The IR-4 Project is celebrating 60 years of assisting specialty crop producers and other stakeholders by facilitating the registration of safe and effective pesticides, biopesticides and other pest management technology. In doing so, the U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded national research program contributes nearly $9 billion to the nation’s annual gross domestic product. For nearly four years, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore has led the network’s efforts in the Northeast Region.
Dr. Simon Zebelo, a professor of entomology and plant biology, and director of UMES’ Center for Integrated Pest Management, serves as the IR-4 Northeast regional director. He coordinates the work of scientists from participating institutions across 13 states and collaborates with the IR-4 headquarters at North Carolina State University. Zebelo ensures program objectives are met and serve as the principal investigator of USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture grants.
According to IR-4, specialty crops account for 40% of the total value of all crop production ($212.4 billion) in the country. The agrochemical industry “often lacks the financial incentives to expand registration for their products to specialty crops and minor uses on major crops.” IR-4 conducts the required research to fill this gap, referred to as the “Minor Use Problem.”
“Participating institutions conduct and share field and laboratory research to contribute to a database the crop protection industry and Environmental Protection Agency can look to,” Zebelo said. “Since the IR-4 Northeast Region moved to UMES in 2020, the group of 21 collaborative researchers conduct about 75 pesticide residue and performance trials annually and submit reports to the IR-4 headquarters for submission to the EPA.”
Since IR-4’s founding, it has secured more than 23,000 pest management product registration through the EPA for food crops — notable of which is Chlorantraniliprole and Spinosad and several biopesticides to manage Varroa mites in honeybee colonies.
Learn more about the IR-4 and its 60 years of helping specialty crop farmers and the pest management industry here.
Gail Stephens, agricultural communications, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, gcstephens@umes.edu, 410-621-3850.
Photos by Todd Dudek, agricultural communications, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, tdudek@umes.edu.
