By Andi Anderson
The 2025 IR-4 Food Use Workshop brought together researchers, industry representatives, and grower groups from across the United States and Canada to identify the most important pest management needs for specialty crop growers.
The IR-4 Project has long supported these growers by helping register new pest control tools for fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, and ornamentals. Since specialty crops receive less attention from major chemical companies, IR-4 develops the research data needed for EPA approval of new products and uses.
The workshop, held September 9–11 in Denver, Colorado, followed IR-4’s long-standing process of inviting all stakeholders to contribute to project selection. Each year, the workshop helps narrow a long list of proposed projects into a manageable group based on available funding.
In 2025, participants selected research priorities for the 2026 field program after reviewing pest pressures, available alternatives, and overall crop needs.
More than 130 people joined the three-day meeting, both in person and virtually. Attendees included university researchers, extension specialists, commodity group representatives, and regulatory staff from the U.S. EPA, USDA, IR-4, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency.
Representatives from Michigan State University and several Midwestern states also participated, ensuring that regional needs were fully represented.
Stakeholders reviewed 248 proposed “A” priority pesticide needs and evaluated each based on factors such as resistance management, pest damage potential, compatibility with integrated pest management, current emergency exemptions, and international residue limits.
Because of limited funding, only 35 “A” priority projects were selected. These projects will begin field residue studies in the coming year and are expected to generate full EPA-ready data packages within 16–24 months.
The workshop also selected 13 “H+” priority projects focused on efficacy and crop safety. These studies help registrants determine whether additional residue research is needed to expand product labels for certain crops and pests.
Many of the newly selected projects are important for the North Central Region, including needs for onions, tomatoes, cherries, peaches, blueberries, grapes, buckwheat, basil, hops, and several field crops. These projects reflect the most urgent pest challenges facing specialty growers today.
The IR-4 Food Use Workshop remains a vital part of national efforts to support specialty crop growers by ensuring they have access to safe, effective pest management tools needed for successful and productive harvests.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-zoran-zeremski
Categories: Michigan, Sustainable Agriculture