Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) is one of six operational program units within the

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) based in Riverdale Park, Maryland, Riverdale, Maryland responsible for protecting animal health, animal welfare, and plant h ...

(APHIS) of the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...

(USDA). The PPQ works to safeguard agriculture and natural resources in the U.S. against the entry, establishment, and spread of animal and plant pests, and

noxious weed A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is harmful to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or lives ...

s in order to help ensure the protection of native flora and an abundant, high-quality, and varied food supply.

Plant pest program information

PPQ collaborates with state departments of agriculture and other government agencies to eradicate, suppress, or contain plant pests. Such collaborations may include emergency or longer-term domestic programs to target a specific pest. Targeted pests include: *

insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

s and

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as eac ...

s: ** Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), ''Anoplophora glabripennis'' **cactus moth, ''

Cactoblastis cactorum ''Cactoblastis cactorum'', the cactus moth, South American cactus moth or nopal moth, is native to Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil. It is one of five species in the genus ''Cactoblastis'' that inhabit South America, where many par ...

'' **celery leaf miner, ''

Liriomyza Trifolii ''Liriomyza trifolii'', known generally as the American serpentine leafminer or celery leafminer, is a species of leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae. ''L. trifolii'' is a damaging pest, as it consumes and destroys produce and other plant ...

'' **cotton pests: ***

boll weevil The boll weevil (''Anthonomus grandis'') is a species of beetle in the family Curculionidae. The boll weevil feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Thought to be native to Central Mexico, it migrated into the United States from Mexico in the late 19 ...

, ''Anthonomus grandis'' ***

pink bollworm The pink bollworm (''Pectinophora gossypiella''; ) is an insect known for being a pest in cotton farming. The adult is a small, thin, gray moth with fringed wings. The larva is a dull white caterpillar with eight pairs of legs with conspicuous pin ...

, ''Pectinophora gossypiella'' ** Cydalima perspectalis **

emerald ash borer The emerald ash borer (''Agrilus planipennis''), also known by the abbreviation EAB, is a green buprestid or jewel beetle native to north-eastern Asia that feeds on ash trees, ash species (''Fraxinus'' spp.). Females lay eggs in bark crevices o ...

, ''Agrilus planipennis'' **European cherry fruit fly, ''

Rhagoletis cerasi ''Rhagoletis cerasi'' (the cherry fruit fly or European cherry fruit fly) is a species of fruit fly in the family Tephritidae. Distribution This species is widespread in most of Europe, except British Islands, in western Siberia to Caucasus, in ...

'' **European grapevine moth, '' Lobesia botrana'' **fruit flies of genera in the

Tephritidae The Tephritidae are one of two fly families referred to as fruit flies, the other family being the Drosophilidae. The family Tephritidae does not include the biological model organisms of the genus '' Drosophila'' (in the family Drosophilidae ...

family, including: * * ***''

Anastrepha ''Anastrepha'' is the most diverse genus in the American tropics and subtropics. Currently, it comprises more than 300 described species, including nine major pest species, such as the Mexican fruit fly (''A. ludens''), the South American fruit ...

'' genus, especially the

Mexican fruit fly ''Anastrepha ludens'', the Mexican fruit fly or ''Mexfly'', is a species of fly of the '' Anastrepha'' genus in the Tephritidae family (fruit flies). It is closely related to the Caribbean fruit fly '' Anastrepha suspensa'', and the papaya fruit ...

***''

Bactrocera ''Bactrocera'' is a large genus of tephritid fruit flies, with close to 500 species currently described and accepted. Name The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used ...

'' genus, notably the

Melon fly ''Bactrocera cucurbitae'', the melon fly, is a fruit fly of the family Tephritidae. It is a serious agricultural pest, particularly in Hawaii. Identification Adult fly The adult melon fly is 6 to 8 mm in length. Distinctive characteristi ...

; PPQ have implemented heightened surveillance measures for the entry of ''B. invadens'' ***'' Ceratitis'' genus, particularly the

Mediterranean fruit fly ''Ceratitis capitata'', commonly known as the Mediterranean fruit fly or medfly, is a yellow-and-brown fly native to sub-Saharan Africa. It has no near relatives in the Western Hemisphere and is considered to be one of the most destructive fru ...

grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are amongst what are possibly the most ancient living groups of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grassh ...

s **gypsy moth, ''

Lymantria dispar dispar ''Lymantria dispar dispar'', commonly known as the gypsy moth, European gypsy moth, LDD moth, or (in North America) North American gypsy moth or spongy moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It has a native range that extends over Eu ...

'' **imported

fire ant Fire ants are several species of ants in the genus ''Solenopsis'', which includes over 200 species. ''Solenopsis'' are stinging ants, and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many of the nam ...

Japanese beetle The Japanese beetle (''Popillia japonica'') is a species of Scarabaeidae, scarab beetle. Due to the presence of Predation, natural predators, the Japanese beetle is not considered a pest in its native Japan, but in North America and some region ...

, ''Popillia japonica'' **

light brown apple moth The light brown apple moth (''Epiphyas postvittana''), often abbreviated to LBAM, is a leafroller moth belonging to the lepidopteran family Tortricidae. Identification Adult moths Light brown apple moth adults are variable in colour and may be ...

(LBAM), ''Epiphyas postvittana'' **

Mormon cricket The Mormon cricket (''Anabrus simplex'') is a large insect native to western North America in rangelands dominated by sagebrush and forbs. ''Anabrus'' is a genus in the shield-backed katydid subfamily in the Tettigoniidae family, commonly ca ...

, ''Anabrus simplex'' **palmetto weevil, ''

Rhynchophorus cruentatus The palmetto weevil (''Rhynchophorus cruentatus'') is an insect native to Florida, but has been found as far as southern Texas to the west and South Carolina to the north. It is the largest weevil in North America and the only kind of Rhynchophor ...

'' **pine shoot beetle, ''

Tomicus piniperda ''Tomicus piniperda'', the common pine shoot beetle, is a bark beetle native throughout Europe, northwestern Africa, and northern Asia. It is one of the most destructive shoot-feeding species in northern Europe.. Its primary host plant is Scots ...

'' **pink hibiscus mealybug, '' Maconellicoccus hirsutus'' **

Spotted lanternfly The spotted lanternfly (''Lycorma delicatula'') is a planthopper indigenous (ecology), indigenous to parts of China and Vietnam. It has spread Invasive species, invasively to Japan, South Korea, and the United States, where it is often referred ...

**spotted-wing drosophila, ''

Drosophila suzukii ''Drosophila suzukii'', commonly called the spotted wing drosophila or SWD, is a fruit fly. ''D. suzukii'', originally from southeast Asia, is becoming a major pest species in America and Europe, because it infests fruit early during the ripening ...

'' *

mollusk Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...

s: **

giant African land snail Giant African land snail is the common name of several species within the family Achatinidae, a family of unusually large African terrestrial snails: * '' Achatina achatina'', also known as the agate snail or Ghana tiger snail * '' Lissachatina fu ...

s **temperate

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth, as opposed to extraterrestrial. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on o ...

gastropods Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and from the land. Ther ...

nematode The nematodes ( or ; ; ), roundworms or eelworms constitute the phylum Nematoda. Species in the phylum inhabit a broad range of environments. Most species are free-living, feeding on microorganisms, but many are parasitic. Parasitic worms (h ...

s: **golden nematode, ''

Globodera rostochiensis ''Globodera rostochiensis'', commonly known as the golden nematode, golden eelworm or yellow potato cyst nematode, is a plant pathogenic nematode. It is a pest of plants in the family Solanaceae, primarily infesting potatoes and tomatoes, as well ...

'' **pale cyst nematode, ''

Globodera pallida ''Globodera pallida'' is a species of nematode in the family Heteroderidae. It is well known as a plant pathogen, especially of potatoes. It is "one of the most economically important plant parasitic nematodes," causing major crop losses, and is ...

'' * Plant diseases: **black

stem rust Stem rust, also known as cereal rust, black rust, red rust or red dust, is caused by the fungus ''Puccinia graminis'', which causes significant disease in cereal crops. Crop species that are affected by the disease include bread wheat, durum wh ...

, caused by ''Puccinia graminis'' **

chrysanthemum white rust Chrysanthemums ( ), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants in the Asteraceae family. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia, and the center of diversity is in China. Coun ...

, caused by ''Puccinia horiana'' **Citrus diseases ** European larch canker ** Gladiolus rust, caused by ''

Uromyces ''Uromyces'' is a genus of rust fungi in the family Pucciniaceae. The genus was described by Franz Unger in his 1833 work ''Die Exantheme der Pflanzen''. They have a worldwide distribution but large occurrences happen in North America and Europe. ...

transversalis'' **

Karnal bunt Karnal bunt (also known as partial bunt) is a fungal disease of wheat, durum wheat, and triticale. The smut fungus ''Tilletia indica'', a basidiomycete, invades the kernels and obtains nutrients from the endosperm, leaving behind waste products ...

, caused by ''Tilletia indica'' **

plum pox Plum pox, also known as sharka, is the most devastating viral disease of stone fruit from the genus ''Prunus''. The disease is caused by the plum pox virus (PPV), and the different strains may infect a variety of stone fruit species including pea ...

, a viral disease transmitted by aphids **

potato diseases This is a list of diseases and disorders found in potatoes. Bacterial diseases Fungal diseases Protistan diseases Viral and viroid diseases Nematode parasitic Phytoplasmal diseases Miscellaneous diseases and disorders References Co ...

**''

Ralstonia ''Ralstonia'' is a genus of bacteria, previously included in the genus ''Pseudomonas ''Pseudomonas'' is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the family Pseudomonadaceae in the class Gammaproteobacteria. The 348 members of the genu ...

'', a bacterial pathogen **

soybean rust Soybean rust is a disease that affects soybeans and other legumes. It is caused by two types of fungi, '' Phakopsora pachyrhizi'', commonly known as Asian soybean rust, and '' Phakopsora meibomiae'', commonly known as New World soybean rust. ''P. ...

, caused by ''

Phakopsora pachyrhizi ''Phakopsora pachyrhizi'' is a plant pathogen. It causes Asian soybean rust. Hosts ''Phakopsora pachyrhizi'' is an obligate biotrophic pathogen that causes Asian soybean rust. ''Phakopsora pachyrhizi'' is able to affect up to 31 different plan ...

'' and ''Phakopsora meibomiae'' **sudden oak death (SOD) caused by ''

Phytophthora ramorum ''Phytophthora ramorum'' is the oomycete known to cause the disease sudden oak death (SOD). The disease kills oak and other species of trees and has had devastating effects on the oak populations in California and Oregon, as well as being present ...

'' **

thousand cankers disease Thousand cankers disease (TCD) is a recently recognized disease of certain walnuts (''Juglans'' spp.). The disease results from the combined activity of the walnut twig beetle (''Pityophthorus juglandis'') and a canker producing fungus, '' Geos ...

, caused by ''

Geosmithia morbida Geosmithia morbida is a mitosporic ascomycete fungus belonging to the order Hypocreales and the family Bionectriaceae. This fungus is recognized as the causal agent of Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD), a significant threat to walnut trees. The dise ...

'' spread by the walnut twig beetle

Pest detection and identification

PPQ aims to support APHIS goals by early detection of pests, weeds and plant diseases harmful to the economy, to allow for an organized response before significant damage is caused. The National Identification Services (NIS) coordinates reports of plant pest identification, providing a database that may lead to quarantine actions. NIS collaborates with scientists in various specialties at institutions around the country, sending them detailed digital images of suspected pests for timely identification. Biochemical testing services are also employed. In the past about 2% of all live plant import allotments were inspected, however that has shown to be inflexible. The likelihood of detection of a problem when using the 2% rule is not homogeneous. The biggest problem is that likelihood of successful detection is correlated with size of allotment - that is to say, an inspected sample of less than 2% is good enough for a larger shipment, while 2% is not good enough for a small shipment. There are also other disparities due to the actual contents of the shipment especially between species of declared material, location of origin, and target pests. As a result, PPQ, APHIS, and phytosanitary authorities in other countries are moving towards a more adaptive inspection thoroughness regime.

Center for Plant Health Science and Technology

The Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (CPHST) is PPQ's scientific support division, providing research and data to make scientifically valid regulatory and policy decisions. The center also develops technology and practical tools for PPQ personnel to conduct pest detection, exclusion and management operations. The division's project areas include: * Trade risk analysis and treatment – the potential impact on U.S. agriculture of pests and diseases associated with imported plant products, and treatment of these products to reduce such risks. * Pest detection – through development of surveillance programs. * Identification and diagnostics – developing and testing new detection technologies, and accrediting external laboratories in their use. * Emergency response – providing scientific support during plant health emergencies. * Harmful plant strategies – implementing existing methods and developing new technologies for the identification, exclusion, eradication, and management of invasive weeds and regulated plants. * Biological control – developing technologies to allow natural enemies to effectively mitigate the impacts of invasive pests, arthropods, weeds, and plant pathogens.

Plant import and export

PPQ advises on regulations for international and interstate trade with the aim of preventing the introduction of foreign plant pests. This notably includes procedures on the import of live plants, fresh fruits and vegetables, and solid-wood packing material. Domestic standards are delegated by the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) which assumes the responsibilities for ensuring the U.S. export program meets international standards. It provides certification of commodities as a service to U.S. exporters. The

North American Plant Protection Organization The North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO), is the phytosanitary standard setting organization recognized by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It was created in 1976 as a regional organization of the International P ...

(NAPPO), operating between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, was created in 1976 to set Regional Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (RSPM). It depends upon regulators, scientists, producers and industry associations to collaborate in scientific standards to protect agricultural, forest, and other plant resources while facilitating trade. The

International Plant Protection Convention The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is a 1951 multilateral treaty overseen by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization that aims to secure coordinated, effective action to prevent and to control the introduction and ...

(IPPC), established 1951, is an international plant health agreement that aims to protect cultivated and wild plants by preventing the introduction and spread of pests. This is done through International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM).

Accreditation, Certification, and Network Services

The Accreditation, Certification, and Network Services (ACNS) unit manages the National Seed Health System; the U.S. Nursery Certification Program; the U.S. Greenhouse Certification Program; the State National Harmonization Program for seed potatoes; Special Foreign Inspection and Certification programs; Plants in Growing Media; Postentry Quarantine, Audit-based Certification Systems pertaining to section 10201(d)(1) of the Farm Bill; and the National Clean Plant Network pertaining to section 10202 of the Farm Bill.

Identification Technology Program

ITP produces images, videos,

identification key In biology, an identification key, taxonomic key, or frequently just key, is a printed or computer-aided device that aids in the identification of biological organisms. Historically, the most common type of identification key is the dichotomous k ...

s, tools, and

molecular diagnostics Molecular diagnostics is a collection of techniques used to analyze biological markers in the genome and proteome, and how their cells express their genes as proteins, applying molecular biology to medical tests, medical testing. In medicine th ...

supporting PPQ's activities.

Sources

USDA APHIS , About APHIS

USDA APHIS , Plant Health (PPQ) Home Page

USDA APHIS , Plant Pests and Diseases

Hot projects

USDA APHIS , PPQ Science and Technology

USDA APHIS , Plant Health (PPQ) Home Page

USDA APHIS , Imports and Exports

Imports exports plants manual

USDA APHIS Application Access - Home to PCIT and VEHCS.

Ippc

Nappo

USDA APHIS , Plant Health Permits
* ePermit
eAuthentication

References

External links

* {{authority control Export and import control Regulators of biotechnology products United States Department of Agriculture agencies Foreign trade of the United States Phytosanitary authorities