Help IR-4 Understand How Certain Pesticides for Minor Crops Fit into an IPM Program

To support specialty crops and specialty crop growers, the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture sponsors the IR-4 Program, which helps get needed pesticides licensed when there isn't a large enough market to attract a major manufacturer.

Like the regional IPM Centers, IR-4 also has regions, and the Western Region is setting priorities now and gathering comments on how well the different chemicals fit into an integrated pest management approach. For instance, is a certain product less harmful to beneficial insects? Does it help in resistance management? Can its application timing be adjusted to avoid times when bees or other beneficials are active?

There are a couple of ways to add your input. First, visit the priority-setting page on the Western Region IR-4 website. On that page, you’ll see links about IPM fit for the region’s top priorities, and in the yellow box, other links to all the chemicals proposed for consideration, both regionally and nationally. If you have comments about the IPM compatibility of a product, or want to make a case that a specific product should be a high priority, contact the Western Region IR-4 Coordinator Rebecca Sisco by email or phone at 530.752.7634.

If you work with a Western IPM Center Comment Coordinator, you can also provide feedback directly to them. 

Our Comment Coordinators are:

Cathy Tarutani - Hawaii and the Pacific Basin Territories

Al Fournier - Arizona, Nevada, desert regions of California, and New Mexico

Jane Thomas - California and the Pacific Northwest including Alaska and Montana