Amending the Domestic Quarantine Records for Pale Cyst Nematode

Abstract

The USDA is amending the domestic quarantine records for pale cyst nematode (Globodera pallida) by adding procedures that allow persons to review and comment on the protocols available online. It is taking these actions in response to a court order requiring the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to provide a means for public input on the protocols that are used to deregulate fields for pale cyst nematode and to make the protocols publicly available. The changes make the protocols accessible to all and give individuals the opportunity to comment on them. It became effective 28 January 2021. (For further information contact Ms Lynn EvansGoldner, National Policy Manager Office of the Deputy Administrator, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 137, Riverdale, MD, 20737; lynn.evans-goldner@usda.gov) The pale cyst nematode (PCN, Globodera pallida) is a major pest of potato crops in cool-temperature areas throughout the world, causing significant yield losses if left uncontrolled. Other hosts of this destructive pest include tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and some weeds. The spread of PCN in the United States could result in a significant loss of domestic and foreign markets for U.S. potatoes and other host commodities. Section 414 of the Plant Protection Act (PPA, 7 U.S.C.