Phytophthora ramorum--economic impacts and challenges for the nursery industry

Abstract

In March 2004, a large wholesale nursery in southern California, which ships to interstate receivers, was found to have P. ramorum infected nursery stock. As a result, several of the southeastern states placed a ban on all nursery stock shipping from California. Federal regulatory agencies were not able to provide background information and current research data to the states in a timely manner. As a consequence, many states instituted specific bans on host and associated host plants (HAP) of P. ramorum or on HAP to the genus level. Complicating this situation, many southeastern states had a lack of confidence in California regulatory programs intended to prevent the transmission of the pathogen via nursery stock. Much of this mistrust had a foundation in the lack of communication of existing epidemiology, the gaps in basic biological information on P. ramorum and the lack of harmonization of regulatory approaches between California, Oregon, Washington and the Federal government. Many state regulatory agencies were not aware of the USDA Sudden Oak Death (SOD) Compliance Agreements that formed the basis of operation for nurseries within the regulated counties of California since 2003. Further, they were unaware of the recommended Best Management Practices and how these are directly linked to current research findings that validate them. Equally, communication regarding the purpose and value of the USDA – Forest Service and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection monitoring programs, which began in early 2000, was lacking. When the state regulatory agencies, the federal regulatory agencies and the industry are not extensively communicating, the most severe economic consequences always fall to the industry.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the sudden oak death second science symposium: the state of our knowledge

Citation

Suslow, Karen. 2006. Phytophthora ramorum--economic impacts and challenges for the nursery industry. In: Frankel, Susan J.; Shea, Patrick J.; and Haverty, Michael I., tech. coords. Proceedings of the sudden oak death second science symposium: the state of our knowledge. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-196. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture: 41-44