This graphic provides a simplified description of the process that plant material is subjected to before it is deemed “clean” by NCPN standards. A clean plant is a genotype, variety, or cultivar that has been a) tested for, and found free of, economically important and/or harmful plant viruses and virus-like organisms (VLOs), and b) been maintained under controlled conditions to prevent reinfection.
NCPN standards vary by crop—each specialty crop has designated the most important pathogens to target, according to potential for economic harm. For certain crops, state certification programs provide standards for clean foundation plant material held by NCPN Centers. Foundation generation plants can then be used as a source by nurseries for propagation and distribution of certified planting stock. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulates imported material and provides standards to ensure plant material released into the U.S. is free of quarantine pathogens.
As you will see by this graphic, producing pathogen-tested planting material is a complex endeavor, involving strict protocols and repeated testing to confirm that plant material released by NCPN Centers is clean. As scientific technology has improved, so has the process for diagnosing, treating, and propagating plant material, in some cases reducing the time for release by 1 to 3 years. This is extremely good news for all involved, but especially for growers and nurseries who benefit by getting new and/or highly desirable varieties into the supply chain more quickly. The December 2024 issue of Network News is devoted to sharing recent achievements in shortening our process time and improving throughput of our Centers.
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