June 2003
Ralstonia Reaction
The identification of Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 in U.S. flower nurseries has had a profound effect on government regulators. Indeed, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
modified its original action plan for this pathogen. In the original plan, APHIS called for the destruction of geraniums testing positive for the bacteria plus the plants within a one-meter radius and plants considered to be “commingled” or cross-contaminated during shipping to a greenhouse. A month later, an addendum to the plan has required many growers to destroy all plants that were received under the same invoice as the infected plants. These changes have added thousands of dollars on to original damage estimates. If the plan had not been modified, the growers could have dealt with the damages internally. Now, however, the Society of American Florists is lobbying congress for grower compensation.
Growers too have been changing their operations. The company initially affected by Ralstonia, Goldsmith Plants, has contracted with one of the top three Ralstonia experts in the world to audit and change production practices at their California, Guatemala, and Kenya facilities. There is also a Geranium Bacterial Disease Control Initiative that has met with APHIS to discuss the continued development of a permanent clean stock program that will allow inspection and certification of imported geranium cuttings at their origin.
Growers of solanaceous crops have also been vocal in the process. A spokesman for the National Potato Council believes that the actions that APHIS took were completely justifiable. Potatoes, with a farm gate value of over $3 billion in 2002, are just one of the solanaceous crops that could potentially be affected. Others include tomato, pepper, and eggplant. Potato growers complimented the geranium greenhouse operators for their cooperation with APHIS to eliminate this disease. (Greenhouse Grower, May 2003).
