Pesticide Registration Field Research (IR-4)

The Pesticide Registration Field Research Program, located at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center, is part of a network of field research centers throughout the USA that cooperate with the IR-4 Program. IR-4 is a national federally-funded program that coordinates, manages, and executes the field trials and laboratory analyses needed for pesticide registrations in specialty crops. These registrations can be for new crops, new pests, or new use patterns. At NWREC, we run between 20-30 field trials to evaluate the efficacy, crop safety, or magnitude of residues of pesticides in important local commodities such as berries, hazelnuts, hops, tree fruit, clover, grasses, and various vegetables. After we conduct our field trials and collect our data, the Environmental Protection Agency EPA uses the reports from IR-4 to establish tolerances for pesticide residues, and issue new registrations. Everything that IR-4 does is available to the public; we follow strict Good Laboratory Practices and are subject to audit by the EPA. We rely on local extension agents, growers, and other stakeholders to submit project requests depending on local needs; these get reviewed every year at the IR-4 Food Use workshop, where we select the projects that will be prioritized for the following year. 

Our field trials are essential for obtaining the data necessary to support science-based policies regarding pesticides. The main goal of this program is to provide Oregon growers with pest control options that are properly vetted and regulated, in order to effectively manage crop pests, maintain a stable and safe food supply, and support a healthy environment, while ensuring the success and profitability of Oregon farmers.