Factsheet

Plant Protection and Quarantine July 2003

APHIS

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

disease outbreaks worldwide, and develops eradication plans in the event that any of these pests or 

diseases enter the United States. 

Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey

In addition to its active surveillance efforts, PPQ

also oversees and manages the national Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS), a cooperative project that combines the skills and resources of

PPQ with those of State agricultural organizations

and universities. CAPS incorporates survey data

acquired from States on the detections and movements of damaging foreign organisms exotic plant

pests, diseases, and weeds throughout the United

States. This data is a critical tool in determining the

extent and nature of an infestation. 

The CAPS program has also been instrumental

in surveying for damaging organisms, including certain woodboring beetles, that do not exist in the

United States but have been intercepted at U.S.

ports of entry. This proactive work helps ensure that

if these organisms are found, they are detected

quickly before they can become established here.

Early detection not only saves millions of dollars in

control and eradication costs, but protects U.S. natural resources and prevents the economic disruption

of agricultural industries.

Each year, PPQ develops a list of potential survey targets and issues a call for survey proposals

from each State. This allows the States to understand PPQ’s priorities for the upcoming year and to

complement State surveillance and detection needs.

PPQ then works with national, regional, and State

committees to determine what survey data will be

collected and how it will be managed. 

In addition, CAPS tracks more than 4,000 pests

and diseases nationwide. All data collected is stored

in the National Agricultural Pest Information System

(NAPIS). 

In an increasingly global economy involving

greater international trade than ever before, pests

and diseases affecting agricultural and natural areas

can have a significant impact on the marketability of

U.S. agricultural commodities throughout the world.

CAPS detailed distribution maps help assure U.S.

trading partners that specific counties and States are

free of plant pests and diseases that may be of concern, preserving critical markets for U.S. products.

The Significance of

Surveillance to

Safeguarding

America’s

Agricultural Plant

Health

Some exotic plant pests and diseases leave immediate evidence of their presence. Others, however, can

go undetected for months or even years in the

absence of proper surveillance. Without early 

detection, insidious plant pests, diseases, and weeds

can become established in the United States and

permanently damage agricultural and natural

resources and cost millions in control and eradication

costs and lost markets. 

As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s

(USDA) efforts to safeguard America’s agricultural

health, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service’s (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine

(PPQ) program is always looking for signs and

symptoms of foreign and emerging plant pests, 

diseases, and weeds. Working cooperatively with

State and university partners, PPQ conducts nationwide surveillance for exotic pests, diseases, and

weeds. This constant surveillance helps to ensure

rapid detection of devastating organisms before they

have the opportunity to become established and

cause large scale agricultural and environmental

damage.

Current Plant Health Surveillance

Programs

PPQ conducts active surveillance for a variety of

specific plant pests and diseases, including plum

pox, Asian longhorned beetle, emerald ash borer,

Karnal bunt, sudden oak death, citrus canker, potato

mop top virus, citrus longhorned beetle, Ralstonia

solanacearum race 3 biovar 2, along with many other

pests and noxious weeds.

PPQ also evaluates emerging plant issues in the

global arena, monitors current plant pest and 
Education

As stated earlier, PPQ does not conduct plant health

surveillance alone. This work is done in cooperation

with State departments of agriculture, regulatory

agencies, universities, and other USDA agencies. 

Another large component of PPQ’s plant health

surveillance program is cooperative outreach and

education to a variety of audiences, including farmers, producers, brokers and shippers, and the general public. PPQ works regularly with industry associations and groups to help educate their members on

the signs and symptoms of these pests and diseases. By providing these groups with the latests

surveillance data and detailed informational tools on

potential plant health threats, PPQ greatly increases

its ability to detect pests and diseases not yet found

in the United States and safeguard our future plant

health resources.

Additional Information

For more information contact:

USDAAPHIS

Plant Protection and Quarantine 

4700 River Road, Unit 134 

Riverdale, MD 20737

Phone: (301) 7344387 

or visit the APHIS Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color,

national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual

orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases

apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille,

large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET

Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office

of Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call

(202) 720–5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity

provider and employer.

Emergency Response

When PPQ confirms the presence of a foreign

plant pest or disease in the United States, immediate

action is taken to contain and eradicate the organism

as quickly as possible. Depending upon the organism, PPQ may dispatch a Rapid Response Team to

the location of the outbreak to quickly implement

whatever eradication measures may be necessary.

This includes control techniques like establishing

quarantines, removal of affected plans, tracebacks

and traceforwards of the movement of any potentially

infected products, surveys, and work with local producers. Depending on the pest or disease, eradication programs can last anywhere from a few weeks to

years.

In the event of an agri-terror attack on our homeland, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

and APHIS would work as partners to safeguard

Americas food and agricultural resources. DHS

would lead the team of first responders to contain

and manage the threat, while APHIS would provide

crucial scientific and diagnostic expertise. This

expertise would be critical in managing a potential

plant pest outbreak as well as assisting DHS in its

investigative and intelligence-gathering efforts to find

those responsible for the terrorist attack. Today’s

world presents new threats to U.S. agriculture, and

this partnership creates a stronger line of defense to

protect our Nation’s agricultural resources.