Clean Plants

Clean Plants

Clean Plants. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. One of the worst fears for ag producers is getting plant stock that contains some sort of pathogen that will ultimately cause devastating crop loss. According to Vicky Scharlau with the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers, there is a plan. SCHARLAU: The Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers is actually working with a group of stakeholders that includes both the fruit tree industry and the hop industry and we're trying to put together a plan that merges the foundation plant services of all three industries into a single unit and calling it something like the Northwest Clean Plant Center. Each group is currently working on their own approach to making sure stock is clean. SCHARLAU: The monies that the national clean plant network received through the farm bill includes funds for specific sites in the U.S. to be designated part of this national clean plant network so we're working together in the northwest with fruit trees and hops trying to put together a singular program that would be at Washington State University in Prosser Scharlau stresses the importance of clean plants. SCHARLAU: For fruit trees and for hops and for grapes, we want to make sure that when our growers plant something that they are assured, they're certified that the plants they get are clean and free of any kind of pathogen. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
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