The purpose of the IR-4 program is to enable the crop protection industry to provide safe, effective, and economical crop protection products for growers and consumers of minor/specialty crops.
The crop protection industry cannot justify the costs associated with the research and development,
credit:
registration, production, and marketing of crop protection products for minor/specialty crops due to the smaller market base and limited sales potential.
The IR-4 program provides the assistance needed to ensure that new and more effective crop protection products are developed and made available to minor/specialty crop producers.
These efforts require effective collaborations among federal agencies, the crop protection industry, and land-grant colleges and universities.