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Displaying 61 to 80 of 623
APHIS Publishes Environmental Assessment on Release of Lophodiplosis indentata for the Biological Control of Melaleuca
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Dec 16, 2021
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USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) to issue permits for the release of the insect Lophodiplosis indentata (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) to biologically control Melaleuca quinquenervia (Myrtaceae) in the continental United States. Based on the environmental assessment and other relevant data, APHIS has reached a preliminary determination that the release of this control agent within the continental United States will not have a significant impact on the environment.
The proposed action is intended to reduce the severity of environmental damage to wetlands from the invasive Melaleuca tree in the continental United States. Melaleuca is native to Australia, New Caledonia, and Papua New Guinea and was imported into Florida in the late 19th century. It has since established in Florida’s wetlands, dramatically disrupting normal water, fire, disturbance recovery, and nutrient cycles—as well as impacting the amount of light available to other plants. APHIS is making the environmental assessment available to the public for review and comment. All comments received on or before Jan. 16, 2022 will be considered. To review the environmental assessment and make comments: Go to www.regulations.gov and enter APHIS-2021-0049 in the Search field.
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APHIS Removes a Portion of Harris County in Texas from the Domestic Citrus Canker (Xanthomonas spp.) Quarantine Area
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Aug 23, 2021
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USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
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Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is removing a portion of Harris County within the Braeswood area of Houston, Texas, from citrus canker regulations. The successful partnership between APHIS and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has resulted in a citrus canker-free status in this area since 2016.
On May 20, 2016, APHIS confirmed the positive identification of citrus canker in two adjacent sour orange trees in a city park in the Braeswood area of Houston, in Harris County, Texas. TDA removed and destroyed both positive citrus canker trees. TDA established an intrastate quarantine area for citrus canker that paralleled the federal citrus canker regulatory requirements specified in 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 301.75. APHIS completed a comprehensive delimiting survey around the area and found no additional citrus trees positive for citrus canker within the survey area. The removal of this quarantine area is reflected on the APHIS website, which also contains a description of all the current federal citrus canker quarantine areas.
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APHIS Removes Federal Domestic Quarantine for Pine Shoot Beetle
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Sep 30, 2020
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USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is publishing a final rule that removes the federal domestic quarantine regulation for the pine shoot beetle (PSB, Tomicus piniperda). Eliminating this regulation is in keeping with USDA’s goal of reducing regulations that have outlived their usefulness. Removing the quarantine ends APHIS’ domestic regulatory activities, which include actions such as issuing permits, certificates, and compliance agreements, making site visits, and conducting investigations of suspected violations. APHIS, in consultation with the National Plant Board, considers pine shoot beetle to be a minor pest that can be controlled locally, given its slow spread and the minimal damage it causes.
The final rule will be effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register on October 1, 2020 or on Nov. 2, 2020. Documents may be viewed online at https://www.regulations.gov/document/APHIS-2016-0065-0001 upon publication.
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APHIS Removes the Federal Domestic Quarantine for Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) and Interstate Movement Restrictions
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Dec 3, 2021
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USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
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Effective December 17, 2021, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is removing the light brown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana, quarantine in California and Hawaii. APHIS is reclassifying LBAM as a non-quarantine pest, removing all areas under quarantine, and removing movement restrictions on LBAM host material.
When APHIS first confirmed detections of LBAM in the United States in 2007, the best science available indicated that this moth would be a pest of economic significance. In response, APHIS and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) developed an eradication program. Over time, however, it became clear that the moth’s impact was not as significant as expected.
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APHIS Reopens Comment Period on Amendments to Pale Cyst Nematode Regulations
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Jun 5, 2020
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USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has again reopened the comment period on the protocols for regulating and deregulating pale cyst nematode (PCN)-infested and associated areas. APHIS initially accepted comments on the protocols March 1, 2019, and again on June 26, 2019 for 30 days. APHIS is providing the public with an additional opportunity to comment on the science supporting the protocols, including the sources of the methods informing their content. In an effort to give all interested parties ample opportunities to comment, we are reopening the comment period for 30 days beginning June 5, 2020 and ending July 6, 2020. Members of the public are encouraged to participate in the development of these protocols by submitting comments starting on the day of publication until July 6, 2020 at: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/APHIS-2018-0041.
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APHIS Seeks Feedback on List of Animal and Plant Pest Disease Threats
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Aug 6, 2020
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USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking feedback on its proposed list of pests and diseases of concern that are likely to pose a high risk to U.S. agricultural and natural resources. APHIS will seek comments on a rolling basis, and there is no deadline for submission.
Section 12203 of the 2018 Farm Bill requires pest- and disease-planning activities that mirror the extensive planning efforts APHIS already performs. Specifically, it requires APHIS to develop a uniform list of pests and diseases that represent the gravest threat to the United States and to develop comprehensive response plans to ensure Federal and State governments are prepared to respond to them.
See Animal and Plant Diseases and Pests of Concern for more information. The agency will review comments from the public about the list, including suggestions of pests or diseases that should be added or removed. In providing comments, individuals should keep in mind that the Farm Bill definition of a pest or disease of concern limits this list to those that are “likely to pose a significant risk to the food and agricultural critical infrastructure sector” and is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all possible pests or diseases. Comments may be submitted to APHISPestDiseaseList@usda.gov.
View related resource: APHIS Programs Authorized by the Farm Bill
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APHIS Updates the Citrus Black Spot (Phyllosticta citricarpa) Quarantine Area in Florida
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Aug 17, 2021
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USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
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Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is adding 37 sections in Charlotte County, 17 sections in Collier County, 45 sections in Glades County, 68 sections in Hendry County, and 28 sections in Lee County, to the citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine area in Florida. We are taking this action because of confirmed detections of P. citricarpa (formerly known as Guignardia citricarpa), the causal agent of CBS, during annual surveys conducted during the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons by APHIS, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry (DPI). Federal Order DA-2012-09 outlines these measures and restrictions and parallels DPI’s state-interior quarantine and intrastate movement requirements.
In 2010, CBS was first identified in the Collier and Hendry Counties of Florida. Symptoms of CBS are most evident on mature fruit, with little to no symptoms on leaves. Fresh citrus fruit moved interstate from the CBS quarantine areas must be processed using APHIS-approved methods and packed in commercial citrus packinghouses operating under a compliance agreement with APHIS. APHIS prohibits the movement of any other citrus plant parts outside the quarantine area. The APHIS website contains a description of all the current CBS quarantine areas, Federal Orders, and APHIS-approved packinghouse procedures.
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APHIS Updates the Golden Nematode (Globodera rostochiensis) Regulated Area in Suffolk and Nassau Counties in New York
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Aug 24, 2021
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USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
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Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is removing 45,562.067 acres from the golden nematode (GN) regulated area in Suffolk County, New York and refining the global positioning system (GPS) points for the descriptions of the regulated area in the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York. APHIS is removing these areas based on survey results and other criteria in the "Canada and United States Guidelines on Surveillance and Phytosanitary Actions for the Potato Cyst Nematodes, Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pallida”.
Since 2010, APHIS, working closely with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYS AGM), has removed 1,186,693.79 acres from the GN-regulated area in New York. APHIS and NYS AGM have an active control and mitigation program in place to prevent GN from spreading from the remaining 101,955.27 acres, including 5,945 GN-infested acres in eight New York counties. The specific GN-regulated areas are on the APHIS website.
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Aquatic eDNAtlas Project
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Aug 18, 2020
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USDA. FS. Rocky Mountain Research Station.
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The Aquatic eDNAtlas Project supports effective conservation and management of freshwater biota during an era of rapid climate change, nonnative species invasions, and habitat loss. Rocky Mountain Research Station scientists have been at the forefront of investigating and applying eDNA sampling for aquatic species.
The eDNAtlas allows land managers, scientists, and the public to access results from samples collected from aquatic systems throughout the U.S. The eDNAtlas database contains results from thousands of sites.
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Arkansas Boaters Reminded to Unplug When Trailering Vessels
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Feb 3, 2021
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Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.
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Anglers and hunters and other boaters who use the state's waterways are being reminded by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Fisheries Division of a new regulation that took effect Jan 1, 2021, requiring all boat drain plugs to be removed before and during trailering of vessels to and from access facilities on lakes, rivers and streams. A similar boat plug regulation was already in place in 21 other states to help stop the spread of aquatic nuisance species, and the new AGFC rule was part of an extensive list of regulations recommended by the Fisheries Division and approved by the Commission in 2020, to take effect beginning Jan. 1. Aquatic nuisance species such as silver carp, giant salvinia, zebra mussels and others continue to spread across waterbodies in Arkansas, and the AGFC has as its mission a responsibility to put mechanisms in place to slow the spread.
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Arkansas Feral Hog Handbook Available Now [PDF, 167 KB]
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Oct 7, 2020
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Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
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The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is pleased to announce the release of the newly created Arkansas Feral Hog Handbook, a guide to resources available in Arkansas to assist with feral hog control and eradication. The handbook includes contact information, websites, and brief explanations of the resources offered by state and federal agencies and other entities. "The Arkansas Feral Hog Handbook was made possible through a grant funded by the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. We appreciate their partnership and the information provided by other Feral Hog Eradication Task Force members to make the handbook a comprehensive educational resource for Arkansans," said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward.
The handbooks are being distributed to the public at locations throughout the state with assistance from partner organizations, including the Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Arkansas Game and Fish, and Arkansas Farm Bureau. Copies of the handbook can be requested at lori.scott-nakai@arkansas.gov. An online version of the Arkansas Feral Hog Handbook (2020) [PDF, 4.48 MB] is also available.
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ARS Assists in Fight Against Kudzu Bug
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May 2012
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USDA. ARS. Agricultural Research Magazine.
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May/Jun 2012 - Vol. 60, No. 5
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ARS Research News - ARS Asian Giant Hornet Specialist Is Part of New Exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History
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Jul 11, 2022
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USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
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Agricultural Research Service research entomologist Matt Buffington is part of a new exhibit "Our Places: Connecting People and Nature" at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Washington DC. The exhibit explores how peoples' experiences with nature inspire them as well as offering visitors a chance to learn about how dedicated scientists and community members work to protect the environment.
Among the objects in "Our Places," is part of the actual Asian giant hornet "Nest Zero," the first place these huge hornets set up housekeeping when they arrived in Washington State from Asia in October 2019. Asian giant hornets are a concern because sometimes they can feed on honey bees, buzzsawing through a colony in minutes, and they deliver extremely painful stings to people, but fortunately only if provoked. To quell their spread, Washington State Department of Agriculture, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), both part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, worked to locate and remove the invasive hornets' nest.
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ARS Research News - ARS Microscopy Research Helps Unravel the Workings of a Major Honey Bee Pest
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Jan 29, 2019
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USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
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Research by scientists at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the University of Maryland released today sheds new light -- and reverses decades of scientific dogma -- regarding a honey bee pest (Varroa destructor) that is considered the greatest single driver of the global honey bee colony losses. Managed honey bee colonies add at least $15 billion to the value of U.S. agriculture each year through increased yields and superior quality harvests. The microscopy images are part of a major study showing that the Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) feeds on the honey bee’s fat body tissue (an organ similar to the human liver) rather than on its “blood,” (or hemolymph). This discovery holds broad implications for controlling the pest in honey bee colonies.
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ARS Research News - ARS Scientists Discover a Promising Biological Control Agent for Tree-of-Heaven in France
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Dec 1, 2021
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USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
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United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and collaborators confirmed the presence of a newly described Eriophyid mite, a potential biological control agent for the invasive tree-of-heaven, in France. The study, published in Phytoparasitica, showed that this was the first record of the mite species in the country, and the species could be a solution for managing tree-of-heaven infestations in Europe and the United States.
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ARS Research News - ARS-Developed Varroa-Resistant Honey Bees Better Winter Survivors
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Apr 7, 2022
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USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
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Pol-line honey bees, a type of Varroa mite resistant honey bee developed by the Agricultural Research Service, are more than twice as likely to survive through the winter than standard honey bees, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. Although ARS developed Pol-line bees in 2014, this study was the first time that they were tested head-to-head alongside standard honey bee stock in commercial apiaries providing pollination services and producing honey. Colonies' ability to survive winter without being treated to control Varroa mites was followed in four states: Mississippi, California, and North and South Dakota.
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ARS Research News - Commercially Available Cell Line Rapidly Detects African Swine Fever Virus
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July 28, 2020
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USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
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Scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have identified a new way to detect the presence of live African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) that minimizes the need for samples from live animals and provides easier access to veterinary labs that need to diagnose the virus. "We have identified a cell-line that can be used to isolate and detect the presence of the live virus," said ARS Scientist Dr. Douglas Gladue. "This is a critical breakthrough and a tremendous step for African Swine Fever Virus diagnostics."
This research, which is highlighted in this month's issue of Viruses, was funded through an interagency agreement with the Science and Technology Directorate of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A provisional patent application for this research was filed in April 2020 and the technology is now available for license. ARS scientists at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in Plum Island, N.Y. will continue to perform research and work towards finding tools to control the spread of ASFV in the nation.
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ARS Research News - New Discovery Speeds Scientists’ Push for HLB-Tolerant Citrus
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Feb 28, 2024
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USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
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A genetic discovery by ARS and University of Florida scientists could speed the search for hybrid citrus trees that tolerate citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing) and produce orange-like fruit ideal for making juice.
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ARS Research News - Research Reveals a New Direction for Halting the Citrus Greening Epidemic
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Mar 2018
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USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
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New clues to how the bacteria associated with citrus greening infect the only insect that carries them could lead to a way to block the microbes' spread from tree to tree, according to a study in Infection and Immunity by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) scientists.
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ARS Research News - Sharing is Caring with Fire Ant Venom
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Dec 7, 2022
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USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
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Venom is associated with being harmful, but red imported fire ants are using their venom for its medicinal benefits by sharing the toxic substance with their nestmates, according to a study published in the Journal of Insect Physiology. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists from the agency's Biological Control of Pests Research Unit and Southern Insect Management Research Unit in Stoneville, Mississippi, discovered a new way that fire ants use their venom to prevent diseases in their colonies.
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