Listed Quarantine Pest Found In Washington

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

The species of nematode found in Whitman County this summer is a close relative of the cereal cyst nematode and is considered a quarantine pest by the USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service. WSU CAHNRS Associate Dean of Research James Moyer says that while this nematode does affect wheat, barley, oats and other wheat-like grasses, he doesn’t think quarantines will be required. That said, it will be kept under close surveillance.

MOYER: It will go through due diligence. APHIS is I think taking a very responsible and measured approach and we’ve been in contact and there are individuals at Washington Department of Agriculture that are watching this as closely as we are. We’re now in an information mode and in fact they’re using a lot of the information that we’ve pulled together to address the situation.

Moyer offers what he thinks will be the next steps since farmers here know the proper methods of control.

MOYER: The level of concern here is that this particular species worldwide - there are areas of the world where there aren’t good cultural practices and there isn’t any resistance - it’s a major problem. And based upon that is why it’s currently classified as a quarantinable pest. But it was identified back in 2007 and nothing happened. We didn’t jump off a cliff over concern. So right now we expect the same kind of a measured approach.

Visit the WSU Extension small grains website at www.smallgrains.wsu.edu. to find out more information.

That’s Washington Ag Today.

I’m Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.