The specialty crop community is asking Congress to increase appropriations for the IR-4 Project, which facilitates the registration of crop protection products.
The goal of the downy mildew study is to improve the detection of downy mildew on basil, impatiens, and cucurbits such as cucumber, melon, and squash.
The IR-4 Project at Rutgers University recently launched a Plant Search website that allows visitors to search for pollinator-attractive plants by zip code, bloom period, sun/light requirements, and/or pollinator attractiveness.
Grants from the Specialty Crop Research Initiative will fund IR-4 projects on protecting pollinators through ornamental horticulture, and downy mildew management strategies.