APHIS Adds Infested Fields in the Pale Cyst Nematode Regulated Area in Idaho

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

 DA 2020-01

January 17, 2020

                    

 

SUBJECT:      APHIS Adds Infested Fields in the Pale Cyst Nematode Regulated Area in Idaho

 

TO:                  State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

 

On November 6, 2019, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed pale cyst nematode (Globodera pallida: PCN) in two potato production fields (a total of 169 acres) located in Bingham County, Idaho. These infested fields are located within the 8.5-mile radius PCN-regulated area that spans a portion of northern Bingham County and southern Bonneville County. With these detections, since program inception, the number of PCN-infested fields is 31 and the infested area is 3,446 acres.

 

APHIS collected cysts from these fields during routine delimiting surveys. The first field was already in suspect status following the detection of a non-viable PCN cyst in a 2018 soil sample. The second field is adjacent to, and associated with, one of the infested fields in which APHIS detected PCN in 2018. Both fields have historically close associations with other infested fields and are already in the PCN-regulated area. 

 

APHIS will update the PCN program website description of regulated areas as needed after the trace investigation for these detections is completed.

 

APHIS applied safeguarding measures on the interstate movement of PCN-regulated articles from these areas as required in the PCN regulations. APHIS will follow-up with a notice of this change to the regulated area in the Federal Register. The specific PCN-regulated areas are on the following website:

 

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/nematode/pcn

 

For additional information about the pale cyst nematode program, please call National Policy Manager, Lynn Evans-Goldner, at (301) 851-2286.

 

/s/

Osama A. El-Lissy

Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine