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This Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025) provides $1,132,843 to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to support efforts to prevent the spread of the Phytophthora ramorum pathogen, the causal agent of Sudden Oak Death, through regulated nursery stock and articles shipped interstate from California.

Key activities to be performed under this award include: 1) Inspection, sampling, and certification of all regulated establishments to ensure nursery stock and other regulated articles shipped interstate are free of P. ramorum; 2) Tracing and investigating the movement of positive P. ramorum detections; 3) Eradication or mitigation of P. ramorum in affected nurseries to allow for the shipment of pest-free articles; and 4) Maintenance of state quarantines, issuance of phytosanitary advisories, and laboratory diagnostics. The intended benefits are to protect susceptible native environments, preserve international export markets for host plants, and maintain the economic viability of California industries shipping regulated articles. CDFA will collaborate with county agricultural commissioners to execute these activities over the award period from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.

Purpose

Phytophthora ramorum, a previously unknown forest pathogen, is the causal agent of sudden OAK death (SOD). P. Ramorum was first observed in california during the late 1990S and USDA implemented a federal domestic quarantine in 2002. Currently, state and federal quarantines for P. Ramorum require inspection of regulated establishments, including nurseries, before plant material can be shipped out of the state. Regulated establishments are also required to undergo annual laboratory analysis for P. Ramorum at the cdfa plant pest diagnostics center (PPDC) prior to shipment out of the state. In order to complete the requirements, cdfa is requesting reimbursement and financial assistance to ensure shipments of regulated articles from california are free from P. Ramorum. 2.

Activities

Cdfa will work with the county agricultural commissioners (CACS) to perform inspection, sampling and certification of all regulated establishments as directed by 7 CFR 301.92, trace forward and trace back investigations, and ensure the following: a. Nursery stock shipped interstate from nonquarantined counties is free of P. Ramorum. B. Regulated articles, including nursery stock, shipped interstate from the quarantined area are free of P. Ramorum. C. All nursery detections of P. Ramorum are eradicated or its presence mitigated so that nursery stock and other articles for conveyance are free of P. Ramorum in affected establishments. Cdfa will maintain a parallel state interior quarantine, issue phytosanitary advisories, perform lab diagnostics and process lab SAM ples, initiate cooperative agreements, DNA testing and identification. Cdfa will also conduct nine county audits to ensure the legitimacy of cdfa/CAC cooperative agreements. 3. Deliverables and expected outcomes: identify the quantity of california-origin regulated articles found positive for P. Ramorum in other states. Freedom from P.ramorum in nursery stock and other regulated articles as well as through the completion of mitigation measures and adoption of required cultural practices in positive nurseries. Laboratory tests and subsequent results will be used to evaluate the success of cdfa's ability to accomplish the goals and mitigation requirements in qualifying nurseries as stated above. 4. Intended beneficiary(IES): this pathogen causes mortality in certain susceptible, native forest species and can also cause twig and foliar diseases in many ornamental plants, including camellia and rhododendron. The benefits expected from the program include: a. Protection of susceptible, native environments in the U.S. From the artificial introduction of P. Ramorum via california-origin regulated articles. B. Protection of international export markets for U.S.-origin host plants. C. Continued economic viability of california industries that ship regulated articles interstate. 5. Subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award: county agricultural commissioners (CAC) to provide support and enforcement of regulated program activities (attachment B). DNA sequencing with genewiz LLC, equipment maintenance with gentinge, eppendorf, and mettler-toledo, and hazardous waste will also receive a subcontract.