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Minor Uses and Grower Resources
Resources
- Workplan for Registration
- Guidance on PRIA Fee Waivers
- Nominate a Codex MRL
- Pesticides Registered via Joint Review (PDF) (3pp, 42k, PDF)
- Index to Tolerance Information
- Crop Group Tables
- US Tolerances (40 CFR Part 180)
- Canadian MRLs
- Codex MRLs
- IR-4
Contact
-
Barbara Madden
Minor Use Officer
(703) 305-6463
madden.barbara@epa.gov
Current as of September 2012
This web page provides growers, registrants and other interested parties with information on the programs EPA is implementing to ensure safe pesticide tools are available, particularly for those involved in the minor uses of pesticides. A major part of this effort involves the partnerships with other organizations and stakeholders.
On this page:
- Minor Use Crops and Pesticides
- Codex MRL Nominations
- NAFTA
- MRL Database
- Crop Group Revisions
- Exclusive Use Periods
- Definition of a Minor Use
- Related Information
Minor Use Crops and Pesticides
Minor use crops have fewer than 300,000 acres in production in the United States. The small acreage may provide insufficient economic incentive for pesticide companies (i.e., registrants) to keep their products registered for use on these crops, or to register new minor use pesticides. Many fruits and vegetables qualify as minor crops. Minor uses also include pesticides applied for control of disease vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, cockroaches, rodents. Disease-causing organisms can be considered minor uses as well.
Codex MRL Nominations
The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) is responsible for establishing maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticide residues in specific food items or in groups of food for Codex.
- More information about Codex
- Nominate a Codex MRL
NAFTA
Activities regarding NAFTA and regional cooperation include:
- Preventing and Resolving Trade Irritants - The U.S. - Canada Grower Priority Database is a tool for growers, registrants, and regulatory agencies to address trade barriers and trade irritants between NAFTA countries.
- EPA/PMRA Joint Reviews for Minor Uses - The EPA and Canada’s Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) participate in joint reviews of minor use where submissions are reviewed and regulatory decisions are made in both countries at approximately the same time. This is an effort to prevent trade irritants.
MRL Database
The USDA MRL Database is a tool for growers who want to export a commodity to determine if there is a foreign market MRL when an EPA tolerance is in place for the same commodity.
Crop Group Revisions
Crop groups are an important tool for growers and especially for growers that need pesticide options for minor crops. The EPA is involved in two efforts related to the revisions of the current crop grouping regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations 40 § 180.41. More about Crop Grouping.
Exclusive Use Periods
FIFRA exclusive use provisions for minor use registrations provide incentives to pesticide companies to register minor uses of pesticides. Registrants submit studies to EPA when registering a pesticide. FIFRA authorizes a period of time for “exclusive use” of the studies by the company after they register a new pesticide or add a new use to an existing pesticide. In the exclusive use period, only the registrant who developed the data may use it to support additional registrations. This is similar to a patent, allowing exclusive use of the supporting data for a specific period of time. In some circumstances, registration of a minor use may either extend the exclusive use period or establish a new exclusive use period.
- Questions and Answers - Exclusive Use Data Protection for Minor Use Registrations (PDF) (15 pp, 133k) - Information about FIFRA exclusive use provisions for minor use registrations including information for registrants on how to apply for an extension of exclusive use rights.
- Petitions for Extension of Exclusive Use Periods - EPA receives petitions from registrants requesting an extension of the "exclusive use" period covering the use of data developed in support of the registration.
- View the petitions filed by registrants for extensions of exclusive use periods, and where applicable, EPA's response; note that in some cases responses are pending from the Agency.