The Methyl Bromide Alternatives National Program encompasses research to determine alternatives to methyl bromide, which is being phased out as a result of indications that it negatively impacts the stratospheric ozone layer.  Methyl bromide is an extremely important pesticide in the United States, as well as the rest of the world.  It is used to rid the soil of pests before crops are planted and on postharvest commodities to kill pests in order to protect product quality.  Preplant use controls soilborne pathogens, nematodes, insects, and weeds.  Postharvest use kills insects and other arthropods.  It also includes quarantine treatment, which prevents accidental introduction of organisms into areas where they did not previously exist.

 Alternatives must be found so that the United States can continue economically viable production systems that permit the country=s agriculture to maintain its role in domestic and international trade.  Quarantine treatments are currently exempted from the phaseout, thus the primary focus of research has been on preplant and postharvest uses.  Much of the nation=s domestic food production, such as fruits, nuts, and vegetables, will be severely impacted if suitable alternatives, which, in the case of chemicals, can be registered for use by the U.S. EPA, are not found.