Safe Procurement and Production Manual a Systems Approach for the Production of Healthy Nursery Stock
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Safe Procurement and Production Manual A Systems Approach for the Production of Healthy Nursery Stock By John A. Griesbach, Jennifer L. Parke, Gary A. Chastagner, Niklaus J. Grünwald and John Aguirre Revised January 2012 What is the ‘systems approach’ — and why do I need it? When it comes to preventing the introduction and spread of plant pests and pathogens, a proactive approach that intelligently targets areas of highest risk is better than reacting to things as they happen. The goal of a systems approach isn‘t perfection — it’s significant risk reduction. By making your nursery less susceptible to the introduction and spread of regulated pests and plant pathogens, you will be able to reduce the risk of quarantines and crop destruction. (Cover photographs by Curt Kipp, Oregon Association of Nurseries.) ISBN 978-0-615-50862-7 Safe Procurement and Production Manual Safe Procurement and Production Manual A Systems Approach for the Production of Healthy Nursery Stock By John A. Griesbach Jennifer L. Parke Gary A. Chastagner Niklaus J. Grünwald John Aguirre Edited by Curt Kipp With a foreword by Jeff Stone Oregon Association of Nurseries Wilsonville, Oregon, USA Dr. John A. Griesbach is a plant pathologist and the owner of Ascent Agricultural Services LLC, and courtesy faculty member, Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University. Dr. Jennifer L. Parke is an associate professor/senior research in the Department of Crop and Soil Science at Oregon State University. Gary A. Chastagner is a plant pathologist and extension specialist at Washington State University Puyallup Research and Extension Center. Dr. Niklaus J. Grünwald is a research plant pathologist, USDA Agricultural Research Service and associate professor (courtesy), Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University. John Aguirre served as executive director of the Oregon Association of Nurseries from 2000–2010 and is currently the president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers. Curt Kipp is the publications manager of the Oregon Association of Nurseries and the managing editor of Digger magazine. Jeff Stone is the executive director of the Oregon Association of Nurseries. Oregon Association of Nurseries, Wilsonville, OR 97070 © 2011, 2012 by the Oregon Associaton of Nurseries All rights reserved. Published 2012 Printed in the United States of America 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 2 3 4 5 ISBN 978-0-615-50862-7 !is project was funded by the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (grant number OAN-ODA-2571-GR). www.oan.org CONTENTS Foreword by Jeff Stone .......................................................................................................................... vii Part I: A Systems Approach Introduction ...........................................................................................1 An overview of major pest and pathogen threats to plant health and nursery profitability, and an exploration of the systems approach as a possible solution to those threats. 1. The Challenge We Face ..................................................................................................................3 Summarizing the threat nurseries face from plant pests and pathogens 2. Systems Approaches: A New Tool .................................................................................................7 The meaning of the systems approach, and a summary of programs that use it 3. Analyzing Your Site ......................................................................................................................15 Checklists to analyze your site for vulnerabilities to pests and pathogens 4. Taking Control ..............................................................................................................................29 Managing your adoption of the systems approach and prioritizing problems Part II: Voluntary Best Practices for Your Nursery .......................................................................33 How to adopt voluntary measures and make your nursery safer, more efficient and more profitable. 5. Plant Production: Procurement ...................................................................................................35 Best practices for the procurement stage of plant production 6. Plant Production: Propagation ....................................................................................................41 Best practices for the propagation stage of plant production 7. Plant Production: Containers and Media ...................................................................................49 Best practices for the handling of growing media and plant containers 8. Plant Production: Water Management .......................................................................................57 Best practices for managing irrigation, drainage and water flow 9. Plant Production: Infrastructure .................................................................................................65 Best practices for site selection, sanitation, equipment, cull piles and biosecurity Part III: The Next Step: Systems Approach Certification ...........................................................71 How to pursue systems approach certification by adopting a phytosanitary management system and a pest management plan. 10. Phytosanitary Management System .......................................................................................73 Adopting and documenting your own phytosanitary management system 11. Pest Management Plan .............................................................................................................79 Adopting and documenting your own pest management plan 12. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................87 Summarizing what we’ve learned, and looking ahead to the future Appendix ......................................................................................................................................................89 Additional resources as you consider systems approach adoption. A1. Glossary .......................................................................................................................................91 A2. References ..................................................................................................................................95 Foreword Nursery and greenhouse operators face an ever-increasing set of opportunities and challenges. None are more daunting, or more of a game changer, than pest and disease issues. Oregon has a stellar reputation of producing quality plant material, which is shipped throughout the Paci"c Northwest, the nation and internationally. !e U.S. Department of Agriculture sees what the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN) sees — it is getting harder and more costly to attack an emerging pest or pathogen a#er it becomes an issue. It has very real economic and environmental consequences. !e U.S. Congress has been working with the nursery and greenhouse industry to address issues arising from pests and pathogens. !is manual is a signi"cant step forward in the creation of a grower- based systems approach to reduce the risk of infected plant material. !e OAN is proud to be a forceful advocate for this important nursery industry initiative. !is manual provides the latest pest and pathogen research and phytosanitary strategies. It is intended to assist growers in developing a set of practices that emphasize prevention. Growers who adopt these methods will have the ability to detect pest and disease problems when they arise, and respond rapidly. As you go through the chapters of this book, you will see the systems approach laid out in a step-by- step process. Any nursery following these steps is likely to reduce their risk of infestation or damage due to pests and pathogens. !is will help them maintain access to national and international markets. There’s no doubt that the nursery industry must create a continuum of risk-reduction methods to deal with pests and pathogens in nursery production. This manual is a part of a coordinated effort by Oregon’s nursery and greenhouse industry to provide tools that are relevant, accessible and understandable. I hope you agree that the tremendous work done by authors of this manual accomplishes those goals. Je$ Stone Executive Director, Oregon Association of Nurseries June 2011 SAFE PROCUREMENT AND PRODUCTION MANUAL VII Part I: A Systems Approach Introduction SAFE PROCUREMENT AND PRODUCTION MANUAL 1 These quarantined Rhododendron plants are infected with the plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. Chapter 1: The Challenge We Face !e introduction and spread of plant pests and pathogens threatens the long-term health and pro"t- ability of the nursery and greenhouse industry. As the global economy has boomed, there has been a dramatic increase in goods moved between countries and continents. !ese goods can include live plants from foreign sources. Sometimes, these exotic plants can bring equally exotic pests and patho- gens along for the ride. !ese harmful organisms can lead to bad consequences for growers: r diminished markets, r delayed production schedules, r increased restrictions, r lower product quality, and r higher production costs, r plant loss. Unfortunately, the rate of introduction and associated risks from these organisms is increasing dra- matically. In just the past decade, the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) branch of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection