On May 24, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced the release of 2012 funding totaling almost $50 million for a range of plant pest and disease projects including pest threat identification, mitigation, survey, management, and technology development. ANLA has been deeply involved in the process of reviewing and recommending projects for funding under this section of the 2007 Farm Bill, known as “Section 10201.” Many of the 321 projects selected for funding are of direct impact to the nursery and greenhouse industry, including the following:
- $554,000 for a multi-site project addressing Boxwood Blight (see story below);
- Funding of almost $740,000 for the National Ornamentals Research Site at Dominican University of California (NORSDUC), where an array of research projects on Phytophthora ramorum are underway;
- Several projects on harmonization of certification requirements for high-value crops including grapes, tree fruit, and berries;
- Several projects exploring alternative “systems” approaches to nursery certification.
For a full list of funded projects, visit
www.ANLA.org. Questions? Contact Joe Bischoff at jbischoff@anla.org or Craig Regelbrugge at cregelbrugge@anla.org.