodity terms were developed. The preferred term will be the only term accepted in establishing pesticide tolerances. The Food and Feed Commodity Vocabulary contains only human consumable commodities and livestock feeds.

Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA)

Contacts:

Robert G. Bellinger, PhD
South Carolina IR-4 Liaison Representative
Department of Entomology, Soils, & Plant Sciences
Rm 107 Long Hall
Box 340315, Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634-0315

Charles W. Meister, PhD
Southern Region Field Coordinator
University of Florida
Food & Environmental Toxicology Laboratory
PO Box 110720
Gainesville, FL 32611-0720

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer. Clemson University Cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture and South Carolina Counties, Extension Service, Clemson, S.C. Issued in Furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914.

Site maintained by Rachel Rowe | Pesticide Information Program | Entomology at Clemson
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service | Clemson University

Last Updated: July 6, 2005

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IR-4 Program (Minor Use Pesticides)

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The following are links to important IR-4 related web sites:

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