 | | Cooperative Agriculture Pest Survey program P. Ramorum identification aid. (Click on the image for a larger view.) |
|
Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued an update to its regulations to prevent the spread of Phytopthera ramorum, the pathogen that causes sudden oak death. The American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA) calls this disease Ramorum leaf blight. The new Emergency Federal Order that took effect on January 10 restricts movement of nursery stock from California, Oregon, and Washington nurseries. The new regulations do not affect shipments of turf or sod. The following are some of the requirements being imposed on California, Oregon, and Washington nurseries as set forth in the Order:
- All commercial nurseries within California, Oregon, and Washington that ship plants interstate will be inspected annually for evidence of P. ramorum infestation and they will be required to be certified as free from the pathogen.
- Inspections and testing will be done mainly in spring, when symptoms of P. ramorum infection will be most visible.
- All genera of plants are subject to visual inspection.
- Known host plants and associated host plants, plants in the same genus as hosts and associated hosts and plants located within 10 meters of a host or associate will be inspected, sampled and tested before shipments are allowed.
- The inspection and testing requirements are more stringent for nurseries located in quarantined areas where the disease already exists in natural forested and wooded areas.
- Host and associated host nursery stock that is shipped out must be accompanied by an appropriate Federal certification.
- Nurseries must maintain shipment records for at least 24 months.
Currently, there are 31 plants considered to be P. ramorum hosts and 37 associated host plants that are affected by the order. The official list is maintained on the USDA APHIS P. Ramorum Web site. The following nursery stock is exempt from the order: - Seeds
- Turf or sod
- Bulbs, tubers, corms, or rhizomes of non-host and associated hosts
- Greenhouse-grown cactus, succulents, and orchids.
- Aquarium-grown aquatic plants
- Greenhouse-, container-, or field-grown palms and cycads
- Tissue culture plants grown in vitro
For more information:"USDA takes action in three states to halt spread of plant fungus," USDA APHIS press release, December 27, 2004. "Ramorum canker and leaf blight from infected California nurseries discovered in Georgia, Florida and Canada," LM Week in Review, April 24, 2004.
|
