IR-4 PROJECT HEADQUARTERS (HQ) MANAGES AND COORDINATES ALL ACTIVITIES FOR THE NATIONAL IR-4 PROJECT INCLUDING RESEARCH EFFORTS WITH CONVENTIONAL AND BIO-BASED PESTICIDES TO SUPPORT US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGISTRATION ON SPECIALTY FOOD AND NON-FOOD CROPS (FRUITS, VEGETABLES, HERBS, NUTS, ORNAMENTALS) AND OTHER MINOR USES ON MAJOR CROPS. THE NEED FOR THE IR-4 PROJECT IS ECONOMIC - REGISTRANTS OF PESTICIDES/BIOPESTICIDES FOCUS THEIR DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS ON MAJOR CROPS AND MAJOR MARKETS. IR-4 FILLS THE NICHE BY DEVELOPING THE REQUIRED DATA TO EXTEND THESE REGISTRATIONS TO SPECIALTY CROPS/MINOR USES. HQ COORDINATES ALL ACTIVITIES WITH COLLABORATORS AND RESEARCHERS INCLUDING COMMODITY/GROWER GROUPS, THE CROP PROTECTION INDUSTRY, STATE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS, EPA, USDA AND COOPERATING FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS. THE NATIONAL IR-4 PROJECT PROVIDES SIGNIFICANT DELIVERABLES WITH POSITIVE IMPACTS TO STAKEHOLDERS THAT INCLUDE: NEW REGISTRATIONS FOR KEY PESTS; EXTENDING THE VALUE OFDATA TO INCLUDE SIMILAR CROPS THROUGH CROP GROUPING AND EXTRAPOLATION; AND ASSISTING IN THE HARMONIZATION OF INTERNATIONAL MAXIMUM RESIDUE LEVELS TO REMOVE PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN CROPS AS A TRADE BARRIER. IR-4'S FOCUS ON REGISTRATION OF CROP PROTECTION PRODUCTS DEEMED LOWER RISK FOR HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT BENEFITS SOCIETY, AS A WHOLE, WHILE GIVING THE SPECIALTY CROP PRODUCERS TECHNOLOGY TO BETTER MANAGE DISEASES, PESTS AND WEEDS IN A SUSTAINABLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MANNER. ORGANIC GROWERS ALSO BENEFIT FROM REGISTRATIONS OF BIOPESTICIDES DERIVED FROM NATURAL MATERIALS.