Services
Construction of the Angus J. Howitt IPM training room is now complete. The conference center has seating for 90, modern learning aids, and is now available for use. Click here for a picture and more information about the conference room.
Map to TNRC and Conference Center
The TNRC hosts both a NOAA weather station and is an official cooperator of the new GREEEN funded MSU Agriculture Weather network.
- MSU geography web page (Fennville weather data)
- TNRC degree day listing
The TNRC is a regular contributer to MSU's CAT-ALERT publication. (description)
The national IR-4 program serves as the primary avenue that new reduced-risk pesticide chemistries can be registered with the EPA for minor-use crops like blueberries, grapes, peaches and cherries. The TNRC is one of the few GLP facilities in the state capable of conducting this work, and over the last five years has carried-out a majority of the IR-4 residue field trails for Michigan fruit pesticides.
The demand for registering new pesticides through IR-4 has risen since the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act. Because of this legislation minor-use crops like blueberries, grapes, cherries, peaches, pears and apple, may be left with a significant shortfall in pest management tools for the future. The TNRC has implemented a strategic fruit-pest chemical-screening program in order to identify potential new pesticide candidates for IR-4 as quickly and efficiently as possible. The ability of the Michigan fruit industry to make this difficult transition will be significantly affected by the swiftness at which we can identify, develop and register effective pest management alternatives.
