Role of Quarantine in Management of Transboundary Seed-Borne Diseases

Abstract

The global movement of seeds has the potential of introducing new pathogens which may cause potential risk to the agriculture of the importing country. The National Plant Protection Organizations assume responsibility for preventing entry of new pathogens and for eradicating those that have entered and are still confined. The exclusion can be achieved by a combination of technical and regulatory approaches that can ensure biosecurity for a country/region. In India, the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare is responsible for enforcing quarantine regulations and for inspection and disinfection/disinfestation of agricultural commodities meant for commercial purpose. The imported germplasm material including transgenics is quarantined at the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi. The strategies for biosecurity for plant viruses include stringent quarantine measures for the imported material, domestic quarantine and use of certified disease-free seed and other planting material within the country. Adopting a workable strategy, several pathogens of quarantine significance have been intercepted, and the risk of introduction of these pathogens into India was thus eliminated. Adopting the appropriate technique and the right strategy for pathogen detection and disinfection would go a long way in ensuring safe exchange of germplasm and trade and the biosecurity of Indian agriculture from transboundary introduction of plant pathogens.