Transforming Temporary Exemptions into Longer Lasting Solutions

IR-4, a national partnership of researchers, producers, the crop protection industry, and federal agencies that includes NIFA, has contributed to the conversion of section 18 emergency exemptions to permanent product registrations. Section 18 emergency exemptions are used when a particular pest has been discovered in a localized area and there is a known crop protection solution, but the solution has not been registered for that crop.

In many cases, Section 18 exemptions have contributed to the reduction of economic losses in the millions of dollars for a particular state or location. This is one area where a government program such as IR-4 proves a significant return on investment. When a Section 18 emergency turns into a permanent registration, the economic savings can prove to be even higher. IR-4 strives to conduct Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) research where the goal is to turn a Section 18 into a permanent registration. In FY 03, the EPA estimates that IR-4 research contributed to 95 or 79 percent of the total Section 18 conversions, which is an increase from 56 in FY 02.

Back to Integrated Pest Management Home Page