University of FloridaSolutions for Your Life

Download PDF 
Publication #HS-1124

2009 Florida Citrus Pest Management Guide: Fresh Fruit Pesticide Residue Limits1

M.A. Ritenour2

Current production practices often include the use of various pre- and postharvest chemicals, many of which are pesticides. To be used, these materials must be labeled for use on citrus and used only according to label instructions. Chemical residues on the fruit after harvest continue to be a concern to regulators and the public alike because of their potential negative health effects. Therefore, the U.S. and other countries set maximum residue limits (MRLs) on fresh produce for various chemicals. U.S. MRLs are rarely exceeded when the label instructions are followed. However, when MRLs set by importing countries are lower than U.S. MRLs, then use of these pesticides usually must be discontinued or modified to keep from exceeding the country's tolerances. In addition, individual buyers may set their own, more restrictive standards. Similar to buyer-imposed food safety standards, buyer-imposed MRL standards, especially from large buyers, can significantly impact how pesticides are used in the field and packing facility.

Table 1 list the MRLs (in parts-per-million) for various chemicals used on fresh Florida citrus for the U.S., CODEX, and some important export countries. The limit of detection for chemical residues on citrus fruit is often around 0.01 ppm, depending on the testing laboratory and chemical of interest. Most often, when no tolerance is stated, any detectable residue will violate tolerances. Violations may lead to rejected loads of product, restrictions on future shipments, and even increased requirements for the entire industry to a given market. Because MRLs change frequently, see the University of Florida's Postharvest Resources Web site (http://postharvest. ifas.ufl.edu) or the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) International Maximum Residue Limits Database (http://mrldatabase.com/) for the most recent information. A database of pesticide MRLs for the European Union is also now available at http://ec.europa.eu/sanco_pesticides/public/index.cfm Table 1 and the Web sites are intended as an initial reference source, and no guarantee is made to their accuracy. Always verify these values with other knowledgeable sources within specific markets of interest.

Tables

Table 1. 

Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) in parts-per-million (ppm), by country.

Chemical Name Trade Names

U.S.

Canada

CODEX

EU

Japan

Taiwan

(grapefruit)

2,4-D (2,4- Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) Citrus Fix, Hivol

3

2

1

1

2

2
Abamectin Agri-Mek, Clinch, Zephyr, ABBA, Epi-mek, Reaper

0.02

0.02

0.01

0.01

0.01

0.01
Acephate Acephate, Orthene

nonbearing

0.02

5
Acequinocyl Kanemite

0.2

0.2

2
Acetamiprid Assail

0.5

0.5*

1

5
Aldicarb Temik

0.3

0.2

0.02

0.3
Azadirachtin Aza-Direct, Azatin, Ecozin, Neemix

exempt

0.5; 0.01 lime

exempt

exempt
Azinphos-methyl salts Asinphosmethyl, Guthion

2

2

1

0.05

1

2
Azoxystrobin Abound

10

0.8*

1

1

1

Bacillus subtilis

Serenade MAX

exempt

exempt

Bacillus thuringiensis

various

exempt

exempt

Bifenazate

Acramite

nonbearing

0.01

exempt

Bifenthrin

Brigade, Capture, Telstar, Fanfare

0.05

0.05

0.1

2

1

Bromacil

Bromo, Hyvar

0.1

0.07

0.5

Buprofezin

Applaud

2.5

0.5 (oranges)

1

2

0.5

Carbaryl

Sevin

10

10

7

0.05

7

2

Carfentrazone-ethyl

Aim

0.1

0.01

0.1

Chlorpyrifos

Lorsban, Nufos

1

1

1

0.3; 0.2 lemon; 2.0 mandarins

1

2

Clethodim

Prism

nonbearing

0.1

Copper

various

exempt

exempt

exempt

Cryolite

Kryocide

7

2

Cyfluthrin

0.2

0.3

0.02

0.2

Diazinon

0.7

0.7

0.01

0.7

Dicofol

Dicofol, Kelthane

6

5

5

2

5

3

Diflubenzuron

Micromite

0.5

0.5

1

3

1

Dimethoate

Dimethoate, Cygon

2

1.5

5

0.02

2

2

Diuron

Diuron, Direx, Karmex

1

1

0.1

0.8

0.2

Endosulfan

Endosulfan, Phaser, Thionex

nonbearing

0.05

0.5

EPTC

Eptam

0.1

0.05

0.1

Ethoprop[hos]

Mocap

nonbearing

0.02

0.005

0.02

Ethylene

exempt

exempt

Fenamiphos

Nemacur

0.6

0.02

0.2

0.1

Fenbuconazole

Enable

1

1; 0.05 lemon, mandarin, lime

1

Fenbutatin Oxide

Vendex

20

2

5

5

5

2

Fenoxycarb

Fenoxycarb, Award, Precision

nonbearing

2

0.05

1

Fenpropathrin

Danitol

2

2

5

0.5

Fenpyroximate

Portal

0.6

0.2 orange

0.5; 0.3 lemon, lime, mandarin

1

0.5

Ferbam

Ferbam

4

10 mandarin; 2 orange

2

2

Fluazifop-P-butyl

Fusilade

nonbearing

0.2; 0.1 orange

0.1

Fludioxonil

Graduate

10

7

7; 10 grapefruit

10

Fosetyl-aluminum

Aliette

5

75

150

10

Gibberellic acid (GA; Gibberellin)

Gib Gro, ProGibb

exempt

exempt

0.2

Glyphosate

Roundup, Durango, Touchdown, & others

0.5

0.1; 0.5 orange & mandarin

0.5

0.1

Harpin Protein

Messenger

exempt

Hexythiazox

Savey

nonbearing

0.5

1

2

1

Hydrogen cyanide

50

50

Imazalil

Freshgard 700

10

5

5

5

5

5

Imidacloprid

Admire, Alias, Provado, Couraze, Nuprid, Pasada, Widow

0.7

1

1

1

1

Kaolin

Surround

exempt

exempt

Malathion

Malathion, Atrapa, Fyfanon

8

7

7

4

2

Metalaxyl, Mefenoxam

Ridomil Gold, Subdue, UltraFlourish

1

5

5

0.5

2

0.5

Metaldehyde

OR-Cal Slug & Snail Bait

0.05

1

Methanearsonic acid (MSMA)

0.35

0.5

Methidathion

Supracide

4; 6 mandarin

2

2; 5 mandarin

5

5

1

Methoprene

Extinguish Ant Bait

exempt

0.05

Myrothecium verrucaria

DiTera

exempt

NAA (1-naphthaleneacetic acid)

Fruit Fix

0.1 orange

0.05

0.1

exempt

Naled

Dibrom

3

3

0.2

Napropamide

Devrinol

0.1

0.05

0.1

Neem oil extract

Trilogy

exempt

exempt

Norflurazon

Solicam

0.2

0.2

Oryzalin

Oryzalin, Surflan

0.05

0.01

0.08

Oxamyl

Vydate

3

5

0.01; 0.02 mandarin

5

0.5

Oxyfluorfen

Goal

nonbearing

0.05

Paraquat Dichloride

Paraquat, Gramoxone, Boa

0.05

0.02

0.02

0.05

0.2

Peppermint oil, Rosemary oil

Ecotrol EC

Exempt

Pendimethalin

Prowl, Pendimax

0.1

0.05

0.05

Phosmet

Imidan

5

3

0.2

5

1

Phosphites

Fosphite, Phostrol, ProPhyt

exempt

Potassium bicarbonate

Armicarb, MilStop

exempt

Propargite

Comite, Omite

5 grapefruit & lemon; 10 orange

5

3

3

3

5

Propiconazole

Banner, Bumper, Tilt, Orbit, PropiMax

nonbearing

0.05

0.05

Pyraclostrobin

Headline

2

0.7*

1

1

2

Pyrethrins

Pyrellin (Pyrethrins + Rotenone)

1 orange

1 orange

0.05 orange

1

Pyridaben

Nexter

0.5

0.5

2

2

Pyrimethanil

Penbotec

10

10

7

10

15

Pyriproxyfen

Distance, Esteem, Knack

0.3

0.5

0.6

0.5

Rimsulfuron

0.01

0.05

Rotenone

Pyrellin (Pyrethrins + Rotenone)

exempt

0.01

Sethoxydim

Poast Plus

0.5

0.1

1

Simazine

Simazine, Princep, Sim-Trol

0.25 grapefruit, orange, lemon

0.1

0.2

Sodium aluminoflouride

Prokil Cryolite

7

SOPP (2 Phenylphenol, O-phenylphenol )

FreshGard 5; Fresh Mark, Dowicide A

10

10

10

12 (listed as food additive)

10

Spinetoram

Delegate

0.3

0.2

Spinosad

Entrust, Naturalyte, Justice, Spintor

0.3

0.3*

0.3

0.3

0.3

Spirodiclofen

Envidor

0.5

0.5*

0.5; 0.1 Lime, tangerine

2

Steinernema riobravis

BioVector 355

exempt

Sulfur

exempt

50

exempt

exempt

Tebufenozide

0.8

2

2

2

Thiabendazole (TBZ)

Freshgard 598, Mertect 340-F

10

10

7

5

10

10

Thiazopyr

Mandate

0.05 grapefruit & orange

0.05

Thiophanate-methyl (Carbendazim)

Topsin

0.5

Sect. 18

10

8

0.1

7

Trifloxystrobin

Gem

0.6

0.5

0.3

0.3

Trifloxysulfuron

0.03

0.03

Trifluralin

Trifluralin, Treflan, Trilin

0.05

0.1

0.05

0.05

Zeta-cypermethrin

Mustang

0.35

1 (cypermethrin)

2

2

2

Updated:

September 1, 2008

*grapefruit, lemon, lime, tangerine & citrus hybrid

**Coupounds with no MRL listed default to a 0.01 ppm limit.

Footnotes

1.

This document is HS-1124, one of a series of the Horticultural Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Date printed: January 2008. Date revised: November 2008. This publication is included in SP-43, 2009 Florida Citrus Pest Management Guide. A copy of this publication may be found at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/CG087. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. For a copy of this handbook, request information on its purchase at your county extension office.

2.

M.A. Ritenour, associate professor, Horticultural Sciences Department, Indian River REC, Ft. Pierce, Florida; Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.

The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. UF/IFAS does not guarantee or warranty the products named, and references to them in this publication does not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable composition.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.