United States Department of Agriculture 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

Plant Protection and Quarantine

 

 

Importation of oversized Dracaena spp. plants 

from Costa Rica into the continental United 

States 

7 CFR 319.37 

Risk Management Document

December 16, 2010 

Revised June 10, 2011, June 13, 2011, August 3, 2011 and 

August 25, 2011 
1 

Introduction 

The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 7 CFR 319.37, currently allows the importation of 

Dracaena spp. plants from Costa Rica into the United States. However, Dracaena spp. plants 

regulated in 7 CFR 319.37-2(b)(6)(i) cannot exceed “...460 millimeters (approximately 18 

inches) in length from soil line (top of rooting zone for plants produced by air layering) to the 

farthest terminal growing point...” (CFR, 2010). The National Plant Protection Organization 

(NPPO) of Costa Rica, the National Phytosanitary Service of the Ministry of Agriculture and 

Husbandry (MAG-SFE), has requested the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

to increase the size restriction to 1.37 m (54 inches). 

In response to the request by Costa Rica to change 7 CFR 319.37-2(b)(6)(i), APHIS has 

conducted a pest risk assessment (PRA), entitled “Importation of oversized Dracaena spp. as 

ornamental plants from Costa Rica into the continental United States” (USDA, 2010). In the 

PRA, 15 quarantine pests were identified that may follow the pathway on Dracaena plants from 

Costa Rica. These include ten arthropods and five mollusks, as listed in Table 1. 

Table 1. Quarantine pests that may follow the pathway on Dracaena plants from Costa Rica 

Type Taxonomy Organism 

Arthropods Coleoptera: Scolytidae Xylosandrus morigerus (Blandford)

Hemiptera: Cicadellidae Caldwelliola reservata (Fowler)

Oncometopia clarior (Walker)

Hemiptera: Coccidae Coccus viridis (Green)

Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae Planococcus minor (Maskell)

Pseudococcus landoi (Balachowsky)

Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae Ancistrocercus circumdatus (Walker)

Erioloides consobrinus (Saussure and Pictet)

Neoconocephalus affinis (Beauvois)

Thysanoptera: Thripidae Chaetanaphothrips signipennis (Bagnall)

Mollusks Soleolifera: Veronicellidae Diplosolenodes occidentalis (Guilding) 

Sarasinula plebeia (Fisher)

Stylommatophora: Helicarionidae Ovachlamys fulgens (Gude)

Pallifera costaricensis (Mörch)

Succinea costaricana (Von Martens)

Source: USDA (2010). 

Ancistrocercus circumdatus, Chaetanaphothrips signipennis, Erioloides consobrinus,

Neoconocephalus affinis and Pallifera costaricensis were assigned a Medium pest risk potential 

and the remaining pests were assigned a High pest risk potential. Specific phytosanitary 

measures may be necessary for pests with Medium pest risk potentials, and are strongly 

recommended for pests with High pest risk potentials (USDA, 2000). 
2 

The PRA demonstrated high pest interception rates on currently enterable Dracaena plants 

imported from Costa Rica. Since 1984, over 11,000 pests have been intercepted on Dracaena

from Costa Rica. Several efforts have been initiated in the past years to reduce the high 

interception rates on commercial consignments of Dracaena spp. from Costa Rica. This has 

culminated in the development of a bi-lateral operational workplan between MAG-SFE and 

APHIS (MAG-SFE and APHIS, 2010). Under the requirements of the workplan, all Dracaena

imported from Costa Rica into the continental United States must be produced, packed and 

exported under an integrated measures approach, with the intent of reducing pest interception 

rates1

. 

APHIS is subsequently proposing to amend 7 CFR 319.37-2(b)(6)(i) by requiring that all 

Dracaena from Costa Rica regulated in this paragraph may be imported into the continental 

United States only, and that all plants must comply with the written agreement signed by MAGSFE and APHIS. APHIS is also proposing to increase the size restriction to 54 inches for 

Dracaena plants imported from Costa Rica into the continental United States. 

In this document, proposed risk management measures are described for the quarantine pests that 

may follow the pathway on Dracaena from Costa Rica. 

Risk management measures 

1. Size: Dracaena plants may not exceed 1,371.6 millimeters (54 inches) in length from the 

soil line (or the top of the rooting zone for plants produced by air layering) to the farthest 

terminal growing point. 

2. Operational Workplan: The plants must be grown in compliance with a written 

agreement signed by MAG-SFE and APHIS, henceforth referred to as the bi-lateral operational 

“workplan”. The workplan establishes requirements including: participant approval and 

registration; facility inspection, approval and registration; training; pest management plans and 

practices; traceability; sanitation; inspections; removal of infested plant material; recordkeeping; 

a Phytosanitary Certificate and Additional Declaration; monitoring and oversight by MAG-SFE 

and APHIS; and non-compliance and corrective actions. 

3. Participant Registration: Producers, packers and exporters must be approved and 

registered by MAG-SFE as participants in the program to export Dracaena spp. to the United 

States. Dracaena plants must be grown, packed, stored and exported in compliance with a 

written agreement between the participant and MAG-SFE, and the participant must agree to 

comply with the provisions of the CFR and the workplan. 

4. Facility Registration: Production, packing and export facilities must be inspected, 

approved and registered by MAG-SFE for inclusion in the program. Registered packing facilities 

processing Dracaena plants for export to the United States may only accept plants from 

registered production facilities where plants are grown in compliance with the workplan. This 

must be verifiable by appropriate records and documentation. 
3 

5. List of Participants and Facilities: MAG-SFE must maintain a list of approved 

participants and their approved facilities. MAG-SFE must provide this list to APHIS annually 

and when changes occur. 

6. Training: Participants and personnel at approved production, packing and export 

facilities must be trained in the requirements of the workplan and in recognizing the target pests 

outlined in the workplan. Training records must be maintained and made available to MAG-SFE 

and APHIS on request. 

7. Pest Management Program: Participants must establish a pest management plan for all 

approved production, packing and export facilities in the program. Pest management plans must 

include field or facility scouting, monitoring and control for target pests, and must be approved 

and audited by MAG-SFE and APHIS. Each approved facility must have a trained, dedicated 

person to supervise the pest management program. Records of pest management activities must 

be maintained and made available to MAG-SFE and APHIS on request. 

8. Traceability: Participants must establish a traceability system approved and audited by 

MAG-SFE and APHIS, as outlined in the workplan. The identity and origin of the Dracaena

plants must be maintained from the production unit, through the packing and export facilities, to 

the port-of-entry in the United States for traceability back through the export and packing 

facilities to the production unit. Dracaena plants transported between production and packing 

facilities, processed at packing facilities, and exported to the United States must be appropriately 

separated and identified throughout the process. 

9. Sanitation: Sanitation measures must be maintained at approved production, packing and 

export facilities, as outlined in the workplan. Fallen or discarded plant material and debris, or 

plants with pests must be removed, and must not be included in field containers brought from 

production to packing facilities for export. Packing facilities must be free of sand, soil, earth, and 

plant pests, and phytosanitary practices adequate to exclude plant pests must be employed. 

Sanitation of equipment, materials and tools must be maintained to avoid spreading pests or to 

prevent re-contamination. 

10. Good Agricultural Practices: Participants must employ the “Good Agricultural 

Practices” program2

 established by MAG-SFE at approved production, packing and export 

facilities, as outlined in the workplan. At production facilities, growing practices aimed at 

limiting initial infestations and/or reducing pest populations must be employed. 

11. Inspections: Approved production, packing and export facilities must be inspected by 

dedicated trained personnel at the approved facilities, at least once weekly, and by MAG-SFE at 

least once monthly. Inspection dates and results must be recorded and must be available on 

request. 

12. Removal of infested plant material: Packing facilities must reject infested plant 

material and MAG-SFE must suspend infested production units from exporting Dracaena to the 

United States. Only production units and packing facilities that are determined to be free of 

quarantine pests upon inspection may continue the packing process for export, and this must be 
4 

verified by appropriate records and documentation. If pests or signs of pests are found, exports 

from those sites must be suspended until a phytosanitary corrective action is implemented and 

inspection shows that the infestation has been eradicated. The actions must be appropriately 

documented and the participant must receive approval from MAG-SFE to re-initiate the 

operation. 

13. Recordkeeping: Participants must maintain records of the actions related to the program, 

the corrective measures taken on detected irregularities, and the records must be available on 

request. Records must be maintained for a minimum of three years. 

14. General Requirements: Participants must comply with all other applicable requirements 

in 7 CFR 319.37, including approved packing material (319.37-9) and marking and identity 

(319.37-10). Packing material must be free of sand, soil, earth and plant pests and must not have 

been used previously. 

15. Phytosanitary Certificate and Additional Declaration: Each consignment of Dracaena

plants must be inspected by MAG-SFE before export. For each consignment, MAG-SFE must 

issue a Phytosanitary Certificate with an Additional Declaration stating that: 

“The plants in this consignment have been produced, packed, stored and exported in 

accordance with the requirements of 7 CFR 319.37 and the bi-lateral operational 

workplan between Costa Rica and the United States. The plants in the consignment are 

from approved production, packing and export facilities and were inspected and found 

free of quarantine pests.” 

Shipping documents accompanying consignments of Dracaena spp. plants from Costa Rica to 

the United States must include the official registration number of the place of production at 

which the Dracaena spp. plants were grown, and must identify the packing facility in which the 

plants were processed. This identification must be maintained until the plants are released for 

entry into the United States. 

16. Non-Compliance and Corrective Actions: MAG-SFE must take corrective action in the 

case of non-compliance with procedures established in the workplan. Corrective actions may 

include remedial actions, temporary suspension of participants until an investigation is conducted 

and/or non-compliance is addressed, or permanent suspension of participants with repetitive 

minor non-compliances or with serious non-compliances. This includes temporary or permanent 

suspension of participants with interceptions at the port-of-entry in the United States. MAG-SFE 

must inform APHIS of suspended participants. 

17. Oversight by MAG-SFE: MAG-SFE must inspect, approve and register all production, 

packing and export facilities included in the program, ensure that participants follow the 

guidelines, and monitor the program activities as outlined in the work plan. 

18. Oversight by APHIS: APHIS may monitor and audit the program, as agreed by MAGSFE and APHIS. 
5 

19. Port-of-entry Inspection: Dracaena plants are subject to standard port-of-entry 

inspection upon arrival in the United States. 

Discussion of risk management measures 

The requirements outlined above comprise a “systems approach” with a combination of 

measures aimed at reducing pest risk. The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) 

defines a “systems approach” as “The integration of different risk management measures, at least 

two of which act independently, and which cumulatively achieve the appropriate level of 

protection against regulated pests” (IPPC, 2010). Similarly, the Plant Protection Act of 2000 

(SEC. 401. 7 U.S.C. 7701) defines a “systems approach” as “...a defined set of phytosanitary 

procedures, at least two of which have an independent effect in mitigating pest risk associated 

with the movement of commodities.” 

Systems approaches are employed by an importing country to achieve an appropriate level of 

phytosanitary protection as an alternative to the use of single measures when a single measure 

does not exist, or is not feasible or desirable. The combinations of measures comprising systems 

approaches provide overlapping or sequential safeguards rather than depending on single risk 

management methods, such as fumigation or inspection alone (Jang and Moffitt, 1994; USDA, 

2010). The key categories of risk management measures included in the systems approach 

proposed for oversized Dracaena from Costa Rica are described below. 

Risk management measures at the production and packing facilities 

Measures at production facilities. The systems approach above includes various measures at 

production sites aimed at managing the pests in Table 1, and which must be approved and 

audited by MAG-SFE and APHIS. These include Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)2

, 

sanitation, regular field inspections, removal of infested plant material, traceability and a pest 

management plan which includes pest monitoring and control. Table 2 summarizes the relation 

of these measures to the quarantine pests listed in Table 1. 

Measures at packing facilities. Participants at packinghouses are required to follow handling 

practices outlined in the GAP proposed by MAG-SFE (MAG-SFE and APHIS, 2010). These 

practices aim to prevent or minimize pest infestations, and include details such as infrastructure 

and equipment, distribution of processing areas, sanitation, inspections and traceability. 

Participants are also required to establish pest management plans, which include monitoring and 

control for target pests. Registered packing facilities processing Dracaena plants for export to 

the United States may only accept plants from registered production facilities where plants are 

grown in compliance with the workplan. Packing facilities must reject infested plant material, 

and only production units that are determined to be free of quarantine pests may continue the 

packing process for export. These measures are aimed at managing risks of all quarantine pests 

listed in Table 1. 

Inspection, oversight and administrative measures 
6 

Improper production and handling practices are often the primary means by which pests are 

introduced and spread in the place of production (Jones and Benson, 2001). The phytosanitary 

inspections, oversight, written agreements and administrative measures included in the 

requirements above, therefore provide additional phytosanitary quality control and rigor, and 

reduce the possibilities of improper practices being employed. Phytosanitary inspections are 

widely recognized as an important part of a pest management program (Kahn and Mathur, 1999). 

Inspection, oversight and administrative requirements are aimed at managing the risks of all 

quarantine pests listed in Table 1, and the proposed measures include various requirements in 

this regard. E.g.: 

 A written agreement between APHIS and MAG-SFE, i.e. the “workplan”. 

 Written agreements between MAG-SFE and the program participants. 

 Approval and registration of producers, packers and exporters as program participants; and 

inspection, approval and registration of facilities included in the program. MAG-SFE is 

responsible for the approval and registration process, must maintain a list of approved 

participants and their approved facilities, and must provide this list to APHIS annually and 

when changes occur. 

 Training of participants and personnel at approved production, packing and export facilities. 

 Documentation and record-keeping. Participants must maintain records of the actions related 

to the program, the corrective measures taken on detected irregularities, and the records must 

be available on request. Records must be maintained for a minimum of three years. 

 Inspections of approved production, packing and export facilities must be conducted by 

dedicated, trained personnel at least once weekly and by MAG-SFE at least once monthly. 

Only production units and packing facilities that are determined to be free of quarantine pests 

upon inspection may continue the packing process for export, as verified by records and 

documentation. If pests or signs of pests are found, exports from those sites must be 

suspended until a phytosanitary corrective action is implemented and inspection shows that 

the infestation has been eradicated. The actions must be appropriately documented and the 

participant must receive approval from MAG-SFE to re-initiate the operation. 

 MAG-SFE must inspect each consignment of Dracaena plants before export and must issue a 

Phytosanitary Certificate and Additional Declaration. 

 Participants must establish a traceability system approved and audited by MAG-SFE and 

APHIS. The identity and origin of Dracaena plants must be maintained from the production 

unit, through the packing and export facilities, to the port-of-entry in the United States for 

traceability back through the export and packing facilities to the production unit. 

 MAG-SFE must inspect, approve and register all production, packing and export facilities 

included in the program, ensure that participants follow the guidelines, and monitor the 
7 

program activities outlined in the workplan. MAG-SFE must take corrective action in the case 

of con-compliance with procedures established in the workplan. 

 APHIS may monitor and audit the program, as agreed by MAG-SFE and APHIS. 

 Dracaena plants are subject to standard port-of-entry inspection upon arrival in the United 

States. 

Notes 

1. Dracaena plants are also regulated in 7 CFR 319.37-2(b)(4). These plants include single-stem 

canes without leaves, roots, sprouts, and branches, not to exceed 1.83 m (6 feet) in length. No 

change in size was requested for the single-stem canes. MAG-SFE has also requested APHIS to 

exempt the single-stem canes from the bi-lateral operational workplan, because the single-stem 

canes have not been associated with the high levels of pest interceptions that have been recorded 

for the plants regulated in 7 CFR 319.37-2(b)(6)(i). 

APHIS has considered this request and the interception data presented in the PRA (PestID, 2010; 

USDA, 2010). The PRA indicated that over 11,000 pests have been intercepted on Dracaena

from Costa Rica since 1984. However, 84 percent of the pests were intercepted from the leaves 

of the Dracaena plants, indicating the leaves of the plants as the major pathway for the 

intercepted pests. All single-stem canes regulated in 7 CFR 319.37-2(b)(4) must be without 

leaves, roots, sprouts and branches. Since the plants must be without leaves, the major pathway 

for these pests has been removed from the commodity being imported. 

Given that the single-stem canes are without leaves, and have been associated with low 

interception rates over several years (M. Gonzaléz, APHIS-IS, Costa Rica, personal 

communication; MAG-SFE, personal communication), they will therefore not be included in the 

proposed rule changes for 7 CFR 319.37-2(b)(6)(i). In this Risk Management Document, 

“Dracaena plants” therefore refer to those plants regulated in 7 CFR 319.37-2(b)(6)(i) only. 

If in future, pests are intercepted at higher rates from the single-stem canes regulated in 7 CFR 

319.37-2(b)(4), or APHIS finds additional evidence of the presence of quarantine pests in Costa 

Rica and their association with Dracaena spp., the risk associated with the single-stem canes will 

be re-evaluated. 

2. In the bi-lateral operational workplan signed between Costa Rica and the United States for the 

importation of currently enterable Dracaena, Costa Rica proposed a “Good Agricultural 

Practices” plan (GAP) for the production and processing of Dracaena plants (MAG-SFE and 

APHIS, 2010). This includes various cultural and handling practices at production and packing 

facilities, e.g. practices which improve plant health and vigor; render plants less susceptible to 

pests; assist in preventing the introduction of pests; remove or manage conditions that favor 

increases in pest population levels; and assist in maintaining traceability. At production sites, 

GAP may include practices such as tillage, drainage, pruning, fertilization, watering and others. 

E.g., plants with high foliar nitrogen levels and drought-stressed plants are known to favor high 

pest populations. Improper production practices are often the primary means by which pests are 
8 

introduced and spread in the place of production (Pirone, 1978; Bodman et al., 1996; Kahn and 

Mathur, 1999; Dreistadt and Phillips, 2001; Jones and Benson, 2001). 

References 

Bodman, K.; Carson, C.; Forsberg, L.; Gough, N.; Hughes, I.; Parker, R.; Ramsey, M. and 

M. Waterhouse. 1996. Ornamental Plants. Dept. Primary Industries, Info. Series QI 96001, 

Australia. 

Capinera, J. L. 2001. Handbook of Vegetable Pests. Academic Press, San Diego. 729 pp. 

Cibrián Tovar, D., J. T. Méndez Montiel, R. Campos Bolaños, H. O. Yates III, and J. E. Flores 

Lara. 1995. Forest Insects of Mexico. Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Mexico. 

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). 2010. 7 CFR 319.37. Subpart—Nursery Stock, Plants, 

Roots, Bulbs, Seeds, and Other Plant Products. http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/textidx?c=ecfr;sid=2a8df74fb1ab07b074e0b6123ae31608;rgn=div5;view=text;node=7%3A5.1.1.1.6

;idno=7;cc=ecfr#7:5.1.1.1.6.8 [accessed December 2010]. 

Coto, T. D., and J. L. Saunders. 1987. Biologia y Conportamiento de las Babosas en el 

Laboratorio y su Medio Ambiente. [Biology and behavior of snails in the laboratory and their 

environment]. CEIBA 28(2):179-192. 

Drees, B. M., and J. A. Jackman. 1999. Field guide to Texas insects. Gulf Publishing Company, 

Houston,Texas. 

Drees, B. M., J. A. Jackman, and M. E. Merchant. 1994. Wood-boring insects of trees and 

shrubs. Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. 

http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/b-5086.html

Dreistadt, S. H. 1994. Pests of landscape trees and shrubs: an integrated pest management guide. 

University of California, Davis, California. 

Dreistadt, S. H., and P. A. Phillips. 2001. Thrips (Pest Notes No. 7429). University of California, 

Davis, California. 

International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). 2010. International Standards for 

Phytosanitary Measures. ISPM No. 5. Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms. 

https://www.ippc.int/servlet/BinaryDownloaderServlet/184195_ISPM05_2007_E.doc?filename=

1180102644600_ISPM_05_2007.doc&refID=184195 [accessed December 2010]. 

Jang, E. B. and H. R. Moffitt. 1994. Systems approaches to achieving quarantine security. In: J. 

L. Sharp and G. J. Hallman (eds.). 1994. Quarantine treatments for pests of food plants. 

Westview Press, Boulder. 
9 

Jones, R. K. and D. M. Benson. 2001. Diseases of Woody Ornamentals and Trees in Nurseries. 

APS Press, St. Paul. 

Kahn, R. P. and S. B. Mathur. 1999. Containment Facilities and Safeguards. APS Press, St. Paul. 

Lenis, F. E. 2006. Clean Stock Program, Farm Visit Report. Costa Rica, April 17-21, 2006. 

MAG-SFE and APHIS. 2010. Work Plan for the Costa Rican Clean Stock Certification Program. 

National Phytosanitary Service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Husbandry (MAG-SFE), 

Costa Rica, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), United States. June 7, 

2010. 50 pp. 

Oliver, J. B., and C. M. Mannion. 2001. Ambrosia beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) species 

attacking chestnut and captured in ethanol-baited traps in middle Tennessee. Environmental 

Entomology 30(5): 909-918. 

Pirone, P. P. 1978. Diseases and Pests of Ornamental Plants, 5th ed. John Wiley and Sons, New 

York. 

Plant Protection Act. 2000. SEC. 401. 7 U.S.C. 7701. 

Rosen, D. 1990. Armored Scale Insects: Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control. Volume 

4B. Elsevier, Amsterdam. 688 pp. 

Symondson, W. 1996. Slug Control. Cardiff University. Cardiff, United Kingdom. 

http://www.cf.ac.uk/biosi/research/biodiversity/staff/wocs2.html

Tenbrick, V. L., and A. H. Hara. 1994. Xylosandrus compactus (Eichoff). In Crop Knowledge 

Master. University of Hawaii. Manoa, Hawaii. 

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 2000. Guidelines for pathway-initiated pest 

risk assessments. Version 5.02. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Riverdale, 

Maryland. 

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 2010. Importation of oversized Dracaena spp. 

as ornamental plants from Costa Rica into the continental United States. Pest Risk Assessment, 

Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory, Center for Plant Health Science and 

Technology, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of 

Agriculture. 
Table 2. Discussion of pest risk management measures for Costa Rica Dracaena at production sites Pest Risk Management 

Measures 

Comments 

Ambrosia Beetles: Xylosandrus morigerus

* Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) * Sanitation * Field inspections * Removal of infested plant material * Traceability * Pest management plan, including monitoring and control 

Ambrosia beetles are difficult to control, and measures should be taken to prevent initinfestation. Measures improving plant health and removing conditions that favor attacwood-boring insects should be employed. This may include fertilization, watering, prtreatment of plant wounds, removing dead or dying plant parts and plant debris, and controlling pests and pathogens that attack the plant. A pest management plan should include trapping, monitoring, field inspections for siginfestation, and pest control as appropriate. Visible symptoms of infestation may incluwilted leaves, compressed columns of masticated wood and frass projecting outwards 

the entrance hole. Plants infested with X. morigerus should be removed. 

Timing of insecticide applications to control ambrosia beetles is critical and must be determined experimentally for the region and species of concern. Chlorpyrifos is used control ambrosia beetles in the United States. 

Scales and Mealybugs: Coccus viridis Planococcus minor Pseudococcus landoi

* GAP * Sanitation * Field inspections * Removal of infested plant material * Traceability * Pest management plan, including monitoring and control. 

Measures should be taken to improve plant vigor and to prevent initial infestation. Thmay include cultural methods, such as regular watering and fertilization. Ants should controlled because some may tend scales and favor high pest populations. Although hpressure water sprays can be used to physically remove mealybugs from infested planmaterial, these are ineffective against most other scale insects. A pest management plan should include trapping, monitoring, field inspections for siginfestation, and pest control as appropriate. Direct observation, pheromone traps and adhesive traps have been used to monitor scale insect populations. Direct observation crawler emergence is used to time subsequent control efforts. If scales are localized to portion of the plant, the infested area should be removed and destroyed. Insecticidal soaps and narrow-range oils are effective against scale eggs and crawlersAugmentive releases of commercially available natural enemies may reduce pest populations. Narrow spectrum or systemic insecticides may be needed if other methodnot effective. 
Thrips: Chaetanaphothrips signipennis

* GAP * Sanitation * Field inspections * Removal of infested plant material * Traceability * Pest management plan, including monitoring and control. 

Measures improving plant health and removing conditions that favor increases in thrips 

populations should be employed. This may include the use of fertilizers that release nitroslowly, regular watering and selective pruning. Plants with high foliar nitrogen levels and drought-stressed plants favor high thrips populations. Cultural methods such as weed conand the use of reflective mulch are also encouraged. A pest management plan should include trapping, monitoring, field inspections for signs infestation, and pest control as appropriate. Thrips are small, so monitoring requires a hanlens. Plant material showing signs of thrips should be carefully examined, e.g. any plant pthat is stippled, flecked with pale dots or distorted. In addition to inspecting for damage, thrips can be sampled by beating foliage and branches. Adult populations can be monitorusing yellow or blue sticky traps, and the color depends on the species of interest. Infesteand damaged plant parts should be removed and destroyed. Methods to control or reduce thrips populations may include insecticidal soaps and narrorange oils, augmentive releases of predaceous mites and systemic insecticides. 

Cicadellidae and Tettigoniidae: Caldwelliola reservataOncometopia clarior Ancistrocercus circumdatus Erioloides consobrinusNeoconocephalus affinis

* GAP * Sanitation * Field inspections * Removal of infested plant material * Traceability * Pest management plan, including monitoring and control 

Land management is an important element of an orthopteran pest management program. Large patches of weedy vegetation that include annual and perennial grasses favor orthopteran survival, and should be eliminated. Tillage is an effective method to remove weeds because it destroys the eggs of some pest species. However, tillage does not removeggs from the edges of fields, irrigation ditches, and roadways, which are favorite ovipossites for some Orthoptera. Physical barriers such as netting have been used, but Orthoptecan chew through nets that are not constructed from metal screens. Trenches with steep sand vertical metal barriers topped with deflectors can prevent crickets from invading cropManagement strategies are poorly defined for many Orthoptera. An integrated pest management plan, including monitoring and control, is therefore recommended. Orthoptepest populations can be detected by visual inspection of the commodity and nearby weedareas. Collected specimens should be identified because many Orthoptera occurring in anaround commodities are not pests. Biological control has been used in addition to chemiccontrol. Plant material must be carefully examined prior to its introduction into growing packing areas, and infested plant material must be removed and destroyed.
Snails and Slugs: Diplosolenodes occidentalis Sarasinula plebeia Ovachlamys fulgens Pallifera costaricensis Succinea costaricana

* GAP * Sanitation * Field inspections * Traceability * Pest management plan, including monitoring and control 

Practices that reduce the favorability of the cultivated environment for snail and slug colonization or that reduce snail and slug populations should be employed. This includes regular tilling of soil, ensuring that soil is properly drained, controlling weeds, removing debris, the use of barriers, and collecting snails and slugs by hand. Snails and slugs are attracted to heavy wet soils, especially for oviposition. Regular tillinand proper drainage render soils less attractive to snail and slug populations. Tilling may kill dormant snails and slugs and expose them and their eggs to natural predators. Weeds crop debris act as refugia for snails and slugs, and they should be removed from the plantation. Physical barriers of ash, copper, diatomaceous earth, egg shells, and sand may keep snails and slugs away from valuable plants. Collecting snails and slugs at night by hand killing them with salt or in boiling water can successfully reduce their populations. 

Chemicals alone rarely provide crops with adequate protection against snail and slug pespest management plan should therefore include trapping, monitoring, field inspections fosigns of infestation, and pest control as appropriate. The presence of snails and slugs can detected using various inexpensive and easily constructed traps, e.g. inverted flower pots baited with grain or metaldehyde pellets, boards placed on the ground, and baited pitfall traps. Please see cited references for details. Aluminum sulfate, copper sulfate, metaldehyand methiocarb are used for snail and slug control. Metaldehyde, unlike aluminum and copper sulfate, does not affect plant growth, and is effective against most mollusks. A biological control program may be initiated in addition to chemical control.