Farm Bill funding to be used for pest control projects

USDA announced that it has allocated $45 million, provided by the 2008 Farm Bill, for early detection and action against plant pests and diseases. Society of American Florists reports that the money will fund more than 200 projects, many of which are of high interest to nursery and greenhouse owners. Some of the projects include:

• Cristi Palmer of the IR-4 program will work with James Buck of the University of Georgia and Steve Jeffers of Clemson University to study gladiolus rust.
• A number of projects focusing on Phytophthora ramorum (sudden oak death) will receive significant funding.
• Other projects will look at improving the ability to identify, intercept, survey and predict the arrival of new pests, including new diagnostic tools and outreach to help prevent the spread of invasive pests.

SAF and American Nursery & Landscape Association co-chaired the implementation committee of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, and monitored USDA’s planning efforts once the Farm Bill was enacted. The Farm Bill specified $12 million in 2009, $45 million in 2010, and $50 million a year thereafter to improve USDA’s pest detection and prediction activities. USDA estimates the funding will create or support up to 400 jobs.

 For more: Society of American Florists, (800) 336-4743; www.safnow.org.