PESTICIDE REGISTRATION PROGRAM

Department of Environmental Biochemistry

College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resouces (CTAHR)

University of Hawaii at Manoa

PROGRAM PERSONNEL

TOPICS

REGISTRATION OF PESTICIDES FOR USE IN MINOR CROPS

INTERREGIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT NO. 4 (IR-4)

PESTICIDE REGISTRATION PROGRAM'S PROJECT UPDATES

REGISTRATION OF PESTICIDES FOR USE IN MINOR CROPS
Pests (e.g., insects, weeds, and diseases) can severely reduce growers' yields and increase the cost of production. Although cultural, physical, mechanical, and biological methods of pest control may be available, they may not individually or collectively be feasible for the grower to implement. Chemicals (i.e., pesticides) are another tool growers can use to mitigate losses due to pests. However, growers cannot use just any pesticide; the crop on which the pesticide will be applied must be listed on the pesticide product's label. And for food crops, a tolerance must first be established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before a chemical company can list a crop grown for food on a pesticide product's label. A tolerance is the maximum amount of pesticide residue than can remain in or on a crop at the time of harvest. Once the tolerance is established, the crop can be included on the pesticide's label along with the specific directions for use. Only then can growers legally use the pesticide for use on the crop. The process can be very complex and is time-consuming. It is estimated that a minimum of six years is required, if all goes well, to successfully register a pesticide for use in a minor crop.

INTERREGIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT NO. 4 (IR-4)
IR-4 is a USDA-supported program that provides limited funding and a mechanism to register pesticides for use in minor crops. Registering a pesticide use in a minor crop involves generating efficacy, phytotoxicity, and residue data, preparing a tolerance petition, paying tolerance review fees, etc., which is a costly process. Sales of pesticide product from many minor crop registrations would not recover the costs associated with obtaining the registrations. Therefore, although the need for a pesticide exists in minor crops, registrants (chemical companies) are reluctant to register the use if no return on their investment is projected. IR-4 was established in 1963 to provide some incentive for registrants to register pesticides for use in minor crops.
PROJECT UPDATES
The following tables provide updates of various pesticide registration projects (efficacy and residue) in Hawai'i.
Pesticide Registration Program - Ongoing Projects
CROP PESTICIDE (trade name)
banana oxyfluorfen (Goal) Tolerance petition in-prep at IR-4. According to EPA, risk cup is full; therefore all potential new uses on hold.
banana spinosad (Success) Two (2) residue trials completed, but because residues were found, 3 more residues trials are needed. Scheduled for 2001.
banana imidacloprid (Admire, Provado) Five (5) residue trials scheduled for 2001.
chinese cabbages metalaxyl (Ridomil), metalaxyl+Cu (Ridomil Copper), azoxystobin (Quadris), copper hydroxide White rust control evaluation. Completed. 
coffee imidacloprid (Provado) Field trials (5) completed. Laboratory analyses completed. Lab report being audited by local Quality Assurance Officer.
ginger paraquat (Gramoxone Extra) Field efficacy trial ongoing. Planned field residue trials (3) in 2001.
green onion cyromazine (Trigard) Field residue trial completed in 2000. Samples sent to Michigan lab for residue analysis.
papaya sulfur, azoxystrobin (Quadris), kresoxim (BAS 490), quinoxyfen (Fortress), etc. Efficacy of myclobutanil and trifloxystrobin against powdery mildew looks good.
papaya myclobutanil (Rally) Field residue trials (4) ongoing.
papaya trifloxystrobin (Flint) Status of Flint uncertain because of Novartis + Zeneca (Syngenta) merger.
papaya azoxystrobin (Quadris, Abound) Syngenta wants efficacy data to label use.
papaya various insecticides Lab efficacy screening for leafhopper control. Alternatives to permethrin and malathion.
peach palm (pejibaye) oxyfluorfen (Goal) Tolerance petition in-prep at IR-4. According to EPA, risk cup is full; therefore all potential new uses on hold.
persimmon clofentezine (Apollo) Project completed in 2000. Tolerance petition in-prep at IR-4.
pineapple propiconazole (Tilt) Residue analyses completed. (Difficult analytical method.) Lab report being audited by local Quality Assurance Officer.
taro dimethomorph (Acrobat) Field residue trials (3) completed. Residue analysis ongoing.
taro azoxystrobin (Quadris) IR-4 project request submitted. Preliminary data shows some efficacy. Alternative for dimethomorph for fungicide resistance management.
taro metalaxyl (Ridomil) Residue study completed, but company wants more efficacy data.
taro zoxamide (Gavel) Projected field residue trials (3) in 2001. (For leaf blight control.)
taro pymetrozine (Fulfill), thiamethoxam (Cruiser), etc. Need additional screening trials for aphid control.
watercress azoxystrobin (Quadris) Final field report submitted to IR-4. (Cooperative project with Florida.)
various field/orchard crops hydramethylnon (Amdro) For big-headed and fire ant control in coffee and other crops where these ants are pests. Communicating with EPA about use of bait station and the requirement for residue data if bait stations are used. EPA classified use as nonfood.

Pesticide Registration Program - Completed Projects Awaiting Tolerance Establishment or Registration
CROP PESTICIDE (trade name)
basil metalaxyl (Ridomil) Tolerance petition being prepared at IR-4 HQ's; addressing quality assurance reviews.  (Cooperative project with GA and NJ.)
coffee ethephon (Ethrel) Tolerance petition submitted to EPA.
papaya metalaxyl+Cu-hydroxide (Ridomil Copper 70W) Awaiting tolerance petition submission to EPA.
persimmon chlorothalonil (Bravo) Data and final reports submitted to IR-4. Tolerance petition in-preparation at IR-4.

Pesticide Registration Program - Reregistration Projects Supported
CROP PESTICIDE (trade name)
banana diuron (Karmex) Data package submitted to EPA.
coffee oxyfluorfen (Goal) Data package submitted to EPA.
guava malathion Data package submitted to EPA.
macadamia malathion Data package submitted to EPA.
papaya malathion Data package submitted to EPA.
passion fruit malathion Data package submitted to EPA.
pineapple malathion Data package submitted to EPA.
watercress diazinon (DZN AG500) Data package submitted to EPA.
watercress malathion Data package submitted to EPA.

Pesticide Registration Program - Recent Successes
CROP PESTICIDE (trade name)
durian, mangosteen, 
rambutan		 glyphosate (Roundup)
taro imidacloprid (Admire) Soil application only. Root aphid control.
watercress imidacloprid (Provado) Foliar application only. Garden fleahopper control.
macadamia fosetyl-Al (Aliette) Phytophthora raceme blight control.
persimmon copper hydroxide (Champ) Cersospora leaf spot control.

DO NOT USE THESE UPDATES AS SUBSTITUTES FOR PESTICIDE USE INFORMATION. ALMOST ALL OF THESE USES ARE NOT INCLUDED ON PESTICIDE PRODUCT LABELS. THEREFORE, BEFORE PURCHASING A PESTICIDE, READ THE ENTIRE LABEL TO DETERMINE IF IT CAN BE USED ON THE CROP YOU WANT TO APPLY IT TO AND, IF THE USE PATTERN SUITS YOUR NEEDS. THE LABEL IS THE LAW.

Questions or comments can be referred to:
Mike Kawate, Ph.D.
956-6008 (phone)
956-9675 (fax)
mike@hpirs.stjohn.hawaii.edu (email)

Document last updated: 29 November 2000