
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.
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. |
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.
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.