2006 Annual Report 1.What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? Why does it matter? This project is aligned with ARS National Program #304, Crop Protection and Quarantine. It is expensive to generate the information required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to register pesticides for use on crops, and many effective pesticides are not registered by the pesticide manufacturers for use on minor crops because the cost of registration is deemed too high relative to the expected sales. Consequently, growers of minor crops have fewer pesticides available to help them control insects, weeds and plant diseases. The Interregional Research Project No. 4 (IR-4) was established to coordinate the agricultural community's efforts to assist growers in obtaining pesticide registrations for their minor use needs. Dedicated strictly to IR-4 work, the laboratory analyzes the magnitude of pesticide residues on samples from field trials conducted throughout the country by ARS and Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service (CSREES) cooperators. Failure to register effective pesticides, or loss of current uses for pesticides, on minor crops without adequate pest management alternatives could lead to more foreign production of minor crops, an increase in production costs, an increase in pest-induced losses, an increase in pesticide-resistant pests due to fewer choices of pesticides, and a reduction in options for use in integrated pest management (IPM) programs. Supplies of minor crops would likely diminish, become more costly, and move to foreign production. A result would be a less diversified, less nutritious diet for all U.S. citizens. 2.List by year the currently approved milestones (indicators of research progress) Serving a support rather than a research role, this project is not subject to the OSQR process and does not have a project plan with specific milestones. The objective of the project is to submit summary reports on pesticide residue analyses to IR-4 Headquarters in a timely manner. All work must be in full compliance with EPA's Good Laboratory Practice Standards. 4a.List the single most significant research accomplishment during FY 2006. The accomplishment aligns with both the Pest Control Technologies and the Chemical Control components of the ARS Crop Protection and Quarantine National Program (NP #304). At the request of growers, pesticide residue research was conducted on pesticide/crop combinations (projects) to address specific insect, weed, and plant disease problems on minor crops. During FY-2006, the Tifton IR-4 Laboratory located at the Crop Protection and Management Research Unit, Tifton, GA, conducted pesticide residue analyses on 12 projects covering a total of 116 field trials conducted throughout the United States by ARS and CSREES field cooperators. Final reports were submitted to IR-4 Headquarters for five of the projects covering a total of 53 field trials: the herbicide halosulfuron on dry bean and potato; the insecticide buprofezin on tomato; the insecticide fenpropathrin on olive, and the fungicide captan on pear. EPA will establish pesticide residue tolerances based on this data so the growers of these crops will have the pest control tools that they requested. 4b.List other significant research accomplishment(s), if any. None. 4c.List significant activities that support special target populations. None. 4d.Progress report. None. 5.Describe the major accomplishments to date and their predicted or actual impact. This research directly contributes to the accomplishment of the Pest Control Technologies and Chemical Control components of the ARS Crop Protection and Quarantine National Program (NP #304). The IR-4 laboratory conducts experiments and provides research data pertaining to chemical residues in specialty crops. At the request of minor-crop growers, research was conducted on pesticide/crop combinations (projects) to address specific insect, weed, and plant disease problems. Research was completed on many of those projects covering field trials conducted throughout the United States by ARS and CSREES field cooperators. Final reports were submitted to EPA through IR-4 Headquarters for the completed projects. EPA established pesticide tolerances for minor crops based on our data that has resulted in new pest control tools being made available to the growers of minor crops. 6.What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end-user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? Analytical summary reports of the magnitude of pesticide residues for specific compounds on specific crops were submitted to IR-4 Headquarters during FY-2006. These pesticides are likely to be available to growers within a few years after the lab data is compiled with field data, reviewed at several levels, submitted to EPA, and acted upon by EPA. 7.List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. (NOTE: List your peer reviewed publications below). No publications. Data collected in this project are for service-type research and are not publishable in refereed journals.