Washington, DC
March 26, 2009
Three
U.S.
Department of Agriculture agencies today announced that a
National Clean Plant Network (NCPN) has been established at the
department. USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Cooperative
State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) have
signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperatively support
NCPN research, quarantine and outreach activities.
Under the agreement, APHIS, ARS and CSREES will work closely
together, as well as with university, nonprofit and industry
stakeholders to create new, and support existing, NCPN
activities. Some of these activities include:
- Developing the science
needed to support pest-free status in plants, by improving
molecular diagnostic technologies, therapy and relevant
taxonomy and systematic studies;
- Identifying plant diseases
and supporting the disease-free status of plants in national
plant germplasm collections,
- Developing the methods and
technologies to treat diseased plants; and
- Establishing and
supporting a general outreach program, including regional
and specific plant/commodity centers, networks and working
groups.
The NCPN, as required by the 2008
Farm Bill, is a collaborative venture, composed of diagnostic,
therapeutic and horticultural expertise. NCPN’s goal is to
ensure the availability of high quality propagated plant
material that is free of plant pests, helping to ensure the
global competitiveness of specialty crop producers. The NCPN
promotes pest and disease free specialty crops, the rapid and
safe introduction of new varieties from foreign sources and
hygienic U.S. products for export. |
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