2011 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. United States 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 lists 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 Website (http://postharvest.ifas.ufl.edu) or the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) International Maximum Residue Limits Database (http://www.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 websites 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 (Examples only, not inclusive)	U.S. Citrus	Canada Citrus	CODEX Citrus	EU Citrus	Japan Grapefruit & Orange	Taiwan Grapefruit & Orange	Korea Grapefruit & Orange
2,4-D (2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid)	Citrus Fix, Hivol	3	2	1	1	2	2	1; 2 orange
Abamectin	Agri-Mek, Clinch, Zephyr, ABBA, Epi-mek, Reaper	0.02	0.02	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.01
Acephate	Acephate, Orthene	nonbearing			0.02	5	(0.05 proposed)	5
Acequinocyl	Kanemite	0.2	0.35		0.2	2
Acetamiprid	Assail	0.5	0.5		1	5 (2 after Feb. 9, 2011)	(0.01 proposed)
Aldicarb	Temik	0.3 (use not allowed after 12/31/11)		0.2	0.02	0.3		0.2
Azadirachtin	Aza-Direct, Azatin, Ecozin, Neemix	exempt			0.5; 0.01 lime	exempt	exempt
Azoxystrobin	Abound	10	0.8 (10 proposed)	15	15	1 (2 proposed)	1 grapefruit	1
Bifenazate	Acramite	nonbearing			0.01	0.7
Bifenthrin	Brigade, Capture, Telstar, Fanfare	0.05		0.05	0.1	2	1	0.05
Bromacil	Bromo, Hyvar	0.1				0.07: 0.05 orange	0.5	0.1
Buprofezin	Applaud, Centaur	2.5		1	1	2.5; 2 orange	0.5	1; 0.3 orange
Carbaryl	Sevin	10	10	15	0.05	7	2	15
Carfentrazone-ethyl	Aim	0.1			0.01	0.1
Chlorpyrifos	Lorsban, Nufos	1	1	1	0.3; 0.2 lemon; 2.0 mandarins	1	1	0.3
Clethodim	Prism	nonbearing			0.1
Copper	various	exempt	50		20	exempt	exempt
Cyfluthrin		0.2		0.3	0.02	2	0.3	2
Dicofol	Dicofol, Kelthane	6	5	5	2	5	1	1
Diflubenzuron	Micromite	0.5; 0.8 lemon (sec. 18)		0.5	1	3	1	1
Dimethoate	Dimethoate, Cygon	2	1.5	5	0.02	2	2	2
Diuron	Diuron, Direx, Karmex	0.05 (except lemon)	1		0.1	0.8; 0.05 orange	0.05; 0.2 orange	1
Endosulfan	Endosulfan, Phaser, Thionex	nonbearing			0.05	0.5	(0.01 proposed)	0.1 grapefruit
EPTC	Eptam	0.1			0.05 (0.01 proposed)	0.1
Ethoprop[hos]	Mocap	nonbearing			0.02	0.005	0.02
Fenbuconazole	Enable	1	(1 proposed)		1; 0.05 lemon, mandarin, lime	1
Fenbutatin Oxide	Vendex	20	2	5	5	5	2	5
Fenoxycarb	Fenoxycarb, Award, Precision	nonbearing			2	0.05	1 grapefruit
Fenpropathrin	Danitol	2			2	5	0.5
Fenpyroximate	Portal	0.6		0.2 orange	0.5; 0.3 lemon, lime, mandarin	1	0.5	0.05
Ferbam	Ferbam	4		10 mandarin; 2 orange		2	2	2 orange
Fluazifop-P-butyl	Fusilade	nonbearing			0.2; 0.1 orange	0.1
Fludioxonil	Graduate	10	10	7	None for postharvest use	10; 1 orange	7 grapefruit (5 proposed)	1
Formetanate Hydrochloride		1.5 (G, O); 0.03 (T), 0.6 (L)	4		0.05	4	1.5
Fosetyl-aluminum	Aliette	5	9		75	150	10
Gibberellic acid (GA; Gibberellin)	Gib Gro, ProGibb	exempt			5	0.2
Glyphosate	Roundup, Durango, Touchdown, & others	0.5			0.1; 0.5 orange & mandarin	0.5	0.1 grapefruit	0.5
Harpin Protein	Messenger	exempt
Hexythiazox	Savey	nonbearing		0.5	1	2	1	0.5
Hydrogen cyanide		50				50		5 orange
Imazalil	Freshgard 700	10	5	5	5	5	2	5
Imidacloprid	Admire, Alias, Provado, Couraze, Nuprid, Pasada, Widow	0.7	1	1	1	0.7	(0.01 proposed)	1
Kaolin	Surround	exempt			exempt
Malathion	Malathion, Atrapa, Fyfanon	8		7	0.02	4	2	7
Metalaxyl, Mefenoxam	Ridomil Gold, Subdue, UltraFlourish	1	5	5	0.5	2; 1 orange (0.7 as of 2/9/11)	0.5 grapefruit	5
Metaldehyde	OR-Cal Slug & Snail Bait	0.26			0.05			0.05
Methanearsonic acid (MSMA)		0.35					0.5
Methidathion	Supracide	4; 6 mandarin	2	2; 5 mandarin	5 (0.02 proposed)	5	1	2
Methoprene	Extinguish Ant Bait	exempt			0.05
Methoxyfenozide	Intrepid 2F	2			1
Myrothecium verrucaria	DiTera	exempt
Naled	Dibrom	3	3			0.2
Neem oil extract	Trilogy	exempt				exempt
Norflurazon	Solicam	0.2				0.2	(0.2 proposed)	0.2
Oryzalin	Oryzalin, Surflan	0.05			0.01	0.08
Oxamyl	Vydate	3		5	0.01; 0.02 mandarin	5	0.5	5
Oxyfluorfen	Goal	nonbearing			0.05
Paraquat Dichloride	Paraquat, Gramoxone, Boa	0.05		0.02	0.02	0.05	0.2 grapefruit	0.02
Peppermint oil, Rosemary oil	Ecotrol EC	exempt
Pendimethalin	Prowl, Pendimax	0.1			0.05	0.05	(0.01 proposed)
Phosmet	Imidan	5		3	0.2	5	1	5
Phosphites	Fosphite, Phostrol, ProPhyt	exempt
Piperonyl Butoxide	Evergreen EC	8 orange	8 orange	5		5		0.05
Potassium bicarbonate	Armicarb, MilStop	exempt			exempt
Propargite	Comite, Omite	5 grapefruit & lemon; 10 orange	5	3	3	3	5	5
Propiconazole	Banner, Bumper, Tilt, Orbit, PropiMax	nonbearing			0.05	0.05	(0.03 proposed)
Pyraclostrobin	Headline	2	2	1	1	1	1 grapefruit	1
Pyrethrins	Pyrellin (+ Rotenone), Evergreen (+ Piperonyl Butoxide)	1 orange	1 orange	0.05	1	1		1
Pyridaben	Nexter	0.5			0.5	2	2
Pyrimethanil	Penbotec	10; 11 lemon	10	7	None for postharvest use	15	7 grapefruit	0.05
Pyriproxyfen	Distance, Esteem, Knack	0.3		0.5	0.6	0.5	0.3	0.5
Rimsulfuron		0.01			0.05
Rotenone	Pyrellin (Pyrethrins + Rotenone)	exempt			0.01
Saflufenacil	Treevix, Kixor	0.03	(0.03 proposed)
Sethoxydim	Poast Plus	0.5			0.1	1		1
Simazine	Simazine, Princep, Sim-Trol	0.25 grapefruit, orange, lemon			0.1 (0.01 proposed)	0.2		0.25
SOPP (2 Phenylphenol, O-phenylphenol )	FreshGard 5	10	10	10	5 (valid until 9/30/12)	10		10
Spinetoram	Delegate	0.3	0.3	0.07 orange	0.2			0.05
Spinosad	Entrust, Naturalyte, Justice, Spintor	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3
Spirodiclofen	Envidor	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.5; 0.1 tangerine	2	0.5	0.4
Spirotetramat	Movento	0.6	0.6	0.5	1	1		0.5
Steinernema riobravis	BioVector 355	exempt
Tebufenozide		0.8		2	2	2	1.5	0.05
Thiabendazole (TBZ)	Freshgard 598, Alumni	10	10	7	5	10	10 grapefruit	10
Thiamethoxam	Actara, Platinum	0.4	0.02 (0.4 proposed)		0.2	1	0.4 orange; (0.4 proposed GF)
Thiazopyr	Mandate	0.05 grapefruit & orange				0.05
Trifloxystrobin	Gem	0.6		0.5	0.3	0.5	0.5 grapefruit (0.01 proposed for others)	0.5
Trifluralin	Trifluralin, Treflan, Trilin	0.05			0.1	0.05	0.05	0.05
zeta-cypermethrin	Mustang	0.35		2	2	2		2
	Tolerance for unlisted materials=>	None	0.1	None	0.01	0.01	None	None

Footnotes

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 2010. This publication is included in SP-43, 2011 Florida Citrus Pest Management Guide. For a copy of this guide, request information on its purchase at your county extension office. Please visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

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.

2011 Florida Citrus Pest Management Guide: Fresh Fruit Pesticide Residue Limits1

Tables

Footnotes

2011 Florida Citrus Pest Management Guide: Fresh Fruit Pesticide Residue Limits¹