Specialty crop growers face challenges in managing pests and diseases due to fewer pest management solutions. Unlike major commodity crops like corn, soybeans, and cotton, the market for specialty pest management products is limited.

Major crops have large acreage, so chemical companies can gain a higher return on their investment in registration, production, and marketing costs for a pesticide. The IR-4 Project bridges this gap by producing the information needed to get pest management solutions labeled and available for specialty crops and specialty uses—products that otherwise would not be labeled or available.

Established in 1963 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and land-grant universities, the IR-4 Project works in collaboration with growers, crop protection product registrants, and other stakeholders in the specialty crop community to facilitate the regulatory approval of pest management technologies.

The project advances the regulatory process by generating the data required by the Environmental Protection Agency for product registration. This streamlines the availability of safe and effective pest management solutions for specialty growers to prevent crop losses and ensure the availability of crops to consumers.

Environmental Horticulture Program
In 1977, the Environmental Horticulture Program (EHC) was established under the IR-4 Project to meet the specific needs of horticulture and floriculture growers. The program focuses on coordinating national and regional research projects to develop efficacy and crop safety data, facilitating the registration of new biological and chemical active ingredients, and expanding the use of current products.

One core focus of the EHC is providing registration support by coordinating research to gather bio-based and chemical crop protection product data. Since its establishment, over 60,000 crop uses have been registered. As a result, greenhouse and nursery growers now have access to various pathogens, pests, and weed management tools. Because growers have these tools, they can adopt Integrated Pest Management systems and resistance management strategies.

Additionally, the program addresses the challenges posed by invasive species, investigating mitigation strategies and increasing knowledge of invasive pathogens and pests such as Box Tree Moth, Boxwood Blight, Chrysanthemum White Rust, European Pepper Moth, Gladiolus Rust, and Impatiens Downy Mildew.

The program identifies grower needs through surveys and project requests, prioritizes projects at biennial workshops, and conducts research with key entomology, horticulture, plant pathology, and weed science experts. EHC also supports research on how pollinators are affected by horticulture crops and pest management solutions.

Your Help is Needed: 2024 Assessment
EHC research needs adequate government funding to continue providing growers with crop protection products, invasive species management strategies, and other research that supports the horticulture industry.

Amy Upton of the Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association and Dr. Michael Martin of AmericanHort and the Horticulture Research Institute are conducting a national assessment of research, funding, and infrastructure of the program. The assessment will provide data to IR-4 Project organizers that show the need for continued funding for the EHC.

Learn more about the assessment and how to participate in one of the upcoming listening sessions with Amy Upton and Dr. Martin. The first session was held in Baltimore, MD during MANTS in January. The second session will be held in July at Cultivate’24 in Columbus, OH. The third listening session will be held during the Farwest Show in Portland, Oregon this August. It is important that our growers demonstrate the continued need for and importance of this program. Please plan to attend one of these two remaining sessions.

Contact Amy at Amy@mnla.org or Michael at MMartin@AmericanHort.org with questions or details about the upcoming listening sessions.