Official Pest Report

Official Pest Reports are provided by National Plant Protection Organizations within the NAPPO region. These Pest Reports are intended to comply with the International Plant Protection Convention's Standard on Pest Reporting, endorsed by the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures in March 2002.

Tilletia indica (Karnal Bunt): APHIS Amends Regulated Areas in Maricopa County in Arizona

Country: United States

Title:

Tilletia indica (Karnal Bunt): APHIS Amends Regulated Areas in Maricopa County in Arizona

Contact:
Lynn Evans-Goldner, National Policy Manager, at (301) 851-2286.

Report:

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending the Karnal bunt regulated areas in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Following a Spring 2023 survey of Karnal bunt regulated areas in Arizona, APHIS is reducing the regulated area in Maricopa County.

Specifically, APHIS is removing two fields from the list of regulated areas because these fields have been permanently removed from crop production and meet the criteria for deregulation listed in 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 301.89-3(e)(1). Release of these two fields from quarantine, including all fields regulated by proximity, will result in the deregulation of 7,593 field acres. In addition, APHIS is removing another field from the list of regulated areas because the field meets the five-year cumulative tillage requirement and the criteria for deregulation listed in 7 CFR § 301.89-3(e)(2). Release of this field from quarantine, including all fields regulated by proximity, will result in the deregulation of 3,876 field acres. None of these combined 11,469 field acres is on Tribal land.

Accordingly, there are no more restrictions on the interstate movement of Karnal bunt regulated articles from these areas; however, other portions of Maricopa and Pinal Counties remain regulated.

APHIS is taking these regulatory actions to prevent the spread of Karnal bunt from Arizona. Karnal bunt is a pest that affects wheat quality. APHIS regulates this plant disease because many trading partners require that U.S. wheat be certified as grown in areas free of Karnal bunt. APHIS will follow this action by publishing a Notice in the Federal Register.

More information on Karnal bunt is available at the following website: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/kb

Under IPPC standards, Tilletia indica is considered to be a pest that is present in portions of Arizona, not widely distributed and under official control in the United States.

Posted Date: April 27, 2023, 11:44 a.m.