USDA's New Order on Phytophthora ramorum Seeks Greater Protection

An infected rhododendron leaf in a plant nursery in Vancouver, British Columbia, June, 2003.

On January 10, the USDA released the latest ?EUR??,,????'??order?EUR??,,????'?? to strengthen safeguards for the fungus-like plant disease Phytophthora ramorum, commonly known as P. ramorum, ramorum leaf blight and dieback, or more misleadingly as "sudden oak death."

USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service first took quarantine action for Ramorum leaf blight and dieback in 2002, soon after it was found to potentially affect many plants common in gardens, landscapes, and the natural environment. The initial regulations focused on the counties where the disease was known to occur in northern California and extreme southwestern Oregon. Nurseries were inspected and tested for freedom from P. ramorum.

In April, 2004, USDA announced emergency measures for all of California, in the wake of a few detections of the disease in nurseries outside the counties where it occurs in the natural environment. Limited detections also occurred in Oregon and Washington.

During the summer of 2004, USDA held a series of reviews and meetings with scientists, state officials, industry and environmental groups to consider how its regulations should change based on the newest and best scientific information about P. ramorum. Several states, particularly in the south and southeast U.S., expressed the view that USDA measures needed broadening and strengthening to protect their nurseries and the natural resources. Practical ideas and science-based safeguards. were presented. The result is the Jan. 10 revised order.

The new order expands inspection and testing for most nurseries shipping plant materials interstate from California, Oregon, or Washington.

The USDA does not expect the order to seriously disrupt the supply or price of plant material this spring. ?EUR??,,????'??There will be added burdens and some potential delays for some nurseries, but USDA and the states are taking proactive steps to minimize delays,?EUR??,,????'?? said Craig Regelbrugge, senior director of government relations with the American Nursery & Landscape Association. ?EUR??,,????'??Lining up additional diagnostic labs for plant sample testing is one such measure,?EUR??,,????'?? he added.

?EUR??,,????'??We have so much to learn about this disease?EUR??,,????'?? said Marc Teffeau, director of research with the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI). ?EUR??,,????'??Is it a real threat across the U.S., or just in certain environmentally favorable areas? What plants are threatened and where is the disease? How we manage it effectively over the long term??EUR??,,????'?? Teffeau said that a major research effort has been underway since 2002, with HRI and USDA's Agricultural Research Service, and a number of universities working to answer research questions important to the U.S. horticultural industries.

For more information, visit www.anla.org.