Inside...3468

101112

Shout Out to EPA

IPM Symposium

Canadian PrioritySetting Workshop

Pest Management Solutions for Specialty Crops and Specialty Uses

Tribute to Rick Melnicoe

NewsletterVol. 49 No.2 Spring 2018

EnvironHort

New Product Corner

RU Organics AdvisoryMeeting

The Northeast Region AnnualMeeting and GLP Training was a 2day event that took place April 17– 18, 2018 on the campus of theUniversity of Maryland (UMD)College Park. This meeting wasdifferent than previous NE Regionalmeetings. In the past, the meetingwas held in August, alternatingbetween in-person and WebEx.While WebEx is a powerful tool forbringing a widespread group intoconversation, it cannot replacemeeting in person. Bearing in mindthat there is really not a time ofyear that is perfect for all, itappeared that more people wereable to attend in April. Thelocation for this year’s meetingseemed to work well for everyone.

Most notably, our UMD andRutgers University team of leaderswere brought together to representthe consolidation of efforts beingmade by both universities to honorthe mission of IR-4 and support the

NER Annual Meetingwork of a program dedicated toserving our nation’s growers andstakeholders.

On Day 1, participants from acrossthe region received a warmwelcome from Craig Beyrouty, Deanof UMD’s College of Agricultureand Natural Resources (AGNR).Dean Beyrouty expressed hisrespect for the cohesiveness ofIR-4’s mission statement andAGNR’s Rooftop Statement, to“embody the University’sland-grant mission with acommitment to eliminate hunger,preserve our natural resources,improve quality of life, andempower the next generation.”AGNR’s Associate Dean AdelShirmohammadi also articulated hisappreciation for the IR-4 Projectand how it complements hisconcerns for environmental issues. Daniel Rossi, IR-4 NortheastRegion Director, gave a summary ofregional activities and successes,

— by Marylee Ross, NER RFC and Megan James, NER Research Assistant

and Jerry Baron, Executive Directorof The IR-4 Project, presented asummary of National IR-4 activitieswithin each program, problemsexperienced because of exportissues, increased need for efficacywork and public perceptions. Heexplained the challenging fundingsituation and the need for increasesin funding and identifying newfunding sources. He also addressedprocess improvements andupcoming events.

Michael Bledsoe, Vice President ofFood Safety & Regulatory Affairs(Village Farms International), Chairof the IR-4 Commodity LiaisonCommittee (CLC), and member of

continued on pg 9

Participants received a warm welcome from Craig Beyrouty, Dean of UMD’s College ofAgriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR).

Executive Director Notes

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Dear Friends,

I recently had the pleasure to attend meetings of the IR-4 Northeast and Western Region State Liaison Representatives(SLRs) on the University of Maryland and University of California-Davis campuses, respectively. I am not certain thateveryone knows that within each state/US Territory there is a “local” person who represents IR-4. Over time, the roles andresponsibilities of the SLRs have changed dramatically. At one point, the SLRs were the key pest management scientistsresponsible to establish IR-4’s work plan. More recently, the SLR’s roles have evolved into more of a facilitator for IR-4.Many are key in transmitting information on specialty crop pest management needs back and forth from the farmers/growersto IR-4. This information is then reflected in the IR-4 priority setting process.

In conjunction with the Northeast SLR meeting, Marylee Ross conducted a daylong Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)training session. A significant amount of discussion at the GLP training session focused on the IR-4 Field Data Book andinformation prompts requested in the book. Based on feedback from the participants, there is a need for IR-4 to perform areview of information/data requested in the current version of the IR-4 Field Data Book. The goal of this review is to haveIR-4 focus its efforts on collecting data on what is appropriate and required and reduce the requirements on collecting datathat is “nice” to have.

The Western Region SLR meeting included an agriculture field tour and an evening group dinner. The tour allowedparticipants to see one of IR-4’s Field Research Centers near Davis, a USDA-ARS living germplasm repository for tree fruit,and a large and diverse organic farm. Over the years, I have been a participant on many of these field tours and the visit toFull Belly Farms was one of the most interesting stops I have seen. The visit highlighted some of the unique challengesorganic farmers face along with how they have already overcome some with innovation. IR-4 continues to step up its effortsto support organic production systems. Just this week we learned that IR-4 contributed to the National Organic StandardsBoard voting to recommend the use of polyoxin-D fungicide for organic production.

Much of my time and effort over the past couple of months involved IR-4 struggles for new funds. After eight years of flatfunding, IR-4 is in desperate need of a new infusion of resources. We actually thought we had a chance with the FY 2018appropriation process. The Commodity Liaison Committee (CLC) followed the textbook, writing a short and clear “ASK”,meeting with the right people and keeping a consistent message. Shortly thereafter, IR-4 was featured at a NationalCoalition of Food and Agriculture Research “Lunch and Learn” session. On the House of Representatives side, over 50people attended the IR-4 briefing. Unfortunately, when the FY 2018 Omnibus Bill was released, IR-4 funding againremained flat.

After a day of moping, the CLC regrouped and discussed new strategies. We have adopted the catch phase, “$19 in 19”.Concurrently, Rob Childers from Senator Robert Menendez’s (NJ) office approached IR-4 and the CLC. This contact led toa letter from the Senator being endorsed by over 60 commodity associations and signed by 13 Senators requesting theSenate Appropriations Committee increase IR-4 funding to $19 million in FY 2019. A great and meaningful first step in thelong process to gain new resources for IR-4.

This issue contains a tribute to a dear friend and colleague, Rick Melnicoe, who passed earlier this year. Thanks to LoriBerger for putting together this tribute. Before Rick died, he and I exchanged messages where I offered to run my nextmarathon as a fundraiser for the charity of his choice. Rick chose the American Cancer Society. By the time you are readingthis, I have finished the Gate City Marathon in Nashua, New Hampshire to honor Rick and his brother John, who is fightingterminal cancer. Since April 1, the generous IR-4 community has donated nearly $5000 to this cause. If you are interestedin donating to the American Cancer Society/ Run4Rick fundraiser, you can still donate on-line athttp://main.acsevents.org/goto/Run4Rick.

All for now, all the best,

Jerry

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ChemSac

Over the years, EPA’s Health EffectsDivision, Chemistry ScienceAdvisory Council (ChemSAC) hasconsidered many IR-4 proposals tohelp reduce IR-4’s data cost, andsave resources, time and effort inorder to facilitate the registration ofnew uses for specialty cropgrowers. Some great examplesinclude crop groups as a whole,super crop group extrapolations thatwere used to bring spinosad andother low risk products to growersquickly after passage of the FoodQuality Protection Act. SomeChemSac decisions have alsosupported the use of data fromother countries, especially Canadaand the EU to support regionalregistrations or greenhouse uses,and standing policies forextrapolations to ultra-minor cropssuch as Brassica carinata, monarda,chia, stevia, teff and quinoa andmany others.

At the most recent Food UseWorkshop, IR-4 received a priorityform for the urgent need for theplant growth regulator prohexadionecalcium to enhance theestablishment of alfalfa when beingseeded into corn. Dan Heider andMark Renz (University ofWisconsin), and John H. Grabber(Research Agronomist, USDA-ARS,US Dairy Forage Research Center,Madison, WI) on behalf of WIgrowers secured a priority for thisimportant use.

In Northern states, alfalfa isestablished between corn rows, andthen it is used in subsequent years forforage production. Prohexadionecalcium would be applied to reduceshoot growth (shorten internodes)and promote root growth, whichenhances plant survival of alfalfaseedlings growing in limited lightconditions under the corn canopy.This use is really only important inNorthern states where silage corn isgrown for feeding livestock.

Approval of this use would also haveseveral beneficial attributes, such asproviding a winter cover crop thatwould reduce soil runoff, offsitemovement of fertilizers andpesticides, and reduce nitrateleaching into groundwater.

In IR-4’s request to EPA ChemSAC,we proposed that prohexadionecalcium tolerances on similar crops,such as grasses (grown for seed inthe US), and EU uses on cerealgrains (barley, oat, and wheat) beextrapolated to this limited use incorn. In addition, IR-4 conductedstudies with prohexadione calcium onstrawberry, and watercress. AlthoughIR-4 observed some detectableresidues in these crops, the use forcorn, and even more so on thealfalfa, would be a very longtreatment to harvest interval andtherefore a very low tolerance (0.10ppm) could be considered. Withcertain caveats, EPA agreed to theIR-4 proposal, which saved IR-4 thetime and effort of generating residuedata. We still need to gather someinformation on metabolism andresidue data on cereal grain studiesfrom the EU, but EPA’s decisionshould cut two or more years off thetime to registration, which is a majoraccomplishment.

MilestoneServiceAwards— by Alvin Simmons, USDA-ARSInterim Minor Use Coordinator

Connie Scarborough and Thomas(Tom) Hendricks of theUSDA-ARS, Crop Protection andManagement Research Unit(CPMRU) in Tifton, Georgia wererecognized with 30-year and25-year service awards, respectivelyon March 27, 2018.

Connie and Tom were recognizedat an awards ceremony at theCPMRU. Connie has spent herentire career as a technicianworking in the Tifton laboratoryconducting assays on food crops insupport of the IR-4 program. Tomhas 33 years of pesticide residuechemistry experience, with 25 yearsin Tifton. Don Wauchope hiredTom in January, 1993. Tom wasnamed the Laboratory ResearchDirector for food trials a year later.

Shout Out to EPA— by Daniel Kunkel, Dan Heider and John Grabber

Alfalfagrown inbetween

corn rows.Photo

provided byJohn H.

Grabber,

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IPM Symposium

Over 500 people registered toattend the 9th International IPMSymposium held, March 19-22 inBaltimore, MD. The theme for thesymposium was Improving Health,Environment and GlobalSustainability.

The first day included three tours,IPM in Sports Facility Management,Urban Growth-The Green kind, andUrban Housing.

The Urban Growth tour visited twounique facilities. The first stop wasat the home of Larry and ZhannaHountz. Their small 10’x15’ backroom is the place where they growmicrogreens. They started growingindoors in 2011 trying their handat tomatoes and later lettuce. Whenthose crops didn’t work out, theyswitched to microgreens and havehad a very successful business eversince. Larry and Zhanna now havea network of growers using theirgrowing system and practices.Theygrow on specially designed cocofiber pads. The Hountz’s sell theirlive produce in plastic trays wherethe plants maintain their rootsystem. Chefs cut the fresh greensto include in their dishes, whichprovides greater nutritional valueand exceptional flavor. When the

plants have all been used,customers return the trays to thefarm. To learn more visitwww.city-hydro.com.

That evening, Dini Miller, professorat Virginia Tech, specializing inurban pest management gave thekeynote address. Her talk wastitled, “How the Misapplication ofIPM (Integrated Pest Management)in the Urban Environment hasImpacted German CockroachInfestations- A Case forAssessment-Based PestManagement (APM).”

Miller’s extension program isdesigned to train pest managementprofessionals, public health officials,apartment and hotel managers, andhome owners to control indoorpests while reducing their pesticideexposure risk. Her researchprogram focuses on the cost andefficacy of APM methods forstructural pest control.

She showed how innovative newbaits, combined with systematiccockroach population assessments,can control horrendousinfestations. She also demolishedthe myth that control cannot beachieved without first removingfood sources and habitat for the

pests. She emphasized theimportance of assessments andproposed how APM could supplantIPM when describing such pestmanagement programs.

Throughout the Symposium,volunteers gathered items to beincluded in a silent auction thattook place on the final day. With120 donated items, the silentauction raised over $1700 and willbe used for scholarships forstudents to attend future symposia.

9thInternationalIPMSymposium—contributions by KeithDorschner, IR-4 EntomologyProgram Manager

EventsSouthern RegionIR-4 MeetingEmbassy SuitesCary, NCAugust 15-16, 2018

North Central RegionIR-4 MeetingEast Lansing, MIAugust 20-21, 2018

2018 Food Use/BiopesticideWorkshopsThe Marriott St. Louis GrandSt. Louis, MOSeptember 19-21, 2018

Western Region IR-4 TrainingWebinar 11am - noon July 24, 2018November 6, 2018

Western Region IR-4 TrainingUC DavisFebruary 26-27, 2019

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Western Region SLR Meeting

The Western Region hosted itsannual State Liaison Representative(SLR) & Commodity LiaisonCommittee (CLC) meeting at UCDavis on April 24th & 25th. Themeeting was led by Michael Horak,the new regional field coordinator,along with the Western Region fieldteam. The gathering of SLRs, IPMcenter folks, growers, commodityrepresentatives, and CaliforniaDepartment of Food and Agriculturerepresentatives made for a diversespecialty crop group.

During the first morning, a roundtable discussion of state andcommodity trends, needs, andchallenges took place. The groupthen buckled down to sort throughthe hundreds of current IR-4 projectrequests and their relative meritsfrom a Western Region perspective.The various projects were quicklyreviewed and notes were taken tofollow up on any unansweredquestions. The first day alsoincluded an update from IR-4Executive Director, Jerry Baron,regarding national IR-4 issues, and

informative presentations on theCalifornia processing tomatoindustry along with the UC IPMsystem.

A new step in the Project ClearanceRequest (PCR) process wasintroduced to the group regardinguse of the just released nationalPriority Setting comments Tool(PST). This tool (pictured below) ismodeled after the Western Region’sPST which captures comments onprojects to facilitate the projectselection process at the Food UseWorkshop. The tool now resides onthe national website, andstakeholders can submit their owncomments to the site on projects ofinterest to their regions.

In the spirit of IR-4’s “serious”mission to serve growers, we invitedRay Ratto to a recognition dinnerwhere we saluted Ray’s “serious”love of rutabagas and his longservice to IR-4. Jerry Baronpresented Ray with an awardhonoring his contributions, and weall acknowledged our debt to key

cooperators like Ray. Ourcongratulations go to Ray andTheresa as they move towardretirement. We look forward to thenext generation of Ratto Bro’sfarmers on the quest to providepicture perfect cilantro, bok choy,baby spinach and those amazingrutabagas.

Our regional meeting wrapped upwith a local farm tour visitingresearch sites and commercialfarms. On the research side, BradHanson and our UC Davis FieldResearch Directors (FRDs) GuyKyser and Seth Watkins gave thegroup an overview of residue andefficacy trial conduct at the UCDcenter. The group got a close uplook at pomegranate, fig, and stonefruit plots utilized by the UC Davisresearchers. On our way fromDavis to Winters, we visited Viguie

–by Stephen Flanagan, IR-4 WSR Assistant Regional Field Coordinator

continued on pg 9

Ray and TheresaRatto: long timeIR-4cooperators andCaliforniavegetablegrowers. Credit:Alvin Simmons

pg. 6Vol 49 No 2

Introducing The Ornamental HorticultureProgram is evolving into theEnvironmental Horticulture

Program. We are renaming thisIR-4 program a second time. In1977, the original name of theprogram was the ‘OrnamentalsProgram’. In 2003, it became the‘Ornamental Horticulture Program’,and now in 2018 it is becomingthe ‘Environmental HorticultureProgram’. So, why are we changingthe name again?

Benefits of Nonedible Plants.The outcomes of our programcontribute to a healthy physical,social and mental environment forhuman beings. Healthy plantsprovide oxygen duringphotosynthesis, sequester carbonduring growth while formingcellulose and lignin, filter pollutantsout of air and water, and reduceheat island affects in urban areas.

Well-maintainedlandscapescombining trees,shrubs, andflowering annualsand perennialsincrease propertyvalues and reduce

crime. Plants have becomehallmarks of certain socialgatherings including weddings andfunerals, as well as becominginterwoven with seasonaldecorations and holidays. Whatwould Valentine’s Day be withoutlong stemmed roses? What wouldfall decorations be without mums?What would December be withoutpoinsettias? And, plants improvemental wellbeing. Horticulturetherapy is used during medicalrehabilitation. Studies havedemonstrated plants in an officesetting increase worker productivityand improve conflict resolution.

Perception is Reality The word ornamental means

some differences in how theEnvironHort Program operates (seetable).The EnvironHort Programidentifies grower needs through ayear-longgrower/extensionsurvey, a biennialsurvey ofdiagnosticians,and a projectrequest form. Thegrower surveyidentifies problemdiseases, pests,and weedsgrowers havechallengesmanaging. Thediagnosticians’surveysupplements this withemerging or rareissues growersmay not be ableto diagnoseeasily. Theproject requestform should becompleted whenone knows theissue and thepotentialsolution, but theproduct or activeingredient is notyet registered forthe use.

At the BiennialWorkshop, theresults fromthese surveys,and thecompletedrequest forms,are reviewedalong with the status of ongoingresearch projects. Based on theseand information about new

decorative or frivolous. What we dois not frivolous, and the plants weproduce are not merely decorative.While many ornamentals are plantedsolely for their aesthetic value, theycan provide critical ecosystemservices. Trees and shrubs provideshelter for birds and mammals, suchas squirrels. Ornamental plants alsoprovide food for a wide range oforganisms including beneficialinsects, birds and mammals. The useof the word ornamental does notconvey the true value of these crops,whereas the use of the wordenvironmental better portrays thelarger web of benefits.

Change Takes TimeDuring the Project ManagementCommittee (PMC) meeting in March2018, the PMC approved the changein program name to EnvironmentalHorticulture. The new name will beofficial in June. However, many of theIR-4 outreach materials will containthe previous name until it is time torefresh them. Electronic media willshift faster than the print media. Wewill use EnvironHort or EH asabbreviations for the full programname.

Core Foundations Other than changing the name, theprogram will essentially remain thesame. We will still serve the samestakeholders with a focus onfacilitating registrations of tools forgreenhouse and nursery growers.The three components of theEnvironHort Program will continue tobe 1) Registration Support Research,2) Invasive Species Research, and 3)Pollinator Protection.

Registration Support ResearchThe processes for identifying growerneeds, establishing priorities,implementing the resulting researchprogram, and compiling researchresults will not change. While very similar to process used bythe Food Use Program, there are

Feature

— by Cristi Palmer, IR-4 Enviro

Area EnvironHort GLP No

Definition of Project

Depends on data tbe collected

Project Source

Surveys, Project Request

Prioritization Voting in form of Sticker Caucus aftreview of potentiaprojects

National Projects

Usually 8 plus regional projects

Regional Projects

Determined durinbiennial workshop

Use of Data Posted to websitecompiled into summaries, sent tregistrants

Environmental Horticu

Differences in Progra

pg. 7Vol 49 No 2

FeatureEnvironHort

biological or chemical activeingredients and potentialexpansions for existing projects,workshop attendees prioritize

research projects forthe following twoyears.

Research project scopeis defined by the typeof data being sought.For crop safety, aresearch project isdefined as one or moreformulations of anactive ingredient beingapplied to numerouscrops. For efficacy, aresearch project is

defined asmultiple activeingredients or productsbeing applied tomanage a targetproblem for crops.That target could befairly specific likeliverwort or could begeneral such as scale.The uniquecombination of atarget, product, cropand production site istracked as a study. Theimplementation of astudy with differentcultivars, applicationmethodologies,researchers’ locationsover time is termed atrial.

Annually, the EHmanager and theRegional FieldCoordinators (RFCs)work together to align

and balance researchers’ interestsacross projects and regions todevelop a coordinated research

plan. The RFCs establish researchagreements, monitor progressthroughout the season, and receivereports on the completed research.These are forwarded to the HQteam who compiles the results intoResearch Summaries, sends themto the registrants, and posts thesummaries and research reports onthe IR-4 website.

Invasive SpeciesResearch projects associated withspecific invasive species, such asgladiolus rust or impatiens downymildew, arise when a new oremerging pathogen or pest beginsto cause widespread damage. IR-4can become involved when there isa need to identify effectivemitigation tools and we arerequested to serve as a facilitatorof a multi-institution, multi-stateresearch effort. IR-4 hascoordinated research activities forfive projects supported byUSDA-APHIS cooperativeagreements (gladiolus rust,arthropod shipping & Europeanpepper moth, chrysanthemumwhite rust, boxwood blight,impatiens downy mildew). Theseresearch projects have developedinformation on biology,epidemiology, genomics, anddiagnostic tools in addition tomitigation options. We have alsoparticipated in two USDA-APHISsponsored task forces for BiotypeQ Whitefly and Chilli Thripsassisting in the development ofmanagement plans to aid growersin choosing tools from cuttings tofinal crop growth before sale.

Pollinator ProtectionThis special research project arosebecause of controversy surroundingthe role of systemic insecticides,namely the neonicotinoids, have indeclining bee populations.Pollinator decline has manycomponents including loss ofhabitat, parasites like Varroa mite,

viral and fungal diseases, and lackof nutritional resources. Pesticidescan also impact bee populations,but mortality from directapplication is rare and sublethalaffects are still being exploredoutside of laboratory studies withconditions mimicking real-lifeexposures. One of the simplestways consumers can aid bees is toplant pollinator gardens as foragefor various bee species includinghoney bees, bumble bees, andother native bees like carpenterbees, mason bees, and sweat bees.The green industry can producepollinator forage for consumers toplant pollinator gardens, butgrowers need options to managepests during production. With EPApoised to review the systemicneonicotinoid insecticides, itbecame apparent little data wereavailable about whichenvironmental horticulture cropsamong the most sold wereattractive to bees and the length oftime systemic insecticides werepresent in pollen and nectar. IR-4 iscoordinating a team of researchersaddressing these gaps anddeveloping best managementpractices for growers to producecrops without negatively impactingbees. This project is also studyingbarriers growers may have foradopting alternative pestmanagement options andexamining consumerwillingness-to-pay for crops grownunder several different growerpractices,

FinaleYes, we’ve altered the name of theprogram to better reflect the broadimpacts it has, but we still have thesame mission to enable growers toproduce high quality environmentalhorticulture crops throughfacilitating registrations ofsustainable crop protection tools.

onmental Horticulture Manager

Food Use Yes for residues; no for performance

to Crop and active ingredient Project Requests; HQ proposal needs

er al

On-line project nominations; workshop review of A-nominated projects; agreement on target number of A priorities About two thirds of the next year s research

g p

Regional upgrades agreed to by HQ and regions after workshop

e,

to

Residue data submitted to EPA to support new tolerance requests; performance data submitted to registrants and posted to website

ulture Research Cycle

m Operations

various consortia in attendance. Itwas quite impressive how readilysome groups were able to put asidetheir priority interests in the serviceof the greatest good for Canadiangrowers.

We also attended a receptionhosted by CropLife Canada, whichwas a great opportunity to meetwith people whose work intersectswith what we do here at IR-4 andwith whom meeting in personoutside of this context would beharder to achieve.

While long and difficult at times,this meeting was enjoyable and Ilook forward to interacting withthese individuals again, either atnext year’s meeting or later thisyear at IR-4’s FoodUse/Biopesticide priority settingworkshops.

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Vol 49 No 2

Canadian Priority Setting WorkshopCanadian Priority Setting

— by Thomas Pike, IR-4 Assistant Coordinator, Entomology

From March 20th to the 22nd, Iattended the CanadianBiopesticides & Minor UsePesticides Priority SettingWorkshops in Gatineau, Quebec.

As a very new member of IR-4, thiswas my first chance to travel andsee part of the process, albeit fromthe perspective of our Canadianequivalent. On top of that, this wasactually my first time traveling outof the country, which was a uniqueopportunity and one that requiredme to expedite getting my passport!

When Van Starner and I arrived onTuesday morning, we entered alarge hall set up with long tablesand microphones that wereequipped to accommodate some200-odd people. We took our seatsat a central table that had placardsfor us and the other IR-4 memberswho would be in attendance,including Marylee Ross from theNortheast Region and John Wisefrom the North Central Region. Atthe front of the hall was seating forthe people from the PestManagement Centre (PMC) runningthe workshop as well as fourmassive screens for displayinginformation to the audience. As wewere in the bilingual country ofCanada, two of these screens werein English and two in French.

From there, the workshop beganwith a pattern that largely repeateditself for each of the three days.Each day began with anintroduction, typically frommembers of the PMC, before goingaround the room and getting anintroduction from the members inattendance. Most attendees simplygave their name and affiliation,whereas the blueberry growers usedthis as an opportunity to needletheir rivals in an open forum.Evidently, competition betweenhighbush and lowbush blueberrygrowers in Canada rivals that ofYankees and Red Sox fans here inthe US. After some briefpresentations from registrants whowant to inform the attendees of newproducts coming down the pipeline,the prioritization process began inearnest.

The process by which prioritieswere set is at first glance daunting.Each day of the workshop covers adifferent discipline: weed science,entomology and pathology. Foreach discipline, nearly 1200priorities put forward by growersacross Canada must be winnoweddown to a mere ten. This was doneby moving through the list line byline and prioritizing each item, firstby giving priority items a C, thengoing through the list of C’s and

upgrading importantones to B’s. Finally, theten most important Bpriorities were given anA designation, therebyselecting them for workin the coming year.Going from B to A wasgenerally difficult andrequired significantdealmaking andconcessions from the

Presentationsduring theworkshop,

shown inEnglish and

French

Following the workshop, theselected national prioritieswere grouped into thefollowing categories:entomology, pathology, weedsand growth regulators,regional upgrades and organicproduction. When determiningthe solutions for each pestproblem, products whichminimize the potential impactson the environment andhuman health are considered.

The 2018 Minor Use cropand pest problems are postedon the Agriculture andAgri-Food Canada website:http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/?id=1289590771112

Update

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NER & WSR Meetings

the IR-4 Project ManagementCommittee, gave a valuableexplanation of the Food SafetyModernization Act (FSMA) that willdirectly impact us all. He also spokeabout CLC efforts to bringawareness of the importance ofIR-4 and the need for increasedfunding to our legislators.

Van Starner, Associate Director ofThe IR-4 Project, educated thegroup on the Food Use programpriority setting process and detailsabout the 2018 Food Use andBiopesticides Workshops. KristaColeman, Program Assistant:Biopesticide and Organic Support,gave an overview of theBiopesticide program and therequests from stakeholders that arecurrently open for consideration forprioritization of research. Shedemonstrated how to submit arequest.

Liaisons and researchersrepresenting NY, MA, ME, NJ, MD,DE, PA and WV spoke to the groupabout the challenges their growersare experiencing. Greg Krawczyk(Penn State) gave the group aglimpse into the reality of aninvasive species wreaking havoc onSoutheastern Pennsylvania. He gavea presentation illustrating just howthe population of Spotted LanternFly can explode. Some of theimages were shocking. It iscurrently too early to determine the

economic impact this pest will have.

The group then worked to identifythe most pressing concernsNortheast growers are facing. Theyworked their way through the list ofpotential projects and discussedprojects of interest. There wasmuch agreement on the projects weshould focus on. “Me Too” andnew Project Clearance Requestswere encouraged. There will befollow-up conference calls prior tothe FUW to capture any changes ornew requests.

Day 2 was educational and fun!Researchers and Northeast Regionleaders were in attendance. ThisGLP training started off with Jane Forder, IR-4 Northeast Region

Quality Assurance Officer, walkingthe group through the revisions tothe Field Data Book for 2018. Therest of the day was spent in opendiscussion about Quality Assuranceand Field Data Book topics. It wasa very productive exploration intohow our data collecting system canbecome more efficient. Everyonewas pleased to be able to expresstheir thoughts and concerns. Theweighty talks of GLP wereinterjected with an exercise of“finding the findings” on a fielddata book page and a trivia gamethat was part educational and partlight hearted fun. Prizes were wonby all. Feedback for both days hasbeen positive and inspiring!

NER Meeting continued from front page

Farms and discussed managementissues with David Viguie andTommy Bottoms in order to betterunderstand local productionchallenges. The UC Davis groupalso utilizes the Wolfskill stationnear Winters, California which wasour nexttour stop.Our tourguide atWolfskillgave us afirsthandglimpse ofolive treesplanted inthe 1850’salong withthethousandsof selections of grapes and treefruit being preserved as a geneticresource for plant breedersworldwide.

The final tour stop was Full BellyFarms nestled in the picturesqueCapay Valley north of Woodland,California. This diverse, organicfarming operation is home tothousands of chickens, 150 sheep,visiting school kids and animpressive array of cut flowers,vegetable and tree fruit crops.Specific discussion topics includedorganic aphid control and soilnutrition, along with the challengingissues of weed control withoutsynthetic herbicides. The groupcame away with an appreciation forthe outsized tasks of organic pestcontrol before dispersing to theairport and homeward journeys.

WSRMeetingcontinued from pg. 5

During a break, left to right: Lori Berger(UC-IPM project), Doug Walsh(Washington State University) and RondaHirnyck (University of Idaho) enjoyed anetworking opportunity. Credit: Jackie Hale

Day 2 GLP training at the NER annual meeting. Credit Alvin Simmons

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ir4.rutgers.edu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 10Vol 49 No 2

In MemoriamThe IR-4 Newsletter Vol 49 No.2Winter 2018

The IR-4 Newsletter is published quarterly fordistribution to cooperators in our partnerState/Federal/Industry research units, Stateand Federal officials, commodity groups, andprivate citizens. Material from the IR-4Newsletter may be reproduced with credit tothe publication. New Jersey AgriculturalExperiment Station PublicationNo.P-27200-18-02. This material is basedupon work that is supported by the NationalInstitute of Food and Agriculture, USDepartment of Agriculture, under awardnumber 2017-34383-27100 and the HatchMultistate project accession number1008823 through the New JerseyAgricultural Experiment Station HatchMultistate project NJ27202, with substantialcooperation and support from other StateAgricultural Experiment Stations,USDA-ARS, and USDA-FAS.In accordance with Federal Law and USDepartment of Agriculture policy, thisinstitution is prohibited from discriminatingon the basis of race, color, national origin,sex, age or disability.

Editor: Sherrilynn NovackIR-4 Public Relations and CommunicationManager, 732.932.9575 x 4632, novack@njaes.rutgers.edu

Newsletter Committee:North Central Regional Director, John Wise, 517.432.2668.

Western Regional Assistant Field Coordinator, Stephen Flanagan,541.688.3155.

Southern Region USDA-ARS Interim Minor Use Coordinator,Alvin Simmons843.402.5307Research Administrator II Robin Federline 352-294-3983.

Commodity Liaison Committee member, Mike Bledsoe, 407-493-3933, VillageFarms.

IR-4 HQ, 732.932.9575Research Assistant, Krista Coleman x 4631Fungicide Coordinator, Kathryn Homa x 4604Associate Director, Dan Kunkel x 4616Environmental Horticulture Manager, andTechnical Copy Editor Cristi Palmer x 4629Technical Coordinator/Entomology, Ken Samoil x 4614Assistant Director, Van Starner x 4621

On February 22, we lost RickMelnicoe, a long time member ofthe extended IR-4 family, after aone-year battle with lung cancer.

Rick’s work ethic was exemplary.Words that best describe himinclude: hard worker, honest,helpful, fun, balanced, kind,passionate, ethical, and thorough.Each of these characteristics couldbe seen in his long career of servicein many posts: CA Department ofPesticide Regulation, PesticideImpact Assessment Program, Officeof Pesticide Information andCoordination, IR-4, UC StatewideIPM, Western Integrated PestManagement Center and hisassistance to many agricultural andhorticultural organizations in theWest.

Rick was born in Berkeley andraised in Sacramento. He wasskilled in track and field and an avidrunner, completing the BostonMarathon in 1985. He was agraduate of Sacramento State witha degree in biology. Rick lovednature and became a dedicatedbirder and naturalist afterdeveloping a close friendship with ateacher and mentor at SacramentoState.

His world travels were extensiveand usually included observing orlooking for interesting flora and

fauna which he often reported inunique and clever articles andblog posts. After his retirement in2012, he served as a docent atlocal wildlife areas in the Davisarea, while continuing with otherlife-long hobbies such as reading,gardening, brewing beer, andspending time with new and oldfriends.

Rick is survived by his wife of 38years, Oleta, and son Eric.

We are thankful for the full life ofRick Melnicoe. His legacy is aninspiration to all of us to embracesound science, protect the naturalworld, and produce a bountifulharvest.

Remembering RickMelnicoe – Friend andChampion for IR-4 and

— by Lori Berger, UC Statewide IPM Program

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ir4.rutgers.edu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 11Vol 49 No 2

Tolerance SuccessesTolerance Successes February - April 2018The trade names listed here are provided as a means to identify the chemical for which a tolerance has been established. A tradename listed here may not be the name of the product on which the new food use(s) will be registered. Only labeled productsmay be used on a food crop. Be sure to obtain current information about usage regulations and examine a current product labelbefore applying any chemical.

Federal Register: February 7, 2018IsoxabenTrade Name: Trellis Crops: Apple,Bushberry subgroup 13-07B, Smallvine-climbing fruit (except fuzzykiwifruit) subgroup 13-07F, Tree nutgroup 14-12 PR#: 07603, 09720,10247, 11257, 11684, 11685

FomesafenTrade Name: Reflex Crops: Lowgrowing berry (except cranberry)subgroup 13-07G, Tuberous andcorm vegetable subgroup 1C, Legumevegetable group 6 PR#: 10282,10439, 10476, 11115

Federal Register: February 12, 2018RimsulfuronTrade Name: Matrix, Pruvin Crops:Low growing berry (except strawberry)subgroup 13-07H, Tuberous andcorm vegetable subgroup 1C, Smallvine-climbing fruit (except fuzzykiwifruit) subgroup 13-07F, Citrus fruitgroup 10-10, Pome fruit group11-10, Stone fruit group 12-12, Treenut group 14-12, Fescue (tolerance

for regional registration in the PacificNorthwest), Ryegrass (tolerance forregional registration in the PacificNorthwest) PR#: 07888, 10657,11377, 11378, 11379, 11380,11381, 11382

Federal Register: March 6, 2018KasugamycinTrade Name: Kasumin Crops:Cherry subgroup 12-12A, WalnutPR#: 09772, 10230

Federal Register: March 7, 2018FluopicolideTrade Name: V-10161 Crops: Basil,Hops, Succulent moth bean, Succulentrunner bean, Succulent snap bean,Succulent wax bean, Succulent yardlongbean, Citrus fruit group 10-10, Smallvine-climbing fruit (except fuzzykiwifruit) subgroup 13-07F, Fruitingvegetable group 8-10 PR#: 10121,10323, 10916, 11021, 11022,11110, 11190, 11191, 11658

Federal Register: March 21, 2018FlutianilTrade Name: Gatten Crop: Grape,

apple, cantaloupe, squash, cherry,cucumber, and strawberry PR#:09175

Federal Register: April 12, 2018ClethodimTrade Name: Select Crops: Treenut group 14-12, Okra (revisedtolerance), Fruiting vegetable (exceptokra) group 8-10, Leafy greenssubgroup 4-16A, Brassica leafy greenssubgroup 4-16B, Leaf petiolevegetable subgroup 22B, Stalk andstem vegetable subgroup 22A, Greenonion subgroup 3-07B, Brassica headand stem vegetable group 5-16 PR#:10383, 11093, 11094, 11954,11955, 11956, 11957, 11958,11959, 11960, 12011

Federal Register: April 13, 2018SulfentrazoneTrade Name: Spartan Crops: Teff,Chia, Brassica leafy greens subgroup4-16B, Head and stem brassicavegetable group 5-16, Stalk and stemvegetable subgroup 22A, Tree nutgroup 14-12 PR#: 11729, 11917,11929, 11930, 11931, 11932

Biopesticide and Organic SupportProgram Assistant, Krista Coleman,recently attended the OrganicGrower Advisory Meetingorganized by Rutgers CooperativeExtension of Mercer County. Thismeeting is an annual event thatbrings together farmers andresearchers to discuss the hurdlesand successes of producing cropsin New Jersey. Representation fromgrowers included: TerhuneOrchards, Specca Farms, MuthFamily Farms, Honey Brook OrganicFarm, Cherry Valley CooperativeFarm, and Chickadee Creek Farm. Attendees discussed several

Northeastern pests of concern. Inthe category of entomology, alliumleafminer has produced damage inhigh tunnels and in the field. Thispest is known to infest onions, aswell as other members of theAllium genus. Regarding pathology,Wes Kline, NJAES County Agent,presented findings on bacterial leafspot and Phytophthora (P. capsici)tolerant bell peppers. Heencouraged attendees to buylocally, in order to limit theintroduction of diseased plantsfrom the Southern United States.Properly cleaning stakes from the

field is a critical step in preventingthese diseases as well. Additionally,Andy Wyenandt, AssociateExtension Specialist, spoke aboutdowny mildew on basil which hasbeen an ongoing problem since2008. Luckily, he noted that thereis a resistant variety on the way aswell as one with fusariumresistance. These will be availablefrom Van Drunen Farms SpecialtySeeds. In the area of weed science,the need for an organic solutionpersists. The IR-4 BiopesticideSupport sector has noted this needsince 1995, with efficacy trials onherbicides continuing to this day.

RU Organic Grower Advisory Meeting— by Krista Coleman, IR-4 Research Assistant

IR-4 Headquarters, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey500 College Road EastSuite 201 WPrinceton, NJ 08540

NON-PROFITUS POSTAGE

PAIDNEW BRUNSWICK, NJ

PERMIT NO. 157This material is based upon work that is supported by the NationalInstitute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture,under award number 2015-34383-23710 with substantialcooperation and support from the State Agricultural ExperimentStations, USDA-ARS and USDA-FAS In accordance with FederalLaw and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution isprohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, nationalorigin, sex, age or disability.

United States Department of AgricultureNational Institute of Food and Agriculture

Flutianil

Flutianil (Fungicide – OAT Agrio Co.,Ltd.)

Introduction: Unconditionalregistration for the new activeingredient flutianil was granted by theEPA on March 13, 2018, and it wasclassified as a Reduced Riskcompound. OAT Agrio Co., Ltd., thediscoverer and manufacturer offlutianil, has reached agreement withNichino America to market and sellflutianil as Gatten® fungicide in theU.S. and Canada. This registrationprovides growers with a new pestmanagement tool for use against thefungal diseases that cause powderymildew. Belonging to the newchemical group cyano-methylenethiazolidines, flutianil demonstrates anovel mode of action against powderymildews, and has no knowncross-resistance with other classes ofchemistry. Flutianil has been classifiedby the Fungicide Resistance ActionCommittee (FRAC) as a Group U13fungicide.

New Product CornerOther global registrations: in Japan,registered on eggplant, cucumber,pumpkin, squash, watermelon, melons,strawberry, tomato/cherry tomato,peas, flowers and ornamental plants; inKorea, registered on green/red pepper(fresh), strawberry, watermelon,cucumber, Korean melon and sweetpepper; is in the registration process inthe EU, for proposed crops grapes andflowers/ornamental plants

US trade name/formulation: the firstmarket introduction of Gatten® in theU.S. is expected late spring 2018, asGatten® fungicide (a 5% ECformulation)

Gatten® fungicide labeled crops (seelabel for specific use patterns and othergeneral directions for use): apple,cantaloupe, squash, cherry, cucumber,grape and strawberry (no crop groupsor subgroups are specified)

Labeled pest spectrum: powderymildews, such as grape powderymildew (Erysiphe necator), cucurbit

powdery mildews (Podosphaera xanthii,Sphaerotheca fuliginea), etc.

Ongoing IR-4 residue projects (PR#):head/leaf lettuce (including GH)(12388); peach (10220); Ongoing IR-4 performance projects(PR#): sage (12348); rosemary(12349)

Other IR-4 database requests (PR#):artichoke, globe (09189); Chinesecabbage (09183); celery (09824);cilantro (09546); GH eggplant(12288); parsley (09185); pear(09635); GH pepper (12289); spinach(09826); Swiss chard (09186); GHtomato (12287); turnip greens(09187); mustard greens (09184);hops (09190)

Environmental Horticulture projects: In2018, 10 crops will be examined forcrop safety (African violet, calibrachoa,chrysanthemum, hydrangea, pansy,rose, spirea, tickseed, verbena, andzinnia)