Since its establishment by land grant universities and the USDA in 1963, IR-4 has championed specialty crop growers by facilitating the registration of safe, effective pest management solutions to meet their unique needs. Two years ago, the editors of Greenhouse Grower, American Vegetable Grower, and American Fruit Grower compiled a special digital report celebrating IR-4’s 60th anniversary, with a spotlight on the value IR-4 brings to both growers and manufacturers from across the specialty crop market, and how IR-4 continues to evolve in tandem with the industry.
The IR-4 Project’s 2024 Annual Report is now available to read and download. The report catalogs IR-4’s research and regulatory outcomes over the previous year, acknowledges its collaborators, lists its team members’ publications, and more.
In a letter introducing the report, IR-4 Executive Director Jerry Baron notes: “Reflecting on IR-4’s recent accomplishments, 2024 featured an unwavering dedication to our core mission: ensuring growers’ toolboxes are well-equipped to grow healthy specialty crops (from food to ornamentals). Our team implemented new ways of working and made progress towards innovative goals, even as the world of crop protection product registration work grew increasingly complex.
“IR-4 continues to deliver meaningful results and successfully navigate hurdles. The IR-4 team conducted vital research in 2024, guided by needs voiced by growers. For example:
- The Food Program conducted residue trials for effective products to manage coffee rust, onion thrips in onion, red rice in rice, and herbicides to manage glyphosate-resistant weeds.
- The Environmental Horticulture Program assessed boxwood foliar disease product efficacy.
- The IS Platform evaluated several chemistries for rice root aphids in greenhouse-grown hemp.
“In 2024, IR-4 fully implemented electronic field data books (eFDBs) across the organization, following several years of customizing and testing the tailor-made software. We commend our team for coming together to make this possible. Our team also took steps to reboot the Integrated Solutions (IS) and Biopesticide Regulatory Support Platforms; this work will continue in 2025.
“Two new committees were formed in 2024: the Networking Task Force to engage more researchers from minority-serving land-grant institutions and Cooperative Extension in IR-4’s work, and the Technology Team to investigate possible tech improvements for the organization. Additionally, IR-4 updated its visual identity and created instructional videos to reach new stakeholders.
“Many issues added complexity to our 2024 work, including the Endangered Species Act mitigations, pollinator protection, industry timelines, and global regulatory trends. As an intermediary between stakeholders and the regulatory process, IR-4 is in a unique position. Our team remains highly productive; submitting to the U.S. EPA and getting tools to growers is simply slower and more complicated. Nonetheless, IR-4 remains poised to adapt, thanks to strong relationships with partners and deep internal expertise.
“As new tools become necessary and the regulatory process grows more challenging, IR-4’s stakeholder-driven work serving specialty crop growers is critical. Our collaborators will continue to rely on the expertise of IR-4 to push solutions forward and help communicate shifting regulatory requirements. Our team proudly serves as advocates, supporters, subject matter experts, and problem-solvers.”
Click here to read the full report.
