Inside this issue...

NewsletterVol. 46 No. 3 Summer 2015

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NER Priority Setting

Pest Management Solutions for Specialty Crops and Minor Uses

No Crop too Small forIR-4-Part 1

The disease known as chestnutblight was first found in the US atthe Bronx Zoo in NYC around1904 and is believed to have comefrom Asia. Over the last century,chestnut blight has been one of thegreat unsolved problems in plantpathology, and there are noconventional pesticides available tomanage this disease. MichiganState Univ. scientist, Dr, DennisFulbright stated, “These trees were

often called the food and sheltertrees of the Appalachian Mountainsbecause they were decay-resistantand each tree supplied a crop ofchestnuts. In about 50 years, thisfungus basically eliminated theAmerican chestnut from theAppalachian forest.” The chestnutsproduced by these trees were animportant food source for a varietyof wildlife species, and they alsoserved as food and a source ofincome for inhabitants of theAppalachian region. Beyond thenuts, chestnut trees themselveswere also economically important,because they were an importantsource of tannins andstraight-grained, rot-resistantlumber. The American Chestnutwas once an important ornamentaltree, and, in 1908, the blight wasreported to have reduced the treesin Prospect Park, Brooklyn from1,400 to only 6. There are somehybrids that are resistant to thedisease, but the nut yields are notas good.There are currently two approachesto solving this problem, and bothhave been selected by the IR-4

Project to receive funding forefficacy studies to see how to makethese approaches work.

The Michigan Approach: Making thefungus sickChestnut blight is caused by anAsian bark fungus (Cryphonectriaparasitica). Dr Dennis Fulbrightthinks he has a cure by causing thefungi that causes the disease to itselfget sick. Like elsewhere, losses ofchestnut trees in Michigan wassignificant; however some trees wereaffected but survived naturally.There is a naturally occurring virusin Michigan that weakens the fungusthat causes the disease. Theseweakened (or hypovirulent) strainscan then transfer the virus to other

Chestnut BlightManagement UtilizingTwo BiopesticideApproaches — by Michael Braverman

IR-4/EPA/USDA Tour

New Product Corner

Innovations in VectorControl

Orn. Hort. Spotlight

continued on pg 9

Tolerance SuccessesCanker exhibiting callus tissue as a result ofbiological control treatment. Photo by Mark Double. - See more at: http://bit.ly/mdouble

pg 2Vol 46 No 2

Dear Friends

The lazy days of summer…not for IR-4. While some of our friends and family are relaxing on holiday,visiting the ocean beaches, lakes or mountains, and enjoying the beautiful weather, many of us at IR-4 are inthe busiest part of our year. Summer is the time where the investment of effort leads to future success. Mostof IR-4’s field trials utilizing conventional chemical pesticides and biopesticides on food and ornamentalhorticulture crops are in full swing. Product applications are being made, residue samples and data arebeing collected. Summer often means long work days for IR-4’s Field Research Directors, their researchteams and other cooperating scientists. They are at the mercy of Mother Nature, working in heat, humidity,rain, drought, hail, thunderstorms and whatever else is the challenge of the day. They persevere and oftengo above and beyond to fulfill the research protocol requirements. In discussions with many of these fieldwomen and men, it is evident that they are dedicated to the mission of IR-4 and motivated in how IR-4 helpsspecialty crop growers and farmers. Kudos to the IR-4 field research teams!

They are not the only group working overtime. Many in the regional field offices and IR-4 Headquarters areon call to promptly assist the field research teams when issues arise. Additionally, members of the IR-4Quality Assurance Unit are making their visits to the Good Laboratory Practice facilities for audits. Summeris also the time for outreach via field tours and outdoor demonstration meetings. IR-4’s efforts arehighlighted at many of these outreach events and it gives IR-4 a great opportunity to inform stakeholders ofhow IR-4 can help them gain legal access to safe and effective pest management products.

Summer is also the time when many at IR-4 regional offices and headquarters prepare for the priority settingworkshops, which involves meetings, with industry, EPA and commodity associations. IR-4 invests asignificant amount of time to make sure we have the best available information to allow the workshopparticipants to choose the most relevant priorities. Attending these meetings require significant travel andtime away from home. Anyone who has recently “enjoyed” air travel knows that totally full airplanes andairport delays are the norm.

Above and beyond the normal priority setting workshops, this year IR-4 is hosting the first Global MinorUse Workshop, September 20-22 in Chicago, Illinois. This workshop is a follow-up action item from theSecond Global Minor Use Summit. We have already developed a global database of pest management voidson specialty crops. The objective of the Global Workshop is to bring together many of the leaders of theworld’s minor use stakeholders to identify what are the most critical pest management needs. It is hopedthat the world can come together and select a few pilot projects where everyone can cooperate on datadevelopment to support a solution for the problem.

Registration for all the 2015 workshops — Global, Food Use, Biopesticide and Ornamental Horticulture —is available on the IR-4 website at ir4.rutgers.edu. Hope to see you there.

All the best — Jerry

Executive Director Notes

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I conducted my last NortheastRegional (NER) Prioritizationmeeting June 16 and 17 in Albany,NY. Approximately 40 peopleattended the meeting, includingseveral people who have notparticipated in the past. The mainpurpose of the meeting was toidentify regional priorities forBiopesticides, Food Crops andOrnamental Horticulture Programs,as well as provide information onthe transition of the NER officefrom Cornell to Rutgers. The meeting began in theafternoon of June 16 with adiscussion of the ornamentalhorticulture needs for the region.A number of researchers were inattendance and providedinformation on past research andpotential projects for the future. Acommon theme was the need formore biopesticides listed withOMRI (Organic Materials ReviewInstitute). Products may alsobecome more difficult to list asorganic because of the restrictionson inerts. Another topic ofdiscussion was the lack of newchemical classes being developedand the resulting growth inresistance for conventionalproducts, such as the strobilurinsfor fungal disease management andthe pyrethroids for insects. We alsodiscussed the potential loss orrestriction of uses for theneonicotinoids. With the currentnegative press, neonics are nolonger acceptable to the large boxstores and other retailers, so somenurseries and greenhouses can nolonger sell plants treated with thatfamily of products. There isconcern that their loss will, alongwith other products thought to beharmful to pollinators, result in the

reemergence of insect problems, orsome pests may become moredifficult to manage. Let’s startidentifying alternatives now and notwait until our current tools aregone before finding replacementand rotational chemistries. Apple scab was identified as a realproblem in ornamental apples, withcross over into apple productionfor food uses. The use ofpesticides on perennialornamentals with edible fruit, suchas blueberries, was discussed. Atthe moment, nurseries are requiredto have special sections tosegregate edibles from theornamental plants, to ensure thatthey are not being treated withproducts that do not have a fooduse label. Wednesday morning Bill Barneypresented updates on theBiopesticides and Crop GroupPrograms. Jerry Baron, Dan Rossiand David Soderlund discussedvarious aspects of the regionaloffice transition from Cornell toRutgers. Things seem to be goingsmoothly, but there has definitelybeen a learning curve. Fieldresearch for 2015 is being fundedthrough Rutgers. Subcontracts willbe set up once the NIFA grantcomes through, possibly in July.Dan Rossi, Marylee Ross and JaneForder will become the officialRegional Director, FieldCoordinator and QA officer,respectively, once the new grant isfunded. David Soderlund, EdithLurvey, Michele Humiston andRoxanne Fish will continue inadvisory capacities for varyingamounts of time. SherrilynnNovack will be picking upcommunications responsibilities. Food Crop needs were discussed

NE Region Priority Setting

Wednesday afternoon. Many of theissues are similar to those alreadyheard in the ornamental horticulturesession. Here again the lack of newor biopesticides products pesticidesleaves us with problems for whichthere are currently minimal or nosolutions, such as controllingCercospora leaf spot and/or weedsin table beets. Biopesticides were discussed foreach crop group as we identifiedpriorities. Given the highpercentage of agricultural dollarsearned from and the increasinginterest in organic production offruits and vegetables in theNortheast, many of our prioritiesare for effective organic-compatible(including OMRI listed) materials.In some cases, there are organicmaterials labeled, but they are notbeing used because the growers areunfamiliar with the products orthere is not a well-defined usepattern. Should we support a highpriority for a crop/pestdemonstration study? One Apriority for the northeast will be tocontinue the biopesticides study inapples for fireblight control.Another priority might be requeststo shorten pre-harvest intervals(PHI) in asparagus as theproduction practices are changingto a longer season for harvests. We presented Meritorious ServiceAwards to two ornamentalhorticulture researchers from NewYork. Both have made invaluablecontributions to the IR-4Ornamental Horticulture Programat the regional and national levels,as well as providing expertise infood crops.

2015 NER RegionalMeeting — by Edith Lurvey, NE Regional Field Coordinator

continued on page 5

Spotlight on Orn. Hort.

Perhaps, but there will definitely besome happy gladiolus growers.Earlier this year the US Animal andPlant Health Inspection Service(APHIS) changed the nationalresponse guidelines for the exoticpathogen Uromyces transversaliswhich causes gladiolus rust. APHISconcluded that this pathogen hasreached its potential geographicrange in the US. What this meansfor gladiolus growers in Californiaand Florida is that they are nowable to manage this rust diseasewithout resorting to cropdestruction to eradicate thepathogen.

IR-4 coordinated a research projectto study gladiolus rust and howbest to manage this disease.Research in Mexico, where U.transversalis is endemic, led to theidentification of several effectivefungicides registered in the US forother rust diseases: azoxystrobin,boscalid + pyraclostrobin,chlorothalonil, difenconazole +azoxystrobin, fluoxastrobin,myclobutanil, propiconazole,tebuconazole, and trifloxystrobin.Please note that additional productswith these active ingredients maybe available in the US.(Table 1).

When actives were rotated in aprogrammatic approach, very littledisease developed.

It had been suspected that therewas a correlation between flowercolor and tolerance to this disease,but several experiments examiningvarious cultivars did notdemonstrate this. There were redcultivars highly susceptible toinfection and some that were lesssusceptible.

For more details on theseexperiments and results fromstudies on spore longevity, impactof temperature on infection, andthe development of serological andgenetic diagnostic assays, pleasesee the final project report athttp://bit.ly/ornhortsum.

— by Cristi Palmer, IR-4 Ornamental Horticulture Manager

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Happy Flowers?

g g gActive Ingredient Product Trade Name US Label Rate for Rust Diseases

Azoxystrobin Heritage 50WDG 1 4 oz per 100 gal Boscalid + pyraclostrobin Pageant Intrinsic Brand Fungicide 6 12 oz per 100 gal Chlorothalonil Daconil 1.375 pints per 100 gal Difenconazole + azoxystrobin Alibi Flora 8 14 fl oz per 100 gal Fluoxastrobin DisArm 480SC 1 4 fl oz per 100 gal

Myclobutanil Eagle 20EW 6 12 fl oz per 100 gal Eagle 40WP 3 6 oz per 100 gal

Propiconazole Banner Maxx 5 8 fl oz per 100 gal Tebuconazole Torque 3.65SC 4 10 fl oz per 100 gal Trifloxystrobin Compass O 50WDG 2 4 oz per 100 gal

Gladiolus varieties planted in commercialfields in Mexico. Photo by Dr. Valencia-Botin.

Please nominate someone for the IR-4 SOAR award. The selectedawardee(s) will demonstrate excellence in 3 of the 4 elements:

Service: Such as participation in standing committees and ad hoccommittees, participation in advisory panels, or participation in similaractivities which enhance the direction and mission of IR-4.Outreach: Such as being a consistent vocal supporter of IR-4 withgrowers and/or lawmakers, and/or routinely including recognition ofIR-4 in print and visual media thus elevating IR-4’s profile in thegrower community.Altruism: Such as donations of time, extra research, or plant materials. Research: Such as participation in IR-4 Program for a minimum of 3years, and consistently producing stellar and timely research whereresearch results contributed to new or enhanced product labels Deadline for nominations is August 31 2015. For more informationvisit ir4.rutgers.edu/awardcriteria.html.

Call for Nominations

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Personalities in the News

Daniel O. Gilrein, ExtensionEntomologist at the Long IslandHorticultureResearchandEducationCenter(LIHREC),has beencontributing his time and expertiseto the IR-4 program for a numberof years. He has been one of myprinciple sources for information oninsect management, insecticidesand regional needs. It took me afew years to convince him toparticipate in the ornamentalsresearch program, but since 2005he has provided considerable data,especially for product efficacy forwhiteflies, thrips, mites and grubs.His research supports importantregistrations and his work hasexpanded the output from LIHRECmaking it a major Field ResearchCenter for the IR-4 OrnamentalHorticulture Program.

Elizabeth M. Lamb came to Cornellas Ornamentals IPM Coordinator in2006. She had the misfortune ofhaving beenmy officemate at theUniversity ofMinnesota inthe late ‘80sand early90s, so whenI heard shewas coming to Cornell I drafted herinto the IR-4 Program. She hasbeen an admirable recruit; farsurpassing any expectations I mayhave imposed on her. She has takenownership of the Ornamentalssurvey, distributing them to thegrowers and ensuring responses,resulting in good representation ofgrower needs for the Northeast.She actively participates in theprioritization process forornamentals research at theregional and national level. She wasalso an active IR-4 participant forvegetables in the Southern Regionbefore coming to Cornell.

NER Award Winnerscontinued from page 3

The IR-4 Newsletter Vol 46 No.3Summer 2015

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. Major funding for IR-4 isprovided by USDA-NIFA and USDA-ARS incooperation with the State AgriculturalExperiment Stations. New Jersey AgriculturalExperiment Station PublicationNo.P-27200-15-03, supported by state, USHatch Act, and other USDA funds.

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

Newsletter Committee:Northeast Regional Field Coordinator, EdithLurvey, 315.787.2308.

North Central Regional Director, John Wise, 517.432.2668.

Western Regional Assistant Field Coordinator, Stephen Flanagan,541.688.3155.

Southern Regional Field Coordinator,Michelle Samuel-Foo, 352-294-3991Southern Region Program

Research Prog/Svs, Crd/QA Robin Federline 352-294-3983.

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

IR-4 HQ, 732.932.9575Assistant Director, Van Starner x 4621

Ornamental Horticulture Manager, andTechnical Copy EditorCristi Palmer x 4629

Technical Coordinator/Entomology, Ken Samoil x 4614

Fungicide Coordinator, Kathryn Homa x 4604

Public Health Pesticides Manager, andTechnical Copy Editor, Karl Malamud-Roam x4628

The 2015 Ornamental HorticultureWorkshop is being held outsideChicago, IL at the Hyatt Regency inSchaumberg, Chicago duringOctober 6 - 8, 2015. Thisfollowing is a preliminary agenda.

October 6Ornamental Horticulture Tour

October 7 Welcome & IntroductionsState of IR-4Ornamental Horticulture Program

UpdatesInformational Materials &

Prioritization ProcessGrower & Extension Survey

Results

New Products & New Uses for Current Products

Grower & Trade Association Comments Project Overviews & Status: Pathology, Entomology,

Weed ScienceRegional Priority Discussions

(Breakout Sessions)Sticker Caucus

October 8 Recap, Sticker Caucus ResultsDiscussion to Refine PrioritiesPollinator Protection in

Ornamental Horticulture DiscussionBiopesticide & Organic Support Program Priorities for Orn. Hort.Other IR-4 Topics TBD

Orn. Hort. Workshop

pg 6Vol 46 No 2

Feature IR-4 /EPA/USDA Ag TourShenandoah VaOn Wednesday, June 24,

2015, IR-4 hosted its 17thIR-4/EPA/USDA tour. This

year’s tour was titled “A Look atVA’s Northern Shenandoah ValleyAgriculture”. Forty-five people fromEPA’s Registration, PesticideRe-Evaluation, Environmental Fate& Effects, Health Effects,Biopesticide & Pollution Prevention,Biological & Economic Analysis,and Field & External AffairsDivisions participated in the tour.IR-4 researchers Allen Straw,Marylee Ross and BarbaraAbbott;Liza Fleeson from theVirginia Department of Agricultureand Consumer Services; and CraigHunter from the Ontario Fruit &Vegetable Growers Associationwere also welcome participants.

The first stop included a look atVirginia Cooperative Extension’sShenandoah County SustainableFarm Demonstration. There,

participants learned aboutsustainable farming practices thatinclude being environmentally soundand profitable to both the farmerand landowner. Demonstrations atthe county farm include multi-yearlease agreements, managed grazingof cattle, renovating overgrownpasture area, excluding livestockfrom surface water, rejuvenatingforest, multiple grassed waterways,continuous no-till practices, andlandowner financial well-being. The second stop gave tourparticipants a unique look at hops,which are grown at the NorthMountain Vineyard. The hopsindustry is growing in Virginiathanks to increased demand forlocally-produced goods. The NorthMountain Vineyard is also one of theolder vineyards in Virginia , andvarieties grown include Chardonnay,Cabernet, Sauvignon, CabernetFranc, Petit-Verdot, Veltliner,Zweigelt, Riesling, Vidal Blanc,Chambourcin and Traminettegrapes.

The third stop on the tour was atthe Virginia Tech Alson H. Smith Jr.Agricultural Research and ExtensionCenter. At this stop participantswere escorted to the research fieldson farm wagons and learned aboutthe various pest pressures

encountered in these fields.Participants received an “up close”look at the center’s research onefficacy and phytotoxicity ofbiopesticides for the control of fireblight on Gala apples and researchon the monitoring andmanagement of brown marmoratedstink bug.

The last stop on the tour was theMarker-Miller Orchards, which hasbeen in the Marker-Miller family formany generations.There they grow avariety of apples alongwith peaches, greenbeans, plums, sweetcorn and other fruitsand vegetables. Theirfarm market is openfrom June toDecember and inaddition to farmgrown produce, themarket sells localwines and baked goods.

While the day was long,participants who answered thesurvey gave IR-4 many accolades,stating the tour was well organizedand the tour stops providedvaluable information. Many ofthose on the tour stated they hadnot been out in the field and thetour provided good informationregarding agricultural practices.

History of IR-4 Tours— by Ken Samoil

When Bob Holmbecame the IR-4Executive Director inlate 1998, one of hisfirst acts was to

: A Look at VA’s Northern lley Agriculture

pg 7Vol 46 No 2

Feature

negotiate a series of meetings withEPA to be held quarterly (theTechnical Working Group

meetings), with thelocation of themeetings toalternate betweenEPA HQ and IR-4HQ. The firstTWG meeting tobe held at IR-4 HQwas scheduled forJune 7, 1999, andsomeone

suggested that itwould be useful toinclude an agriculturaltour of New Jersey forthe visiting EPApersonnel.

Bob asked GeorgeMarkle to organizethe tour, and Georgeasked me to help,knowing mybackground in Rutgers

Cooperative Extension. Ihad worked at the RutgersUniversity Blueberry &Cranberry ResearchStation 1988-1993, andduring the last three ofthose years had spent asignificant amount of timeat the Rutgers University

FruitResearchandExtensionCenter atCreamRidge.

The firsttour,namedBeyond

the Turnpike, was held on June 8,1999, to provide regulatoryofficials and policymakers withinformation on the diversity,complexity, and special needs ofminor crop agriculture in NewJersey. (A previous agriculturaltour organized in upstate New Yorkhad been called Beyond the BigApple. I shamelessly ripped off thetheme.)

The bus tour began at IR-4 HQ inNorth Brunswick, and includedstops at the Rutgers UniversityFruit Research and ExtensionCenter at Cream Ridge, the JosephJ. White, Inc. cranberry farm inWhitesbog, Pakim Pond inLebanon State Forest (for lunch),Bellview Farms in Landisville (theyspecialized in Southeast Asianvegetable production), and theRutgers Agricultural Research andExtension Center in UpperDeerfield (Bridgeton). After theBridgeton stop, the bus drove tothe Wilmington train station todrop off the EPA participants, andthen traveled back to NorthBrunswick.

By 2000, the TWG meetings werebeing held exclusively at EPA HQ.They were still interested in a tour(and said that they could get a lotmore people by starting from theDC area), so George and JohannesCorley and I planned anothertour—Beyond the Beltway. Heldon June 7, 2000, it began atCollege Park and the GreenbeltMetro station. Tour stops weremade at the USDA chemistry labin Beltsville, the Saulsbury Bros.packing plant in Ridgely, MD,Phillips Mushroom Farms, Inc., inKennett Square, PA, and then

dinner at Il Giardino’s, also inKennett Square, before returning toBeltsville.

On January 31, 2001, a single-stoptour was made to the Village Farmsgreenhouse operation inFredericksburg, Virginia. (This siteis no longer affiliated with VillageFarms.)

Van Starner helped George and Iorganize the next tour, held June12, 2002, and called Beyond theChesapeake. The tour began inCrystal City, VA, and included stopsat the Laurel Airport in Laurel, DE,for a discussion and demonstrationof crop spraying; the University ofMaryland Lower Eastern ShoreResearch and Education Center inSalisbury, MD, the Wye Researchand Education Center inQueenstown, MD, for a honey beediscussion/demo, and then to theHarris Crab House in Grasonville,MD, for dinner.

The next year was the last year thatI was involved in planning. GeorgeMarkle had retired, and Van hadtaken the lead in organizing. Heldon June 19, 2003, theIR-4/EPA/USDA Ornamentals Tourbegan at Crystal City and had stopson the Eastern Shore at WyeNursery, Inc., in Hillsboro, MD, theJohn S. Ayton State Tree Nursery inPreston, MD, ChesapeakeNurseries, Inc. sites in Green Hilland Salisbury, MD, and StadlerGreenhouses (also in Salisbury),before concluding with dinner atthe Harris Crab House.

Van Starner, along with help fromSherrilynn Novack, has organizedall of the ag tours since then.

Unique Crops

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Throughout the years, the IR-4Project has been involved inthousands of food use requests andmagnitude of residue projects.Sometimes the projects involveconducting a large number of trials,such as a joint fluensulfone residuestudy with Canada with 22 trials onpotato for the control of nematodes.Other times, the project is notnearly as large, e.g. a metaldehyderesidue study consisting of fourtrials on ginseng for the control ofslugs. However, all of these IR-4projects have something incommon: they are used to facilitatethe registration of sustainable pestmanagement tools for specialtycrops and minor uses in an effort toaid growers.

Recently, the IR-4 Project has beenworking to facilitate thedevelopment and registration for anumber of pesticides across a vastarray of newly popular minor/specialty crops for food useincluding stevia and Africanmarigold. Part II of this series willfocus on quinoa and wasabi.

SteviaStevia rebaudiana is an herb in theChrysanthemum family that is nativeto South America. In the US, it is

mainly grown as a small shrub inNorth Carolina, Georgia andCalifornia for the glycosides in itsleaves that are manufactured into azero calorie sweetener; it is200-400 times sweeter than sugar.Stevia is consumed throughout theworld including Japan, South Korea,China, the Pacific Rim, Europe,Australia, North America and SouthAmerica. Major production areasinclude Paraguay, Brazil, Japan andChina. Other growing areas includethe Pacific Rim, Southern Ontario,Mexico, California and the South ofEngland. Besides being used as apre-packaged replacement for sugarand other artificial sweeteners,stevia is incorporated into manyfood products including gum,yogurts, soda and desserts.

Because stevia is a fairly new crop inthe US, there were no herbicideproducts labeled for in season useon this crop. As a result, the stateof Georgia proposed a third-party24(c) Special Local Needregistration for the use of theproduct, Select Max® (clethodim)herbicide on stevia to control annualand perennial grasses. IR-4 alsoreceived a product clearancerequest (PCR [PR 11205]) fromGeorgia and California for the useof clethodim on stevia for weedcontrol. Stevia is currently proposedfor inclusion in the revised Freshand Dried Herb subgroups, withbasil and mint as the proposedrepresentative commodities. Sincethere were existing tolerances forspearmint and peppermint tops at5.0 ppm, a stevia toleranceproposed at 12.0 ppm provided aconservative extrapolation.ChemSAC decided that the use of

clethodim on stevia is a food use andthat a tolerance on stevia could beextrapolated from the existingclethodim Herb subgroup 19Atolerance at 12.0 ppm to stevia.While stevia has not yet beenincluded in the revised Herb andSpice Group 19, the proposal toinclude this commodity in the grouphas been submitted by IR-4 and iscurrently being reviewed by EPAHED.

African MarigoldAfrican marigold (Tagetes erecta)native to Mexico, Central America,Ecuador and Peru, is one of the mostpopular bedding plants grown in theUS. These tall plants have large,5-inch globe-shaped yellow ororange flowers that bloom fromsummer to frost. In addition to theirornamental value, African marigoldscontain many importantphytochemical constituents that areused for industrial purposesincluding cosmetics and medicines.Compounds in the leaves are usedagainst piles, kidney troubles,muscular pain, ulcers and wounds.Flowers are used against fevers,epileptic fits, liver issues and other

No Minor Crop Is Ever tooSmall for IR-4 Part 1—by Kathryn Homa, IR-4 Fungicide Coordinator and

Bill Barney, IR-4 Senior Coordinator

This is a two-part series focusingon some unique minor crops.

Stevia Plot at KARE / David Ennes – 2014, TreatedPlot on 8/18/14

African Marigold-Photo courtesy ofhttp://www.edenbrothers.com

continued on page 10

pg 9Vol 46 No 2

Blight

strains thereby weakening theinfection so that the tree canrecover. The hypovirulent strainsused for management of chestnutblight were taken “as is” fromAmerican chestnut trees naturallysurviving blight in Michigan. Therehas been no genetic manipulation ofthese strains. In Michigan, growerscan plant low-yieldingblight-resistant trees orhigh-yielding blight-susceptibletrees. Growers can make moremoney growing the blightsusceptible trees, but they will needthe hypovirulent treatment to keeptheir trees alive. That is a bigdifference.

The trees on commercial farms arenot American chestnut, but hybridsof European & Japanese chestnutcultivars grafted for high yielding,high quality nuts. These trees areblight susceptible and thehypovirulent biopesticide works wellin managing the blight on thesetrees.

Chestnut trees go into production3-5 years after planting. They canbegin to get chestnut blight cankersabout 10 years after planting orlonger depending on the closestblighted trees.

The American chestnut trees withthe native hypovirulence are doingwell. MSU owns a 5 acre plot withabout 800 surviving trees. Thisapproach might be a viable optionfor spot treating trees on acommercial farm or home landscape.In targeting the trees only when thedisease starts, this avoids having totreat unless the problem occurs.

The New York Approach:Developing resistant treesAt the State University of New Yorkin Syracuse, Dr William Powell isleading a research team taking adifferent approach to solving thechestnut blight problem. Chestnuttrees were once a significant part ofthe North American forest andecosystem and restoration of thatenvironment is an important goal. Inlarge swaths of forest, it is notpractical to treat individual trees witha hypovirulent fungi strain. Thedisease-causing fungus dissolvessome of a trees’ tissue and utilizes itas a food source, resulting in cankerson the bark. More specifically, thispathogen produces oxalic acid whichdissolves chestnut tissue. Wheat has a naturally occurringoxalate oxidase (OxO) gene whichcodes for production of an oxidaseenzyme which breaks down theoxalic acid. This enzyme stops the

pathogenfromdissolving thebark, therebyprotectingthe tree fromthe damagingeffects of thefungus. Theenzyme doesnot kill thefungus, butinsteaddetoxifies the

Chestnut Blight continued from pg 1 acid produced by the fungus. Theresearch team has transferred thisgene into American chestnut,making it resistant to the blight. Asshown in the photo below, youngtransgenic trees survive after theywere inoculated with C. parasitica,the blight fungus whilenon-transgenic control trees havewilted. The long term plan is toplant these trees back into NorthAmerican forests so they canspread and again be part of theeastern North Americanecosystem. For more informationsee an article recently published inthe Smithsonian athttp://bit.ly/NYaproach.

These two approaches can helpsolve the same problem in two verydifferent production systems, eachfilling an important unmet need.However, efficacy data itself is notenough to make the technologiesavailable. In addition to the IR-4Biopesticide grant programproviding some funding for efficacystudies, IR-4 is also consulting withthe researchers on how to bringthese 2 technologies to market,both via deregulation with Agency.

eNewsletterWe have launced our eNewsletter.We will continue to publish printand digital newsletters for a fewmore issues.

Please let us know which versionyou would like to receive or if youwant both.

Contact Sherri Novack atnovack@aesop.rutgers.edu or byphone at 732.932.9575 x 4632.

BicyclopyroneI (Herbicide – Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC)

Introduction: Following a global review involving the US, Canada and Australia, US registration for the newactive ingredient (AI) bicyclopyrone was granted by the EPA in April 2015 for use in corn (and an importtolerance in sugarcane). This new AI provides burndown plus residual that delivers improved efficacy fordifficult-to-control large-seeded broadleaf weeds in corn, and allows reduced rates of certain other herbicides,while meeting stringent health and environmental safety standards. This new mode of action AI has beenregistered in a 4-way mix of AIs in Acuron™ Herbicide: bicyclopyrone is mixed with mesotrione, atrazine ands-Metolachlor. State registrations are in progress and supplies of product are limited in 2015. Bicyclopyroneis an HPPD herbicide.

Other global registrations: Canada (registered), Australia (pending 4Q2015)

US trade name/formulation: for food uses - Acuron™ Herbicide (contains 0.06 lb ai bicyclopyrone, 0.24 lb aimesotrione, 2.14 lb ai s-Metolachlor and 1.0 lb ai atrazine/gallon of product)

US labeled crops (see label for specific use pattern and other general directions for use): food uses onAcuron™ Herbicide label - corn in Crop Groups 15/16, including field corn, seed corn, silage corn, sweetcorn and yellow popcorn

Labeled pest spectrum: Acuron™ Herbicide has been shown to control 70+ weeds, including broadleaf andgrass weeds like Palmer amaranth, marestail, giant ragweed, kochia, morningglory, waterhemp and foxtail

Ongoing IR-4 residue projects: none currently

IR-4 database requests (PR#) (all are considered “Researchable”): carrot (11621), horseradish (11667), drybulb onion (11619)

IR4 cooperators are evaluating bicyclopyrone on other specialty crops, including carrot, papaya, pineapple,banana/plantain, timothy grown for seed, onion, horseradish and cuphea; other specialty crop uses are underinvestigation by the registrant.

New Product Corner

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ir4.rutgers.edu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 10Vol 46 No 2

ailments. Lutein and zeaxanthin,major constituents of Africanmarigold, are used in supplementsto aid in the treatment of diseasesof the eye and the promotion of eyehealth.

As a result of a company’s interestin growing African marigold on alarge scale in the US for thepurpose of extraction of lutein andzeaxanthin, IR-4 received a PCRrequest for the use of theherbicides pendimethalin, adinitroaniline selective herbicidethat controls annual grasses andcertain broadleaf weeds and

topramezone, a pyrazoloneherbicide for postemergence weedcontrol of broadleaf weeds andgrasses in order to produce asuccessful crop. A ChemSACproposal is being written that willpropose that while this is a fooduse, there are no expectations ofresidues due to the extensiveprocessing that African marigoldsundergo to extract lutein andzeaxanthin. There is also theunderstanding that the requestorwill maintain complete control ofthe crop, the labeled use will beheld as a private label only by therequestor, and that the label wouldinclude a feeding restriction.

Currently, marigold (Calendulaofficinalis) is included in herb andspices crop group 19. Africanmarigold (Tagetes erecta) isproposed for inclusion in therevised Herb crop group.

All of the IR-4 PCRs above haveone theme in common: they are allimportant requests for major issues(insects, diseases, weeds) on aminor/specialty crop. IR-4 looksforward to receiving these requestsin hopes of helping to obtainsustainable pest management toolsfor minor/specialty crops and minoruses in an effort to aid growers.

Minor continuedfrom page 8

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ir4.rutgers.edu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 11Vol 46 No 2

Innovation in Vector Control

Efforts to encourage innovation invector control have been motivatedfor the last decade by the rapidexpansion of vectors andvector-borne diseases around thatworld, spreading resistance toexisting chemical control tools, anda belief that eradication of some ofthese diseases may be possible withan adequate toolbox. The InnovativeVector Control Consortium (IVCC),the Deployed War FighterProtection (DWFP) Program, andthe IR-4 Public Health PesticidesProgram have all encouragedresearch and development, and thearray of potential control measuresfor public health pests have neverbeen greater. However, few of thesenew ideas assisted by theseinitiatives have yet entered theoperational toolbox, and attentionhas recently shifted to translatinginnovation to impact.

Innovation in vector control hasfocused on three areas –reformulating existing ActiveIngredients (AI’s) into new productsfor public health uses, developingnew product types (e.g.attract-and-kill products orarea-wide repellents), andidentifying new compounds withnovel modes of action. In all threeareas, there is a critical need fornew high-impact products.

Both new products based onexisting AI’s and new product typeshave begun to enter the market, buttheir impact on public health hasbeen limited so far. For example,products based on previouslyunused pyrethroids (etofenprox,deltamethrin) have been introducedin the U.S. for wide-area mosquito

control, and these look promising,but other pyrethoids have lostregistration in the same period, andthe net impact is unclear. Inaddition, clothing treatment withpyrethroids other than permethrin isbeing evaluated, and newhousehold and pet products enterthe market frequently, so otherreformulations seem likely indeveloped markets. For malariacontrol, long-lasting indoor residualsprays based on deltamethrin andthe pirimiphos-methyl, and new bednets with combinations of AI’s havegenerated enthusiasm. These newformulations can represent realimprovements for users, but all ofthese products use traditionalchemical classes, and resistance willprobably limit their life span.Promising new product types,including ovitraps, attractive toxicsugar baits, etc., have beendiscussed previously in this series ofarticles, and are starting to sell, butso far represent a very small part ofthe market.

New AI’s used exclusively for vectorcontrol would be highly desirablefor resistance management, but theneed for at least two new modes ofaction to inhibit resistance, and thelarge cost of developing andregistering each novel chemicalclass, have appeared to beinsurmountable challenges.However, a Gates/IVCC effort toscreen millions of chemicals incompany libraries for mosquitocontrol efficacy has apparently paidoff, and it looks likely that new AI’scould start the registration processin the next year. If funding issufficient, the goal is to restrictthese new chemicals to the vector

Translating Innovation toImpact in Vector Control—by Karl Malamud-Roam, IR-4 Public Health Pesticides Program Manager

control market, hopefully ensuringtheir utility for decades.

Support for vector controlinnovation has been fruitful, and thepotential for many new chemicals,product types, and products isgreat, assuming the pipeline frominnovation to impact flows smoothlyand quickly. Thus, the current focusin public health pesticides is onaddressing the critical paths neededto ensure product development,evaluation, registration, andprocurement.

IR-4 has focused on this type oftranslational research in minor usepest management for decades, andwe are now collaborating with aninitiative known as I2I (Innovation“2” Impact) intended to promote amore efficient approval process fornew vector control materials andproducts, and in particular for fastregistration of the new IVCC AI’s.A meeting in London in Junehighlighted key elements of theplan: A restructuring of the WHOPesticide Evaluation Scheme tospeed-up the evaluation andrecommendation process;development of a network of GLPtest facilities in malaria-endemicareas to support reliable efficacytesting by manufacturers; globaljoint review with a common datadossier for each material; revisionsto procurement methods to ensurehigh quality products reach themarket; a review of the technicalbasis for determining that productsare equivalent in efficacy;development of a similar pathway toglobal approval for new productclasses; and continued investmentin early-stage innovation. IR-4experience in translational researchand regulatory support indicatesthat we will have a major role invector control innovation for yearsto come.

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

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Major funding for IR-4 is provided by Special Research Grants andHatch Act Funds from USDA-NIFA , in cooperation with the StateAgricultural Experiment Stations, and USDA-ARS.

Tolerance SuccessesUnited States Department of AgricultureNational Institute of Food and Agriculture

Federal Register: March 4, 2015MetaldehydeTrade Name: Meta Crop: Edible podded legumevegetable subgroup 6A, Succulentshelled pea and bean subgroup 6B,Foliage of legume (except soybean)subgroup 7A, Clover (PacificNorthwest registration only),Ginseng, Tomato subgroup 8-10A,Citrus fruit group 10-10 PR#: 10105, 10333, 10334,10667, 10704, 11401, 11402

Federal Register: March 18, 2015BoscalidTrade Name: PristineCrop: Dill (seed), herb subgroup19A, Stone fruit group 12-12, Treenut group 14-12PR#: 08691, 08792, 08793,11384, 11385

Federal Register: April 10, 2015PyraclostrobinTrade Name: PristineCrop: Dill (seed), herb subgroup19A, Stone fruit group 12-12, Treenut group 14-12 (except pistachio)PR#: 08691, 08792, 08793,11386, 11387

Federal Register: May 29, 2015MetconazoleTrade Name: Metconazole Crop: Dried shelled pea and bean(except soybean) subgroup 6C,Rapeseed subgroup 20A,Sunflower subgroup 20B, Stonefruit group 12-12, Tree nut group14-12PR#: 10388, 10389, 10390,11373, 11374, 11375, 11403,11404, 11405

Federal Register: June 15, 2015SethoxydimTrade Name: PoastCrop: Fescue, Bushberry subgroup13-07B, Caneberry subgroup13-07A, Low growing berry (exceptstrawberry) subgroup 13-07H,Citrus fruit group 10-10, Pome fruitgroup 11-10, Small vine-climbingfruit (except fuzzy kiwifruit)subgroup 13-07F, Rapeseedsubgroup 20A, Sunflower subgroup20B, Cottonseed subgroup 20C,Bulb vegetable group 3-07, Fruitingvegetable group 8-10PR#: 04873, 09933, 10933,10935, 10936, 10937, 10938,10939, 10940, 10941

The trade names listed below are provided as a means to identify the chemical for which atolerance has been established. A trade name listed here may not be the name of theproduct on which the new food use(s) will be registered. Only labeled products may be usedon a food crop. Be sure to obtain current information about usage regulations and examine acurrent product label before applying any chemical.

January - June 2015There were no tolerances wereestablished in January andFebruary