The stone fruit commodity survey is a pro-active approach to enable california department of food and agriculture (CDFA) to detect priority diseases and insect pests of stone fruits before they become…

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) awarded a cooperative agreement to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) for $749,000 on July 1, 2026, to conduct a proactive stone fruit commodity survey under the agency's plant pest detection authority.

CDFA will survey for five priority diseases and insect pests of stone fruits before they become established in California agricultural production areas: Plum Pox Potyvirus (PPV), False Codling Moth (FCM), European Cherry Fruit Fly (ECFF), Summer Fruit Tortrix Moth (SFT), and European Stone Fruit Yellows (ESFY). The survey will identify at-risk sites—orchards, production nurseries, and residential areas—across three to ten counties using a USDA-provided risk-based model. CDFA will conduct visual surveys for ESFY and trapping for SFT and FCM from July through September; leaf sampling for PPV and trapping for ECFF will occur March through June. Total sampling scope includes 850 sites for SFT and FCM, 300 for ECFF, 120 for ESFY, and 6,000 samples for PPV. The survey work includes hiring seasonal personnel, providing training, preliminary field identification of suspect samples, and submission to the Plant Pest Diagnostic Center for examination and identification. Deliverables include tabulated counts of trapped and sampled sites and submitted samples; negative survey data will support existing state and federal regulations and promote trade and export.

Period of performance runs July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Place of performance is California.

Activities

Identify survey sites where preferred hosts are present, including orchards, production nurseries and residential areas, based on the risk-based model provided by the USDA. Some of the time will be spent hiring seasonal personnel, and providing training for survey activities, preliminary field identification of suspect samples, followed by proper submission to the plant pest diagnostic center (PPDC) for examination and identification. Visual surveys for esfy and trapping for SFT and FCM will occur from july through september. Leaf sampling for PPV and trapping for ecff will occur march through june. A total of 850 sites will be surveyed for SFT and FCM, 300 for ecff, 120 for esfy, and 6,000 samples will be taken for PPV - all spanning between three and ten counties depending. Deliverables and expected outcomes: a tabulation of the number of sites trapped and sampled and the number of samples submitted can be used to determine if the survey efforts were sufficient to meet the project needs. Targeting the survey on the selected areas that have the greatest risk for introduction should allow for a reasonable expectation for the detection of the pests. Therefore, this survey should find evidence of the pests if they are being introduced. Negative survey results would indicate that the targeted pests have not been introduced and have not become established in california, thereby showing areas freedom from these pests. If one or more infestations are found early enough, this survey will also allow for an appropriate mitigative response. Intended beneficiary(IES): annual cash receipts of prunus species produced in california are approximately $1.5 billion and are grown over 142,500 acres. Exports account for almost half of the market value of stone fruit, $514 million, so special concern should be taken to maintain trade. By reducing yield and marketability, these pests could cause devastating losses to the agricultural stone fruit industry and to urban landscapes if IT were to become established in california.subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award: staff from the county agricultural commissioners' offices will assist in this survey. Cost categories: personnel: $292,343; fringe benefits: $123,059; travel: $2,704; equipment: $25,000; supplies: 4,671; contractual: 42,515; other: $146,358; indirect costs: 112,350