Tissue Culture Techniques and Plant Introduction/Quarantine Procedures

Abstract

Two U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service — Plant Protection and Quarantine (APHIS-PPQ), are responsible for introduction/quarantine aspects of foreign plant germplasm Importation. Personnel from ARS in cooperation with APHIS-PPQ operate the U.S. Plant Introduction and Quarantine Station (USPI/QS). ARS personnel receive, establish, maintain in quarantine, index, conduct virus¹ therapy, multiply and distribute clonally and sexually propagated foreign plant germplasm introductions. They also maintain temporary collections of quarantine-released fruit crop cultivars (31, 38). The research objectives of the ARS scientists at USPI/QS are 1) to develop and apply methodology for producing disease-free-germplasm and for multiplying rare and/or hard-to-propagate germplasm, and 2) to develop improved methods of virus detection (graft and mechanical transmission, serology, dsRNA detection, nucleic acid hybridization and electron microscopy) and study the etiology of new viruses found in foreign introductions. The ARS has the sole responsibility for plant materials from importation through quarantine, indexing, propagation and distribution. APHIS-PPQ personnel are responsible for establishing import and quarantine regulations, specifying safeguards, conducting inspections and overseeing virus indexing and therapy of quarantined plants. Only APHIS-PPQ personnel have the authority to place plant items in quarantine and later release that same germplasm from quarantine.