The 2025 International Blueberry Maximum Residue Levels (MRL) Memo and accompanying MRL Guidance is now available on the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) website for growers and exporters.
The International Blueberry MRL Memo, prepared by USHBC partner Bryant Christie Inc., contains the following information:
- Data from the U.S. Monitoring Residue Program and Pesticide Residue Screening Program in key markets.
- Pesticides and markets for which available residue data suggests the possibility of MRL violations.
- The MRL status of pesticides registered for use on blueberries in key markets.
The memo is available in a PDF report organized per market and includes established MRLs, as well as an analysis of residue detections that could exceed the established MRL in that market. Additionally, the report is available in an excel spreadsheet organized by active ingredient.
The 2025 MRL guidance and “stoplight” charts reflect the following changes since winter 2024:
- Canada raised (harmonized) the MRL for sulfoxaflor (Transform) to 2 ppm from the default of 0.1 ppm.
- The EU raised (harmonized) the MRL for mefentrifluconazole (Cevya) to 5 ppm from 0.01 ppm.
- The Japanese MRL for iprodione of 15 ppm expired and is now 0.01 ppm. The USHBC has received a grant to conduct field trials to collect residue data required to seek a higher MRL.
- The Philippines raised the MRL for zeta-Cypermethrin (Mustang) from no existing MRL, to 1.5 ppm (Codex).
- The U.S. set a tolerance of 1.5 ppm for flonicamid (Beleaf). Canada’s MRL is 1.5 ppm, the EU’s MRL is 0.8 ppm, and Korea’s MRL is 1 ppm.
The stoplight guidance reflects the most cautious interpretations of the decline curve graphs that were generated in 2013-2015 for SWD insecticides; 2016-2018 for select fungicides; and 2021-2023 for insecticides, miticides and fungicides. This tool was developed to aid blueberry growers in selecting materials to manage key pests close to harvest with a particular export market in mind. Selected markets have been included, some of which have more restricted MRLs or tolerances than required by the U.S. for particular materials. The MRLs used to develop this tool are published at bcglobal.bryantchristie.com/db as of March 8, 2025.
To access the updated Blueberry MRL Memo and Database and the 2025 Blueberry MRL Charts and accompanying guidance, please visit the Exporter Dashboard on the USHBC website.
Acknowledgements
This work was originally made possible through funding by a USDA Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops grant through the USHBC, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development through the Strategic Growth Initiative and MBG Marketing, Oregon Blueberry Commission, Washington Blueberry Commission, Washington State Commission on Pesticide Registration, WSDA Specialty Crop Grant from 2013 through 2015 and a donation from two Oregon blueberry growers.
The 2025 Blueberry MRL Guidance was funded by the North American Blueberry Council and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, and prepared by Camille Holladay at Synergistic Pesticide Laboratory, LLC.