Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) is one of six operational program units within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (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 weeds 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:
insects and mites: Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), Anoplophora glabripennis cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum celery leaf miner, Liriomyza trifolii cotton pests: boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana fruit flies of genera in the family Tephritidae, including: genus Anastrepha, especially the Mexican fruit fly genus Bactrocera, notably the Melon fly; PPQ have implemented heightened surveillance measures for the entry of B. invadens genus Ceratitis, particularly the Mediterranean fruit fly grasshoppers spongy moth, Lymantria dispar dispar imported fire ant Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica light brown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana Mormon cricket, Anabrus simplex palmetto weevil, Rhynchophorus cruentatus pine shoot beetle, Tomicus piniperda pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus Spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii mollusks: giant African land snails temperate terrestrial gastropods (snails and slugs) nematodes: golden nematode, Globodera rostochiensis pale cyst nematode, Globodera pallida Plant diseases: black stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis chrysanthemum white rust, caused by Puccinia horiana Citrus diseases European larch canker Gladiolus rust, caused by Uromyces transversalis Karnal bunt, caused by Tilletia indica plum pox, a viral disease transmitted by aphids potato diseases Ralstonia, a bacterial pathogen soybean rust, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi and Phakopsora meibomiae sudden oak death (SOD) caused by Phytophthora ramorum thousand cankers disease, caused by Geosmithia morbida 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) is responsible for rapid, accurate and precise identification of pests and pathogens intercepted in imported commodities, as well as from domestic interceptions. NIS coordinates reports of plant pest identification, providing a database that may lead to quarantine actions. NIS staff includes National Taxonomists specializing in entomology, malacology, botany and mycology/plant pathology, and collaborates with scientists in complementary specialties at institutions around the country. Diagnostic DNA 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
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