Citrus Greening |
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Detection and Reporting
After the collection of suspect plant samples by surveyors, they are examined and screened at by specialists within each state department of agriculture, cooperating university, or by the National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) labs. Suspect samples are forwarded to a central USDA laboratory for confirmation. The ultimate authority for confirming a diagnosis of citrus greening, since it is a select agent and exotic pest, rests with the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) division of USDA/APHIS.
More information about select agents can be found on the APHIS website:
USDA/APHIS/PPQ permit and registration requirements for plant diseases and laboratories fall under two authorities, the Plant Protection Act (7 CFR Part 330) and the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002 (7 CFR Part 331). Laboratories receiving suspect infected plant material or cultures are required to have PPQ authorizations and permits. Laboratories possessing, using, or transferring select agents such as "Candidatus" Liberibacter spp., the causal agents of citrus greening, are required to be registered, however diagnostic laboratories that identify select agents are exempt from this requirement as long as they notify PPQ complete an APHIS/CDC Form 4 and destroy the culture within 7 days.