THIS PROPOSAL WILL SUPPORT THE NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL (NCR) IR-4 CENTER AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, INCLUDING A REGIONAL ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY. PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS CONDUCTING FIELD RESEARCH, QUALITY ASSURANCE OVERSIGHT, OR SERVING ON ADVISORY COMMITTEES, WILL COMPRISE UNIVERSITY FACULTY AT SAES UNITS IN ELEVEN OF THE TWELVE NCR STATES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MISSOURI, THE USDA-ARS MINOR CROP UNIT, AND ONE PRIVATE CONTRACTOR. SINCE THE PLANT PROTECTION INDUSTRY HAS LITTLE ECONOMIC INCENTIVE TO DEVELOP REGISTRATIONS FOR SPECIALTY CROP CHEMICALS, IR-4 DEVELOPS THE DATA THAT PROVIDE LEGAL, EFFECTIVE, ECONOMIC, SAFE AND IPM-COMPATIBLE PEST CONTROL SOLUTIONS. WITHOUT THIS PROGRAM, MANY SPECIALTY CROPS COULD NO LONGER BE PRODUCED IN THE USA OR WOULD BE GREATLY COMPROMISED IN COST AND QUALITY, WITH SEVERE ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS FOR AMERICAN AGRICULTURE, FOOD PROCESSORS, AND CONSUMERS. THE PROJECT'S OBJECTIVES FOR SPECIALTY CROPS ARE TO OBTAIN PESTICIDE CLEARANCES FOR FOODUSES, CONDUCT RESEARCH TO PROTECT ORNAMENTAL CROPS FROM KEY PESTS, AND FURTHER THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADOPTION OF BIOPESTICIDES. PEST MANAGEMENT NEEDS ARE IDENTIFIED REGIONALLY AND NATIONALLY AND PRIORITIZED BY RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PERSONNEL, FARMERS, GROWER ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHERS. FOR FOOD CROPS, FIELD TRIALS ARE CONDUCTED UNDER GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICES AND CROP SAMPLES ARE ANALYZED FOR THE MAGNITUDE OF RESIDUES. PERFORMANCE AND CROP SAFETY STUDIES ARE REQUIRED ON CERTAIN PEST/CROP COMBINATIONS BEFORE RESEARCH AND REGISTRATION CAN PROCEED. THE REPORTS OF THESE STUDIES, AFTER QUALITY ASSURANCE CHECKS, ARE FORWARDED TO IR-4 HQ AND USEPA. IN 2019 THE NCR, THROUGH REGIONAL COOPERATORS, WILL CONDUCT 39 FOOD CROP FIELD RESIDUE TRIALS AND 11 EFFICACY STUDIES. THE NCR LABORATORY WILL ANALYZE THE MAGNITUDE OF RESIDUES FOR 16 NEW PROJECTS FROM SUCH FIELD TRIALS. EFFICACY STUDIES ON DIFFICULT-TO-CONTROL PESTS ARE ALSO FUNDED. IN 2019, THE NCR WILL CONDUCT 43 TRIALS TO ASSESS THE SAFETY OF PESTICIDES ON ORNAMENTAL CROPS AND 40 EFFICACY STUDIES. ALSO IN 2019, THE NCR WILL CONDUCT 4 BIOPESTICIDE PROJECTS AS ASSIGNED TO COLLABORATORS IN THE NCR.