The 2011 ASHS Annual Conference

The Interregional Research Project (IR-4) is a national public program that amplifies pest management options for specialty crop growers by providing phytotoxicity data needed for the registration of agricultural chemicals for specialty crops including floral, fruit, herb, nursery, nut and vegetables. Nursery research on ornamental crops primarily addresses herbaceous annual/perennial and woody ornamentals.  Experiments are designed to measure phytotoxicity of specific pesticide/commodity combinations that address insects, weeds, and plant diseases of ornamental crops in the southeastern U.S.  These phytotoxicity data are used to support new registration or re-registration of reduced risk pesticides on ornamental crops. Over a five year period, the IR-4 nursery project on the southeastern Coastal Plain completed 152 ornamental phytotoxicity trials. These included 105 herbicide trials using 11 herbicides to treat 33 ornamental species and applied as either a broadcast granular or “over the top” liquid. It also included 29 insecticide and 18 fungicide combinations using 2 fungicides and 3 insecticides to treat 33 ornamental species using either foliar or drench applications.  Regional data are compiled from around the U.S. and ultimately submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to facilitate the registration or re-registration of active ingredients.