A systems approach for detecting sources of Phytophthora contamination in nurseries
| Authors: | Jennifer L. Parke, Niklaus Grünwald, Carrie Lewis, Val Fieland |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Type: | General Technical Report |
| Station: | Pacific Southwest Research Station |
| Source: | In: Frankel, Susan J.; Kliejunas, John T.; Palmieri, Katharine M. 2010. Proceedings of the Sudden Oak Death Fourth Science Symposium. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-229. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. pp. 67-68 |
Abstract
Nursery plants are also important long-distance vectors of non-indigenous pathogens such as P. ramorum and P. kernoviae. Pre-shipment inspections have not been adequate to ensure that shipped plants are free from Phytophthora, nor has this method informed growers about sources of contamination in their nurseries.We applied an approach based on Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) for systematically detecting sources of Phytophthora contamination in four Oregon nurseries. HACCP is an approach broadly applied in the food processing industry to prevent contamination of foods by microorganisms and it has recently been adapted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prevent spread of non-target species during fish restocking efforts. Our goal was to adapt the HACCP approach to identify critical control points (CCPs) for Phytophthora contamination in commercial nursery production systems. Critical control points are the best points, steps, or procedures at which significant hazards of contamination can be prevented or reduced to minimum hazard. To our knowledge, this is the first time the approach has been used to detect sources of plant pathogens.