SAF Report to Southern Plant Board

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SAF Report to Southern Plant Board

• Lin Schmale
• Senior Director --
• Government Relations
• Society of American Florists
• April 16, 2007

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• Geranium program Ralstonia
• Gladiolus Rust
• Chrysanthemum White Rust
• Whitefly Q and EU

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Geraniums the Cadillac (Humvee?) program

• -Systems approach
• --Successful.. So far!!
• --It all depends on cooperation, communication,
  eternal vigilance

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Gladiolus rustUromyces transversalis

• --The good news narrow host range
• --A real headache for Florida and APHIS
• --The U.S. industry more effort!
• --Mexico, too

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Chrysanthemum White Rust

• IS IT ESTABLISHED HERE?
• --Regular outbreaks mid-Atlantic, CA
• --Costs to commercial growers, states, USDA
• --Workshop proposed this fall

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THE WHITEFLY Bemisia tabaci

• We have worked together in the U.S. to establish
  a strong and effective DOMESTIC program
• E.U. trade requirements could ruin that domestic
  program and create another international problem

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B. Tabaci is a major WORLDWIDE problem for
agriculture

• Globally distributed
• Very wide host range
• A major pest, and a vector of viruses

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Biotypes
New World Biotype A not a problem anymore,
(displaced by introduction of Biotype B)
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Biotypes
Mediterranean, Europe, Africa Biotype B Biotype
Q Subsequently shipped to US
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Biotypes
Q is resistant to many of the pesticides we
have Danger that B is developing resistance as
well Why? Over-spraying
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B biotype 1990s -- from Europe

• 1991-92 200-500 million (multiple commodities)
• Imperial Valley, CA 1991-95 100 million annually
• Arizona, California Texas 1994-98 153.9
  million spent to prevent sticky cotton

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Then the Q-Biotype...
First found in Arizona, 2004 MAJOR CONCERN.
Would we repeat the losses of the 1990s caused by
B? After all, Q is resistant to most chemicals
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Industry VERY concerned

• There were moves to begin regulating
• BUT U.S. industry agreed to a new approach
• --cooperate
• --educate growers _at_ resistance
• --support research

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APHIS said it would not regulate.CA, AZ backed
off regulating.

• APHIS agreed to facilitate the
• AD HOC WHITEFLY
• TASK FORCE

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Whitefly Taskforce

• Cotton
• Floriculture
• Nursery
• Vegetables

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Whitefly Taskforce
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Whitefly Taskforce
Federal and State regulatory officials from
potentially impacted states work together in
designing and implementing operational plans to
prevent or minimize the pests impact on the
various industries.
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Pest Management Plans

• Ornamental
• Cotton
• Vegetables

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SURVEY
Selected State surveys And GROWER
COOPERATION Growers were encouraged to come
forward if they saw resistance problems, have the
whiteflies tested (no quarantine fears)
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Q-Biotype Whitefly Survey, 2005
Initial Plan
Additional States
Positive Finds
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Q-Biotype Whitefly Survey, 2006
Initial Plan
Additional States
Positive Finds
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U.S. is caught in the middle

• We have worked together in the U.S. to establish
  a strong and effective DOMESTIC program
• E.U. zero-tolerance requirements could ruin that
  domestic program by forcing over-spraying and
  developing new resistant whiteflies

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• The EU requirements
• Herbaceous plants, Ficus, Hibiscus
• --originate in a free area or a place of
  production free from B. tabaci (non-European
  populations) inspected 1x/3weeks during the
  9-week period before export
• --or if found, then plants treated to ensure
  freedom and subsequently the nursery has been
  inspected weekly during the 9 weeks prior to
  export

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• The EU requirements
• Plants intended for planting
• --statement that no symptoms of relevant
  viruses observed during an adequate period and
• --area or place of production free of B. tabaci
  or
• --plants treated to destroy the B. tabaci

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• The Plant Board last year suggested working from
  our Task Force Management Plan to find a simple
  way of allowing inspectors to certify shipments.

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• We do not want to destroy our domestic program.
• We need an international effort to avoid
  resistance development, modeled on that US
  program
• Not more complex regulations on US growers!

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• Recall that the B and the Q both came to us from
  Europe. What resistant variety will they send to
  us next? And when?
• The good news another approach to the EU

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• QUESTIONS?