Pest Profile Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM)

Good pest profile on LBAM from U.C. Extension. Click on link above.

CDFA SETS INTERIM REGULATORY ACTION FOR LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH

SACRAMENTO, March 28, 2007

SPRO DA-2007-12, Gladiolus Rust

Detection of Gladiolus Rust (GR) in Manatee County represents the first known occurrence of this disease in 2007. In 2006, GR was detected for the first time in the United States at the same gladiolus production farm.
Click above for full story...

Space is filling up for the next round of Phytophthora ramorum Wildland Trainings!

This training opportunity is offered in California but is available to Washington natural resource professionals. Check out the above link!

For more info on P. ramorum see: http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/ppo/sod.html

Interim Rule on the Interstate Movement of Citrus Nursery Stock

LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH DETECTED IN EAST BAY

SACRAMENTO, Thursday, March 22, 2007 - The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are announcing the detection of a pest known as light brown apple moth. The announcement follows lab confirmation by entomologists with CDFA, and then supporting confirmation by USDA scientists.

There are increased trapping activities for the pest in areas surrounding the initial detections in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The increased trapping is being conducted in cooperation with agricultural commissioners in both counties.

Light brown apple moth is native to Australia and is found in New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Hawaii. The range of host plants is broad with more than 250 plant species known to be susceptible to attack by this pest. Major domestic hosts of concern are stone fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries and apricots), apples, pears, grapes and citrus.

The pest destroys, stunts or deforms young seedlings; spoils the appearance of ornamental plants; and injures deciduous fruit-tree crops, citrus and grapes.

USDA and CDFA have assembled a technical working group comprised of international experts on light brown apple moth to discuss survey and mitigation strategies to safeguard against this potentially damaging pest and prevent its further spread. The two agencies will be working together to take the appropriate regulatory action to prevent the spread of this pest in association with the movement of host commodities.
Contact: Steve Lyle, Director of Public Affairs
916/654-0462

5TH WESTERN HAZARD TREE WORKSHOP

June 11-14th

Certification Protocol for All Seed Potatoes Traded between United States and Canada

DA-2007-09
March 19, 2007
On March 16, 2007, APHIS’ Plant Protection and Quarantine and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have developed a joint potato certification protocol for all seed potatoes traded between the United States and Canada.

The initial phase of this protocol will begin on March 21, 2007, as the first step in implementing potato nematode surveillance for the United States and Canada. This protocol responds to the 2006 detection of golden nematode, Globodera rostochiensis, in the province of Quebec and potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida, in the State of Idaho. The goal of this protocol is to maintain the safe movement of regulated articles between the United States and Canada while continuing to protect against the spread of these nematodes.

Since most seed potato fields are currently frozen, the first phase of the protocol will include a piler dirt survey. This will involve sampling and testing of soil associated to tubers in storage facilities for all remaining 2006 seed potatoes shipped between the United States and Canada. All shipments between the United States and Canada must include a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration confirming that the lot was tested and found free of both pests according to the agreed protocol. Results from field surveys conducted by APHIS and State cooperators in 2006 are also acceptable.

The next phase of the bi-national potato surveillance will begin during the 2007 production year and will include more extensive field surveys for seed potatoes. Bi-national potato cyst nematode survey detail discussions will continue between USDA and CFIA officials and stakeholders over the coming months. The survey protocol is included in the survey plan currently available on the APHIS website at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/potato/pcn.shtml

For further information, please contact Osama El-Lissy, Director, PPQ, Emergency Management at (301) 734-8247 or Will Wise, Potato Programs National Trade Director at (503) 326-2814.


/s/ John H. Payne for


Richard L. Dunkle
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine

Quarantine of Montgomery County, Virginia, for Gypsy Moth (3/16/07)

Washington Forest Health Issues: WA DNR Annual Report (2006)

The 53rd annual Soil Fungus Conference

Fresno, CA April 11-13

JAPAN REOPENS ITS MARKET TO U.S. CHIPPING POTATOES

Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pallida, the Potato Cyst Nematodes

By Ekaterini Riga, Assistant Professor, WSU Department of Plant Pathology

Chrysanthemum White Rust (CWR) in California

March 8, 2007

TO: STATE AND TERRITORY AGRICULTURAL REGULATORY OFFICIALS

On February 14, 2007, the California Department of Food and Agriculture
(CDFA) confirmed the detection of CWR, Puccinia horiana P. Henn., on outdoor, ground-planted chrysanthemums at a cut flower nursery in San Diego County, California.

The CWR detection in San Diego County represents the third such occurrence of this disease at that particular production site; previously, CWR-positive findings also occurred there in 1998 and 2002. As a result of this latest detection, USDA issued an Emergency Action Notice (EAN) on February 16, 2007. Approximately 4,000 of the nursery's chrysanthemum plants were pulled and bagged for burial at the local landfill. This nursery had no fungicide application regiment or implemented any other standard sanitary practices to prevent such a CWR infection from occurring.

In addition, on February 27, 2007, CDFA also made an initial detection of CWR in an outdoor field of mums at a cut flower nursery in Santa Barbara County, California. This detection was confirmed by CDFA and a USDA EAN was issued on March 1, 2007. Sizeable pustules consistent with CWR symptoms were visible among sprouted mums in the nursery's tilled 1-acre field. Additional CWR-infected sprouts were detected following the initial finds in this field. This field had been harvested in mid-October to November 2006.

CDFA and USDA are following the National CWR Management Plan for Exclusion and Eradication in response to both detections in San Diego and Santa Barbara Counties. In both instances, the impacted nurseries only sold the product locally in California.

If you wish more details on the Federal regulatory program, you may contact Staff Officer Dr. Ved Malik at (301) 734-6774.

Richard L. Dunkle
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine

Swede Midge (Contarinia nasturtii) in New York State

DA-2007-06
February 28, 2007

TO: STATE AND TERRITORY AGRICULTURAL REGULATORY OFFICIALS
Swede Midge, Contarinia nasturtii (Kieffer), is a pest of Brassica and other related crucifers. It has caused serious economic damage to vegetable crops in Canada, especially to broccoli fields. This fly species had not been detected in North America before 2001.

Beginning in September 2004, Swede Midge, a Cecidomyiidae, was first detected in Niagara County, New York. During the course of subsequent survey activities for this pest in 2005, additional positive samples were collected in the New York counties of Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Orleans, and Wyoming.

Detection efforts for Swede Midge continued in New York in response to the finds in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, during the course of survey work, seven additional counties discovered the pest:Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Lewis,Madison, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and Wayne. This brings the total number of counties positive for Swede Midge in New York to thirteen.

APHIS continues to coordinate with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to conduct additional delimiting surveys for infestations of Swede Midge. A pest alert describing this insect and symptoms of damage by the pest is available on the APHIS website at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ep/emerging_pests/swedemidge.html.

Paul R. Eggert for

Richard L. Dunkle
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine

California Oak Mortality Task Force Report MARCH 2007

In addition to news on SOD, the most recent COMTF newsletter has updates on several emerging exotic pathogens/pests and related news on education & control initiatives.

P. ramorum Interim Rule (2/27/2007). (Adobe PDF)

APHIS' first published regulation on P. ramorum since February 2002 was published in the Federal Register today (February 27, 2007). This rule mostly codifies the Federal Order issued in December 2004 that established restrictions on the interstate movement of nursery stock from nurseries in nonquarantined areas in California, Oregon, and Washington. The rule also incorporates all changes to the rule (SPROs) issued since 2002 most of which are updates to the host list.

These rules are in effect NOW. The rule may be found online via this portal:
www.puyallup.wsu.edu/dddi/pdf/070227P_ramorum_interim_rule.pdf">

The comment period is 60 days and comments may be submitted online. Comments are welcomed and encouraged. The comment period ends 30 April 2007.

For more information contact ....

Jonathan M. Jones
National Phytophthora ramorum Program Manager
USDA-APHIS-PPQ Plant Pathogens and Weed Programs
4700 River Rd. Unit 160 Suite 5A-04.4
Riverdale, MD 20737
Tel: 301-734-5038 Fax: 301-734-8584
email: jmjones@aphis.usda.gov
www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ispm/pramorum/

WSU DDDI Training Schedule (3/2007). (Adobe PDF)

Please sign up! As of March we only have 8 registered!

WSU DDDI 2007 Upgrades
March Pre-Growing Season Training

Three DDDI training sessions are being offered by phone in combination with a live online demonstration. Sherri McElroy Clark from the University of Georgia will be walking us through new upgrades recently made to the WSU DDDI system which allow the system to function as a database as well as a diagnostic tool. Sherri is a DDDI developer and has been working closely with us over the past few months to improve the functionality of WSU DDDI. Bring all your DDDI questions to this informative training session.

To reserve a space send an email to normdart@wsu.edu with the date of the training you wish to attend. Those who reserve a space will be sent an email with a call in number and link to the live interactive demonstration the morning of the training.
Please signup for one of the following dates and times:
Monday March 12th, 10am-11am
Monday March 26th, 10am-11am
Friday March 30th, 10am-11am

Training Agenda:
• Improved Privacy with Flexibility
-Ability to keep confidential samples viewable only by submitter and
appropriate diagnostician(s)
-Ability to change sample designation from private to shared at any time
• Expanded database functionality
-Ability to submit, store, and retrieve already evaluated samples
• Advanced data reporting capabilities
-Build your own report capabilities with ability to display grouped data,
call up links to specific samples or download excel spreadsheets to sort data yourself.
-Ability to generate PDF reports for individual sample entries.
• Questions and discussion (as time permits)

Quarantine of additional areas of Maine for Gypsy Moth (2/2007). (Adobe PDF)

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA- 2007-04
February 16, 2007
SUBJECT: Quarantine of additional areas of Maine for Gypsy Moth (GM) (Lymantria dispar)
TO: STATE AND TERRITORY AGRICULTURAL REGULATORY OFFICIALS
This memorandum provides notification of the quarantine of the following areas of Maine for GM (Lymantria dispar):
In Aroostook County--Glenwood Plantation, Houlton, New Limerick, and Orient;
In Piscataquis County--Shirley, Elliotsville, T7R9 NWP, Katahdin Iron Works, T8R11 WELS, T8R10 WELS, TAR11 WELS, TAR 10 WELS, Veazie Gore, T1R11 WELS, T1R10 WELS, T2R10 WELS; and
In Somerset County--East Moxie Township.
This action is effective immediately. Attached is the Federal Domestic Quarantine Order for the subject action.
/s/ Paul R. Eggert for
Richard L. Dunkle
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine

P. ramorum quarantine lifted at Tiffany Creek Preserve, NY (2/2007). (Adobe PDF)

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2007-03
February 15, 2007
SUBJECT: Phytophthora ramorum Quarantine Lifted at Tiffany Creek Preserve, New York
TO: STATE AND TERRITORY AGRICULTURAL REGULATORY OFFICIALS
The purpose of this SPRO memorandum is to provide notification that on January 25, 2007, APHIS rescinded the Federal Emergency Action Notification and State Quarantine of the Tiffany Creek Preserve, Nassau County, New York for Phytophthora ramorum. After 2 years of prescribed survey, sampling, and testing for this disease in and around this area, APHIS has determined that P. ramorum is known not to occur in the Tiffany Creek Preserve, Nassau County, or other parts of the State.
On June 29, 2004, a sample of red oak bark collected from the Tiffany Creek Preserve tested positive for P. ramorum. As a result, Tiffany Creek Preserve was placed under a Federal Emergency Action Notification and State Quarantine. The red oak tree in question was removed, and intensive monitoring for P. ramorum in and around the area was subsequently conducted. Vegetation, soil, and, water samples were collected for testing in May and September 2005 and 2006. The last of these four P. ramorum surveys was completed on September 19, 2006, more than 2 years after the initial positive-sample was obtained. No additional P. ramorum-positive samples were ever detected during these survey activities.
As a result of surveys, sampling, and testing, APHIS has determined that there is no P. ramorum infestation in the Tiffany Creek Preserve. Furthermore, the disease is known not to occur at any location within Nassau County or the State of New York. Therefore, the Federal Emergency Action Notification and State Quarantine of the Tiffany Creek Preserve are rescinded in accordance with these survey findings. APHIS will publish a formal notice to this effect in the Federal Register soon. Given that publishing a notice in the Federal Register can take some time, APHIS chose not to unnecessarily delay the deregulation of the Tiffany Creek Preserve until such a formal notice can be published. Accordingly, APHIS went forward with rescinding the quarantine on January 25, 2007.
If you wish for more details on the Federal regulatory program, you may contact the National P. ramorum Program Manager, Jonathan Jones at (301) 734-5038.
Paul R. Eggert for
Richard L. Dunkle
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine

National Plant Disease Recovery System (10/2006).

The National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS) is called for in Homeland Security Presidential Directive Number 9 (HSPD-9). The purpose of the NPDRS is to insure that the tools, infrastructure, communication networks, and capacity required to mitigate the impact of high consequence plant disease outbreaks are such that a reasonable level of crop production is maintained.



Each disease-specific plan is intended to provide a brief primer on the disease, assess the status of critical recovery components, and identify disease management research, extension, and education needs. These documents are not intended to be stand-alone documents that address all of the many and varied aspects of plant disease outbreak and all of the decisions that must be taken to achieve effective response and recovery. They are, however, documents that will help USDA and others guide further efforts directed toward plant disease recovery.

Plum Pox virus found in Michigan.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11, 2006--The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Plant Germplasm and Biotechnology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., today confirmed the presence of the plum pox virus (PPV) on a plum tree sample from Southwestern Michigan.

Plum pox is a viral disease of stone fruit species that first appeared in the United States in Pennsylvania in October 1999 and most recently in New York in July 2006. The plant virus does not pose any human health risks. This virus is also found in Canada.

The plum tree sample was collected at the Southwest Michigan Research and Experiment Center (SWMREC), a Michigan State University facility, located near the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph area. The samples were collected as part of state surveillance surveys and underwent preliminary testing at the Michigan Department of Agriculture where researchers obtained positive results.

The plum pox strain identified in Michigan is the D strain of the virus--the same strain that is present in Canada, Pennsylvania and New York. The D strain of the virus is less virulent than other strains, does not infect cherry trees and is not seedborne. Because the strain is not seedborne, it is not necessary to regulate the movement of fruit to prevent the spread of the disease.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with APHIS, has conducted extensive surveys for PPV since 2000. Survey specialists are currently surveying all 14,000 host trees at the SWMREC facility. Following the completion of this survey, APHIS and MDA will expand surveillance efforts to include host trees within two miles of the center.

PPV is the cause of a serious plant disease, affecting a number of species, including peach, nectarine, apricot and plum. Several aphid species can serve as carriers of the virus. The virus stays viable in the aphid’s mouthparts for a period of approximately one hour and most aphids can generally transmit infection several hundred meters from the initial source plant.

Note to Reporters: USDA news releases, program announcements and media advisories are available on the Internet. Go to the APHIS news release page at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom. Also, anyone with an e-mail address can sign up to receive APHIS press releases automatically. Send an e-mail message to lyris@mdrdlyriss10.aphis.usda.gov and leave the subject blank. In the message, type
subscribe press_releases.

Phytophthora ramorum found in Maine.

kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/3021943
Saturday, August 12, 2006

State warns of infected lilac shrubs

By CHRISTIAN S. MADORE
Staff Writer

A plant disease that has killed thousands of trees and bushes in California may have just been transferred to Maine.

State horticulturist Ann Gibbs said Friday that a lilac shrub shipped from an Oregon nursery to Agway Garden Centers in Maine has tested positive for the disease Phytophthora ramorum, known as Sudden Oak Death.

In addition to the lilac shrub tested, 13 other lilacs bought from the Oregon nursery were sold by Agway prior to the discovery of the infected bush. They were sold at either Farmingdale, Winslow or Skowhegan Agway locations between late April and June, said Gibbs.

All affected plant material at the centers has been destroyed.

The species of lilac, called Syringa Vulgaris, can be identified by its light purple flower that grows in bunches ranging from 4 to 7 inches long.

Sudden Oak Death earned its name after thousands of oak trees in California became infected in the 1990s.

Since then, the disease has spread to more than a dozen species of plants -- in this case, lilacs.

Symptoms of an affected plant are brown-reddish droplets seeping from the bark of the bush, as well as small discolored spots on its leaves, Gibbs said.

Transmission of the disease occurs most commonly when water carrying the pathogen transfers from one plant to another.

"The sap of one leaf has to touch another leaf," she said.

In 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began regulating the transfer of plants from nurseries in California and Oregon to curb the spread of the disease. Regular surveys over the last three years of more than 70 horticultural business turned up no trace of the disease in Maine, until now.

"I think that this was the first time a positive result was found in this case," said Gibbs.

She said none of federal regulations were broken by either the nursery or Agway. She also stressed that the spread of the 13 shrubs in Maine does not constitute an epidemic.

"We don't even know if the disease can survive in Maine's climate," she said.

If anyone thinks they purchased one of the infected lilacs, they are encouraged to call the Department of Agriculture at 287-3891.

Gibbs said people should only contact the department if their shrub was bought between late April and June and is the species Syringa Vulgaris.

Gibbs said gardeners should not try to prune the bush to eliminate the disease, because that will not help it.

"There's no control for it," she said.

Even if they are not destroyed, the disease usually means certain doom for the infected plant.

Christian S. Madore -- 623-3811 x435

cmadore@centralmaine.com

Plum Pox virus found in New York State.

href="http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July06/Plum.Fruit.Virus.html">http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July06/Plum.Fruit.Virus.html

July 21, 2006
Cornell plant scientists detect presence of plum pox virus -- disease of all stone fruits -- for first time in New York state
By Franklin Crawford
Cornell plant scientists, working with state and federal officials, have detected the first cases of plum pox virus (PPV) in New York state on trees from orchards in Niagara County. The discovery was made by the Cornell University Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic early in July and confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Plum pox is a viral disease of stone fruits, including plums, peaches, apricots and nectarines.


Ralph Scorza/USDA
Plum pox virus symptoms on leaves first appear as subtle color variations that overtime become mottled. On fruit the virus is evident as ring spots or line patterns on the skin.
"Specialists are currently surveying a five-mile radius surrounding the initial detection to determine the extent of infestation," said Jessica A. Chittenden, communications director for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM). "The USDA will establish a cooperative eradication program with the state of New York."

The disease, spread by insects, is not harmful to humans. The PPV strain identified in New York is identical to the D strain of the virus found in both Canada and Pennsylvania, according to the USDA. The D strain is less virulent than other strains, making it easier to contain. New York is only the second U.S. state where plum pox has been detected.

Cornell scientists identified the virus while performing laboratory tests for NYSDAM's national seven-year survey for the virus. The Cornell Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic works closely with state officials and the USDA National Plant Germplasm and Biotechnology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., providing testing services and identifying newly-introduced pathogens as they arrive.

"Members of the Cornell laboratory have been, and continue to be, trained to perform state-of-the-art plant pathogen identification techniques," said Karen L. Snover-Clift, director of Cornell's Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic. "Because of this readiness commitment, laboratory personnel were prepared to perform the initial testing, to recognize the suspect results and to perform additional testing needed to confirm the presence of PPV in the sample submitted as part of the national survey."

PPV, also known as Sharka, has been devastating stone fruit crops in Europe since the early 1900s, when it was first reported in Bulgaria, then spread throughout Europe. In recent years the disease has spread to the Americas, first being found in Chile in 1992, in the orchards of Adams County, Pa., in 1999, and in Ontario and Nova Scotia, Canada, in 2000. The disease remains localized at this time and state and federal officials continue efforts to contain and eradicate PPV before it has a chance to spread to other parts of the North American continent.

For more information, contact Snover-Clift, director of Cornell's Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic, (607) 255-7860, kls13@cornell.edu.

News and Pest Updates

This “blog” is a place where news and updates on pests and pathogens of regulatory, economic and/or ecological concern to Washington will be posted.

Anyone has the ability to comment on a “blog” posted on this site. If you want the ability to post news (blogs) to this site email me and we will make this happen. I highly recommend this to create an interactive environment.