Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Joint CLC & PMC Session

1. Comments from the Chairs:

Mike Bledsoe

• Thanked the CLC for his re-election.
• He has enjoyed his first term and is looking forward to the next.
• IR-4 faces many challenges—funding, move, and public perceptions.
• CLC is working hard to move us forward.
• Very proud of the membership—formation of the GASC
• Accomplished reestablishing presence with increase in Presidents budget.

John Wise

• Reminded the PMC about the training conference—excellent conference and was encouraged by the younger attendees who were engaged, qualified, capable.
• Funding is important to give the next generation a chance.

1. New Member Approvals

• Bledsoe explained that the CLC need to formally approve these new members so the PMC could approve them also.
• Jennifer Clarke, CA Leafy Green Research Program
• Bill Frantz—replace Terry Humfeld
• Kam Quarles, National Potato Council

1. CLC Government Affairs Sub-Committee (GASC) Recap–Bob Simerly (via phone)

• Background of the subcommittee—formed to continue the effort throughout the year
• Restored funding last year—zeroed budget in Presidents proposal
• Laura Phelps, Jerry Baron, Keith Pitts—visited Ruth Saunders
• Increased request in Presidents Budget to $17 Million
• Organized the Lunch and Learn—Committee helps, especially Amy Upton
• Support for the IR-4 Move and considerations
• Professional Assistance/Considered professional lobbying firm
• Not proper for USDA Agency to hire a lobbyist
  • CLC should organize a subcommittee formally.
  • GASC will serve as leadership for CLC efforts

1. IR-4 2019 Year End Summary (Baron)

• International Year of Plant Health is 2020!
• Discussed the 2019 IR-4 Annual Report
• IR-4 data supported 1545 new registrations in 2019, a record that included a 35-day shutdown of EPA
• Residue studies for Hemp—
• Export issues remains an issue
• Public Acceptance of pesticides
• President’s budget includes a funding bump for IR-4 NIFA funds. First time an increase is proposed. Proposed cut for ARS’s umbrella funds.  It is believed that OMB visit by Laura Philips, Keith Pitts and Baron contributed to the proposed NIFA increase. 
• Turnover—Lots of staff changing within the IR-4.
  • Tifton lab has a new director
  • More changes in personnel to be expected this year
  • Younger faces within IR-4
• Lobbyist question—Determined it is not good use of funds

1. Update on THE MOVE  (Baron)

Northeast Region

• Rutgers also declined to continue to support IR-4 Northeast Region- so considered our options.
• Dan Rossi reached out to different universities in NE region-1864 institutions generally not interested
• Began some dialogue with others including University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES)

IR-4 HQ

• Move has made progress but taking longer than expected
  • Recruiting is taking double the time expected.
  • Jerry moved on January 2, Small office suite.
• Looking to add Weed Scientist, two study directors and entomologist as first hires.
• National Operations Manager is in future.
• NC State team is hospitable and welcoming. They try to help you by working through solutions
• Recently some progress with Rutgers on transferring funds
• Baron introduced Dr. Steve Lommel, Director of NC Agriculture Research Service who is Baron’s direct supervisor. Steve will join the PMC as Advisor.
• Bledsoe explained that CLC has had voice in employee selection process; he has been engaged. Rich Bonanno, former Chair of CLC, who is now NC Cooperative Extension Service Director is a formal member of the Search and Selection Committees

1. Indirect Cost Situation/Conversion to Special Cooperative Agreement
   • Baron discussed process of conversion to an appropriation with overhead.
   • CLC has two asks on the Hill; increase funding to $20 Million in FY 2021 and change to Special Cooperative Agreement to allow 10% overhead.
   • NPL for NIFA will be Tom Bewick. He replaces Rob Hedberg.

2. Strategies for the Lunch and Learn (Bledsoe)
   • Plan to do program similar to last year, Mike Aerts is the moderator
   • Other talking points
     • New technology
     • Office of Urban Agriculture

3. Partner Update

• USDA (S. Hutchins and S. Angle)
• Chris Novak (CropLife America)
  • Served at Syngenta, Corn Growers, Pork Producers
  • Strategic planning—Tools and technologies
  • Important topics
    1. Use the word Pesticide—not Crop Protection. Crop Protection means crop insurance to public.
    2. Key Policy

• Trade Barriers

1. State Issues
2. Product specific bans
3. Preemption is strategy

• Endangered Species
• PRIA/EPA. Funding & PRIA V Reauthorization

1. Need strong federal system to keep states from stepping in
2. Pendulums swing—Investigating Carbon footprint of pesticide use.

• EPA (R. Keigwin), OPP Management
• Last week 4.5 Million hits for disinfectants for coronavirus
• IR-4 had a phenomenal year—1545 registrations compared to 1100
• Retirements and departures— Losing great people but many of the new hires are rock stars
• EPA opening science center in RTP—marriage with toxics
• Registration/ongoing well-known products, including Pyrethroid, Triazines, Rodenticides, Neonics. EPA seems to have saved the hard ones until the end.
• Endangered Species Work under ESA-InterAgency Task force in statute
• Draft Biological Opinions—Carbaryl and Methomyl, Glyphosate, triazines, and Atrizine
  • Change in pesticide use data—New with these reviews
  • Not the answer but better review
  • Recommends participation in public comment—back up facts with data.
• EPA is moving from Potomac Yards this fall. Done in mid-November. OPP will spread between three buildings in Federal Triangle. Fiscally it will make sense. EPA currently pays $1.25 Million per floor in just rent space at Potomac Yards. Historical building will be a bit different. Space is harder to make into functional offices
• EPA OPP will probably not return to 900 people, net head count of hiring vs losses is not yet positive. Looking to gain 100 positions to about 700 people. PRIA commitments are based on 900 employees

Wednesday March 11^th: 8:00 am to 5:15 pm

4. Approval of minutes, new agenda items. (Wise)

• Minor changes in Minutes were suggested by Alvin Simmons

5. Reports

• AAs
  • Sherry Larkin- stepping down as AA to pursue position with SeaGrant. Will be at Southern Region Directors Meeting next week to be supportive of IR-4
  • Doug Buhler-North Central Director meeting first week of April
  • Baron invited to present at Western Region Directors meeting. Rossi will cover
  • Brad Hillman is stepping down as NJAES Director- Hillman to check with Peg Brennen about assuming the IR-4 AA role from the NE.
• NIFA
  • Tom Bewick-NIFA does not have the bandwidth to do minor administrative changes, e.g. change in the IR-4 Principal Investigator from Baron to Kunkel.  NIFA is focusing efforts on outstanding 2019 grant award that still need attention
  • Plan to process the NC, South and Western Regions as a Continuation Award. HQ and Northeast Region will have to go through a Non-competitive award process submitted by NC State and UMES. 
  • NIFA needs progress reports 60 days prior to end of 2019 grant award to ensure progress on the 2020 awards

• ARS
  • Will be hiring a Ph.D level entomologist to assist Alvin with IR-4 work
  • Tifton still waiting on nitrogen generator
  • FY 2020 funding will be the same as FY 2019
  • Lost funds for IR-4 in 2021 Presidential budget-umbrella account
  • Will be establishing a new cooperative agreement with IR-4 @ NCSU
  • Tom Hendrick retired; Tamara Snipes took as Lab Research Director. ARS/Tifton will be hiring a new scientist to replace Hendrick.  They have already hired some lower level positions at Tifton
  • John Harvey still classified at Field Research Director at Wapato. Still working, training his replacement, Dwane Larson who attended the National Education Conference

• CLC
• Approved d new membership list yesterday
• Lunch and Learn went extremely well, thanks to Amy Upton. Mike Aerts did a wonderful job in serving as MC
• Many Hill visits by CLC
• Bledsoe/Scholtz reelected as Chair/Vice Chair of CLC
• CLC would like IR-4 to explore new technology i.e. new injection technology, peptides, new RNA technologies, vertical agriculture, etc.

,

• NER
• Annual Report submitted
• Reduction of field trials in 2020
• Five new researchers
• Great improvement of field coordinators coordination
• Relocation of NE Region will be a topic for tomorrow

• SOR,
• Detailed report submitted
• All 2018 field data books have been received; 66% of 2019 field data books are in
• Janine visited all sites in 2019
• SLR meeting in June in Atlanta
• Analytical Lab, submitted 14 ASR
  • 4 backlogged/all done by August
  • Analytical instruments are getting old, 15 years old being replaced
  • Goal for 20 ASR in 2020
    • QA is complete with 2019 work

• WR
• Detailed report submitted
• Field program in good shape, on target with timelines
• New people in field sites, e.g. Oregon State
• Working through problems at NM state
• SLR meeting in April will be on-line
• Laboratory is doing alright, number of project is going down
  • Instruments will hopefully be moved this year with entire group finally in one place
  • Re-upped with LC/MS/MS lease, purchased new equipment
  • Has done significant amount of training for other facilities
• Martin/Sherita continue to do a great job with QA

• NCR
• Detailed report submitted
  • Field Residue program is down in 2019
  • Consolidating field trials in the Dakota (Greg Rich)
  • 43 EH trials/wide range of FRDs
  • A few biopesticide projects/integrated solutions (organic basil & hemp)
  • Laboratory getting near eliminating backlog
  • QA having a busy year, Michael Chen is supporting other regions
  • Two new analysts in laboratory

• HQ
  • NRSP-4 Renewal proceeding, thanks to Dan Rossi for significant efforts
  • Status of 2020 RFA/timelines
  • Uncertainty about how the 2020 funds will be handled. Tom Bewick will talk to Sue Bowman to find out what is the best mechanism, a non-competitive grant to NC State and UMES for HQ and NE Regions or a grant into Rutgers followed by a transfer to the new institutions. 

2. Program update. IR-4 HQ et.al
   • Food (Kunkel/Carpenter/Starner/Barkalow –All See slides/annual report for details
     • Buhler– the numbers of new research work has really dropped over time due to funding; between 2010 vs 2020 we have lost 150 trials.
       • Kunkel it is actually worse as IR-4’s efforts are supported by additional funding Stat of California and TASC funds
       • Starner – in the performance program we are receiving $30 K for extra XDE performance trials, and $42K for BASF for projects for BASF compounds. 
     • IR-4 starting to explore alternative plans for Food Use Workshop
     • Barkalow detailed concerns about recent EPA audit at Weslaco. The RFCs need to have the support they need to find out problems early. Much more difficult to discover problems at the end of study 
       • Kunkel brought up that a lot the information was provided during the training session in San Diego and we’ve updated the IR-4 handbook to share the information and implement within the program.  
       • Barkalow people have to understand what the expectations are, there has always been what we perceive as capacity, but one of the issues is timing. FDB for 2019 are just now coming in – I anticipate within 4-6 weeks QA will be in the field, and the FDB will start stacking up, how do we move them in a more timely manner. 
       • Wise – QC is also frustrated. Nicole’s time starts to get pinched because she is shifted to field. People have other demands, and we want to respect that, we need to have time to schedule other work, a soft touch helps to persuade, if that is not sufficient, if it is a system level problem, we can put it on the agenda, do we need to make a formal request, I don’t think we have done that to date, that is what I have going on in the background.  If it is a new reality, we need to talk about it.
       • Kunkel when we started the 30-month timeline we had 6 weeks after samples were shipped for the FRD will send the notebook to the regional office,
       • Wise – suggesting may not be enough, how strong a stick is too strong, we don’t want people to quit. Everyone is under pressure.
       • Carpenter- there has been a huge shift, and additional education may be needed, In the past we waited for ASRs for 2-3 years, it didn’t matter when the field data books came in.  Now it does.  

• Environmental Horticulture (Palmer)- see slides
• Biopesticides research & regulatory support –see slids
• Communications
  • Baron - I met at the licensing people at NC State; they recognize that IR-4 is unique and questioned if we should have all of the partners logos on materials. Agreed to add lo add Regional units logos to webpage, please forward to Palmer. Wise questioned if we should go beyond Regions
  • Kunkel I like what we have on the back cover of our annual report “major funding is provided by…. “
• International Activities
  • Kunkel - Codex Committee of Pesticide Residues was cancelled, so this year MRLs will be pushed back.
  • Baron– we continue to hear promising words from USDA-FAS for what we have been doing and that they want to expand the work because MRL harmonization is so important. 
  • Kunkel–we don’t have someone at HQ to do a quick summary and passing it on to Codex, and that is one area I’d like to see, but there are a lot of positions before that. 

3. Report on National Education Conference - Starner

• The two-day conference was successful, just shy of 120 participants
• Many members off the Training and Educational Committee. Need to replace ASAP as the planning of the NEC takes significant time. 

4. Field and laboratory performance issues

Backlog –

• Hengel- IR-4 lab interactions have evolved into a much more cooperative network, Everyone is trying to pull in the same direction. Backlog is on a downward trend overall. To get rid of the backlog, we still have some work on defining backlog.  
• Wise –When inexcusable backlog exists, if there is not some kind of hammer, it doesn’t mean anything. If backlog is reasonable and attitudes are right, we do not want to demoralize people. 
• Baron- if there is a situation happening it is good for all of us to know. If there is a feedback system, maybe people can help.  
• Hengel – but we still have our ACAC committee, and it was formed to help with analytical issues, you have a broader group to weigh in on it, we haven’t utilized the committee to that extent, but we may do that in the future with the transition. 
• Wise – whether it is once a year or more, keeping the information in front of us does have value, but I’m not hearing anyone say that we need to take severe action. Knowing that the PMC is reviewing has some effect as well. 
• Baron- maybe it should be discussed under quality, people make mistakes, but when it is beyond mistakes, we have to police ourselves or someone else does. 

Quality –

• Carpenter - concerns about study quality was discussed extensively at NEC. In practice, way too many issues being found at the end of review.  Should be discovered earlier, people need to do their job. You can train someone to ask questions, it isn’t obvious if they don’t have the raw data, they can’t look at it,
• Gu – Suggest we have lab directors serve in the role of QC of other lab’s data.
• Carpenter You can’t evaluate it unless you have the raw data. 
• Gu – we can put it in the cloud drive.
• Hengel–Not everyone has the same acquisition software, and you have to train people for the packet they are doing, a chromatogram is a chromatogram, where in Gail’s data do I see if it was chromatically integrated. We just updated the operation handbook for the phase, we need to do the lab guidance document, what is going to be acceptable.  Overall we have the same requirements, but little nuances – maybe we need to have a step back and we write and an SOP on data quality.  How would we do it without scanning everything, the chromatograms and send them off.  Then you would get a more true check in the ASR. 
• Gu – the major hurdle is different labs, if we have expert QC it would help.
• Wise – we might decide to talk about in the executive session is the motion to call on the ACAC to develop a QC process, we wouldn’t micromanage the process.

5. Potential 2019 funding distribution
6. Upcoming Meetings

• Unless something changes, we will have the Summer PMC meeting via Zoom
• Food Use Workshop-may need alternative plans
• Fall PMC/NRPM Likely to be in New Jersey

Food Program

IR-4’s main accountability matrix, the number of potential pesticide use registrations on specialty crops and specialty uses was at an all-time high of 1545. IR-4’s previous one-year high mark was 1175 in 2015. Other performance milestones include:

• 72 residue studies/414 residue study field trials
• 43 product performance projects/89 product performance field trials. •

IR-4 launched its first research with the Integrated Solutions initiative in 2019. Integrated Solutions (IS) research has the goal of developing a system of one or more chemical or bio-based pesticides to solve a critical pest management situation. This includes 1) development of products for managing pest resistance to pesticides, 2) screen products to manage hard to control pests, 3) residue reduction/residue mitigation, and 4) organic production. •

Progress has been made to reduce the backlog of unanalyzed residue samples in the five core IR-4 analytical laboratories (Michigan State University, University of Florida and University of California-Davis, USDA-ARS labs in Tifton, GA and in Wapato, WA). This was accomplished with a combination of implementing processes to improve efficiency in the laboratories and utilizing contract research laboratories to temporary reduce workload at the IR-4 laboratories and reduce the backlog. •

IR-4 submitted 22 petitions to EPA that address 130 specific requests. •

There has been unprecedented expansion of hem production in 2019. EPA and USDA has solicited IR-4’s involvement in efforts to register pesticides. IR-4 has funded several studies for chemical and bio-based pesticides to manage critical pests on hemp. Additionally, IR-4 is proposing extrapolation models to expedite provide muchneeded products for hemp pest management. •

IR-4 continues to cooperate with Canada on joint research projects. Canada contributed 29 field trials to the joint program that supports registrations in the U.S. and Canada. IR-4 estimates this cooperative research save IR-4 approx. $500,000 annually. •

IR-4 remains involved in global capacity building; the development of expertise to conduct field and laboratory pesticide residue studies under Good Laboratory Practices in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The last report from IR4 initial involvement in the Global Residue Data Generation Project was submitted in 2019 to various global regulatory authorities. New projects are being considered for 2020 and beyond. Success at a Glance IR-4’s Food Program produced a RECORD BREAKING number of successes in 2019: 1545 based on 24 actions by EPA. EPA proposed that the crops in the current “Crop Group 19: Herbs and Spices Group” will be separated into two new crop groups: “Crop Group 25: Herb Group” and “Crop Group 26: Spice Group”. IR-4 initiated six Integrated Solutions research projects in 2019. This new initiative combines the best aspects of chemical and bio-based pesticides into a program approach IR-4’s Environmental Horticulture Program prepared and submitted 22 research project summaries. IR-4 implemented 673 field trials. US EPA issued three registrations supporting 2665 crop uses.

Environmental Horticulture Program

The EHC complied 22 research project summaries. In addition to the research project summaries, the IR-4 EHC Program also posted a final project summary for the Downy Mildew Biology and Management Project funded by USDA-APHIS •

During the third year of the SCRI Protecting Pollinators Project, the research team continued to examine bee visitation to common annuals and herbaceous perennials. They also studied the movement of systemic insecticides into pollen and nectar of treated model EHCs. The initial findings were presented to EPA to assist with the neonicotinoid pollinator risk assessments and have developed updated recommendations for growers and landscape managers.

General/ Plans for 2020 & Beyond •

IR-4 is entering into a second decade of static funding and has had to scale back new research to match increased expenses. The Commodity Liaison Committee continues to advocate for increased federal funding while IR-4 explores opportunities to compete for resources from new sources. •

In July 2019, The IR-4 Project Management Committee approved a proposal submitted by North Carolina State University to host IR-4 Project Headquarters from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2029. Rutgers University could no longer afford to contribute to the cost to host the IR-4 Headquarters unit. A Memorandum of Agreement was signed by Rutgers University and NC State to begin the transition of IR-4 Headquarters to the new institution by September 30, 2021. • In September 2019, IR-4 conducted a listening/input workshop to gain feedback from stakeholders to help develop a new five-year strategic plan. Additional input from stakeholders will be solicited. IR-4’s goal is to have a new strategic plan approved by October 1, 2020 with implementation shortly thereafter. •

Every five years, IR-4 is formally assessed by the Directors of the State Agricultural Experiment Stations. IR-4 has submitted a proposal/management plan for the renewal National Research Support Program-4 to maintain IR-4’s involvement with the Land-Grant University system. •

Rutgers University also declined to continue to host the IR-4 Northeast Region business operations. IR-4 is having dialogue with other institutions in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic area to find a suitable host institution.

IR-4 successfully merged its stand-alone priority setting workshops for the Food Use Program (including residue research, product performance, Integrated Solutions) and Environmental Horticulture Program into a multiday “Week of Workshop”. This new format encouraged more crossover and integration between programs as well as substantial cost savings. •

Research plans for 2020 include: o

65 New Residue Studies/448 Field trials

44 Product Performance projects/93 field trials o

15 Integrated Solutions projects/36 field trials o

25 Environmental Horticulture protocol/650 greenhouse and field trials

PUBLICATIONS

Baron, J.J. and D. Kunkel. 2019. The IR-4 Program Update, 2019. The Northeastern Plant, Pest, and Soils Conference, Hunt Valley, MA, Abstract.

Kumar, V., G. Kakkar, C. L. Palmer, W. Myers, C. L. McKenzie, L. Osborne. Chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) – small player with big damage. Acta Horticulturae 1232:247-251. DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2019.1232.3

Kunkel, D.L., R. B. Batts, M. J. Braverman, J. Baron. 2019. IR-4 Project: Update and New Programs to Address Specialty Crop Grower Needs. Weed Science Society of America, 2019 Abstract #97.

Kunkel, D.L, W. Barney, and J. Baron. Progress on Global Crop Grouping for Extrapolation of Pesticide Residue Studies and Outcomes from the third Global Minor Use Summit. 2018 ACS meeting Boston. Abstract # AGRO 10.

Kunkel, Daniel L., and J. Baron Global joint reviews: Considerations and advances for minor uses, 2018 ACS meeting Boston. Abstract # AGRO 192

Kunkel, D.L., J. Baron, W. Barney. Taking Advantage of Global Field Trial Exchangeability and Crop Grouping for Pesticide Residue Studies: Weed Science Society of America, 2018 Abstract #331

Kunkel, D.L. 2018, Chair. SYMPOSIUM: INTEGRATING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO MEET THE FUTURE CHALLENGES OF AGRICULTURE: A SHARING OF EXPERIENCES 2018. NEPPSC 2018 Proceedings.

Williams, M.M., M. Arsenovic, W. Barney, D. Kunkel. 2019. An IR-4 Collaboration Success Story: Edamame. Weed Science Society of America, 2019 Abstract #459.