This agreement supports infrastructure and survey costs to conduct the cogongrass survey in south carolina

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded Clemson University $175,000 in a Cooperative Agreement (AP26PPQFO000C159) effective August 1, 2026, to support cogongrass surveillance and control infrastructure in South Carolina.

Clemson will design and implement a public outreach program educating South Carolina stakeholders on cogongrass threat, conduct visual surveys of known cogongrass infestation sites and all state-licensed plant nurseries as funding allows, and assess current infestations to develop treatment plans for each site. The recipient will also coordinate work by salary-funded personnel including an outreach coordinator, plant taxonomist, eight full-time nursery inspectors, two full-time invasive species specialists, and one state entomologist who will screen and identify samples. Survey activities will encompass known infested areas, newly reported areas, farms receiving hay from infested regions, truck washout stations, nurseries, croplands, pastures, roadsides, and residential and commercial properties.

The Department of Agriculture's Plant Protection and Quarantine division will lead investigations resulting from newly detected positive sites and provide trained staff for cogongrass plant identifications and follow-up on reported possible infestations. Treatments will be conducted by state staff or property owners and managers at all known and newly detected sites.

Performance takes place in South Carolina through July 31, 2027. Evaluation criteria center on the state cooperator's ability to complete agreed-upon outreach, treatment, and survey work, with anticipated outcomes measured by monitoring of treated areas, survey data collected, timeliness of survey activities, and reporting capability.

Activities

The recipient will design and implement a general outreach program to educate the public on the threat of cogongrass to south carolina. The recipient will assess current cogongrass infestations including new reports or survey findings and develop a treatment plan for each site. Clemson will visually survey known cogongrass sites and all south CA rolina-licensed plant nurseries as funding allows. DPI will lead any investigations resulting from a new positive site. DPI will provide trained staff for cogongrass plant identifications and follow-up on reported possible infestations. Deliverables and expected outcomes: the goal of this award to provide outreach, treat current infestations, and detect the presence of additional cogongrass infestations in south carolina. The criteria used to evaluate the project include the ability of the state cooperator to complete agreed-upon outreach, treatment, and survey work. The anticipated results include the additional knowledge gained as to the presence cogongrass, which will be measured by monitoring of treated areas, survey data collected, timeliness of survey activities and ability to report those results to USDA in the agreed-upon timeframe. Intended beneficiary(IES): this award will benefit south carolina's residents, agricultural industries, nurseries, forestry industry and stakeholders. Subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award: clemson diagnostic lab to assist in the analysis of suspected plant material.