The U.S. Department of Agriculture has resumed public comment on changes to the rules for areas infected with pale potato nematodes.
Pale Potato Nematode (PCN) is a highly pathogenic pest; causes significant damage to potato plantings (in some cases, losses can be up to 100% of the crop).
The pest was discovered in Idaho in 2006. The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has developed interim regulations that quarantine and restrict the movement of produce grown in contaminated areas. A three-year bioanalysis protocol was included in the rules, explaining the procedure for removing contamination-free areas from quarantine. But experts did not rule out the possibility of using other protocols to determine when and under what conditions a field can be removed from quarantine.
In 2019, the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture twice contacted a professional audience for comments on the rules (industry representatives could give their opinion on this issue for 30 days starting March 1 and June 26). This year, comments and suggestions to the Rules are accepted from June 5 to July 6.
Comments are accepted online at rules.gov.
Full article Chris Koger from The Packer