Plant Quarantine: An Effective approach for IPM

Subham Kumar*& Kavita Gupta**

*Assist. Professor, Department of Agriculture, JBIT College of Applied Sciences, Dehradun
**
Principal Scientist, NBPGR, New Delhi
Contact detail: Email id: [email protected]
Introduction: The challenge for all disciplines of agriculture is to increases production and improves
quality of produce. This is applicable to the discipline of plant protection as well. Now with the liberalization
in trade over the years, movement of agricultural commodities has taken place a lot. The responsibility of
plant protection also includes addressing phytosanitary issues concerning trade. In the past many diseases are
responsible for food scarcities including famines. In addition to endemic problems there are many crop pests
which are entered India from other countries because in earlier years India did not have an effective control
measure (plant quarantine) system to stop the introduction of exotic pests, diseases and weeds. Cottony
cushion scale, woolly aphid, San Jose scale, golden cyst nematode of potatoes, the giant African snail are
some exotic pest introduced into our country and cause extensive damage.
In view of increases in quantum of import and export of plant commodities during the recent years,
there is a distinct possibility of moving insect pests and diseases from their original native habitation to new
location. One of the methods of crop protection is to exclude the pests from entering in to new area. The
method of exclusion of the pests is enforced through certain legal measures commonly known as Quarantine.
The term Quarantine as French word literally means 40 day period. Quarantine can be defined “as a legal
restriction on the movement of Agricultural commodities for the purpose of exclusion, prevention or delay in
the spread of plant pests and diseases in uninfected areas”. Plant Quarantine regulations are promulgated by
the national and the state governments to prevent the introduction and spread of harmful pests and
pathogens.
History of Plant Quarantine in India:
The quarantine measures are of almost relevance to a country like India whose economy is largely
Agriculture based. The awareness to quarantine measures in India started in early 20th century when the
Indian Government in 1906, ordered compulsory fumigation of imported cotton bales to prevent the
introduction of the dreaded Mexican cotton boll weevil (Antonymous grandis). On February 3, 1914
Comprehensive Plant Quarantine Act, known as Destructive Insects and Pests Act, (DIP Act) become
operative. Over the years the DIP Act was revised and amended several times. However it needs to be
periodically reviewed and amended to meet the growing requirements of liberalized trade under the WTO. In
1946, the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage, under the ministry of Food and
Agriculture were set up.
In 1946, Plant quarantine activity stared with the initiation of plant introduction scheme in the
Botany Division at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) New Delhi. In October 1949, the
Directorate started its quarantine activities at Bombay seaport. On December 25, 1951 the first plant
Quarantine and Fumigation station in India was formally inaugurated. In August, 1976 the National Bureau
of Plant Genetic Resource (NBPGR) was created. In 1978, the Division of Plant Quarantine was created with
Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology sections. In October, 1988, the Plants, Fruits and seeds
(Regulation of Import into India) order, 1989 popularly known as PFS order came into force.
Plant quarantine methods:
There are number of plant quarantine methods which are used separately or collectively to prevent
or retard the introduction and establishment of exotic pests and pathogens. The components of plant
quarantine activities are:
1. Complete embargoes: It involves absolute prohibition or exclusion of specified plants and plant
products from a country infected or infested with highly destructive pests or diseases that could be
transmitted by the plant or plant products under consideration and against which no effective plant
quarantine treatment can be applied or is not available for application.
2. Partial embargoes: Partial embargoes, applying when a pest or disease of quarantine importance to an
importing country is known to occur only in well defined area of the exporting country and an effectively
operating internal plant quarantine service exists that is able to contain the pest or disease within this area. 3.
Inspection and treatment at point of origin It involves the inspection and treatment of a given commodity
when it originates from a country where pest/disease of quarantine importance to importing country is
known to occur.
4. Inspection and certification at point of origin: It involves pre-shipment inspection by the importing
country in cooperation with exporting country and certification in accordance with quarantine requirements
of importing country.
5. Inspection at the point of entry: It involves inspection of plant material immediately upon arrival at
the prescribed port of entry and if necessary subject to treatment before the same related.
6. Utilization of post entry plant quarantine facilities: It involves growing of introduced plant
propagating material under isolated or confined conditions.
Plant quarantine measures:
 Import control:
Regulations of importing country:
i. Embargoes: Total prohibition of import of certain kind of infected material from particular region
/country. This is most effective measure to exclude infected plant material.
ii. Inspection of seed lots: The examination of seed samples must be by the most sensitive and reliable
method for detection of dangerous pathogens. A sample may subject to more than one method.
iii. Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ): because it is difficult to detect all types of seed borne pathogens by simple
tests, it may be necessary to subject seeds to PEQ. Seeds are subjected to a period of grow in quarantine
station under strict supervision in importing countries.
 Export control:
Regulations of the exporting country:
i. Field inspection of field crops: The seed crop is inspected regularly for diseases, infected plants are
rouged. The crop should meet requirements of the importing country.
ii. Inspection of seed lots: The seed lot is thoroughly examined for the presence or absence of the
microorganisms before export. The sample should meet the importing country.
iii. Seed treatment: The seed lot should be treated as per the requirements of the exporting country.
However the treatment should confine to regulations of the importing country.
iv. Phytosanitary certificate: Phytosanitary certificates are issued by the exporting country along with
the seed as per the international plant protection convention of 1951.
Intermediate quarantine:
This is an international cooperative effort to lower the risk of introducing a pathogen to one country
with the germplasm from other by passing this germplasm through isolation or quarantine in a third country
because either the crop is not grown these or the pathogen, even if it escapes, will not become established
because of the environment. The third country quarantine locations are Plant quarantine facility, Glenn Dale,
US sub. tropical Horticultural Research unit, Miami. Kew botanical Gardens, UK. Royal Imperial institute,
Wageningen, Netherlands. IRAT at Nogentsur Marne, France. The US serves as the third country for the
international exchange of coffee, tea, rubber and cocoa.
The Government of India has also approved three other national institutions to act as official
quarantine agencies, especially for research material.
1. National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR): The NBPGR in New Delhi and its
regional station at Hyderabad in the agency involved in processing of germplasm, seed, plant material of
agricultural, horticultural, and silvicultural crops of all the institutions of Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) functioning in the country. It is also responsible for quarantine clearance of seed and plant
material received from International Agricultural Research Centers viz., ICRISAT, ICARDA, CIMMYT,
etc. ICRISAT was established in 1972 at Patancheru (near Hyderabad) to work on improvement of
sorghum, pearlmillet, chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut. The quarantine clearance of all its exchanges was
handled by Central Plant Protection Training Institute of Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine &
Storage, until July 1986. This authority was later passed on to NBPGR in August 1986.
2. Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehra Dun, for forestry plants and
3. Botanical Survey of India (BSI) for other plants.
4. National Biversity Board (NBB) for commercial purpose
Certification:
Phyto-sanitary or health certificate is a certificate which should accompany a plant or plant material or seed
which is to be moved from one place to another place. This certificate indicates or certifies that the material
under transit is free from pests or diseases.
Agencies involved in plant quarantine:
The authority to implement the quarantine rules and regulations framed under DIP Act rests
basically with the Directorate of plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage, under the Ministry of Agriculture.
This organization handles bulk import and export of seed and planting material for commercial purpose.
Under this organization 9 seaports, 10 airports and 7 land frontiers are functioning. These are the
recognized ports for entries for import of plant and plant material.
Under the DIP Act, there is a provision of Domestic Quarantine to restrict the inter-state movement
of nine invasive pests viz flute scale, sanjose scale, coffee berry borer, codling moth, banana bunchy top
and mosaic viruses, potato cyst nematode, potato wart and apple scab. Keeping in view the biosafety
concerns associated with the growing of imported transgenic material, a containment Facility of Level -4
has been established at NBPGR, New Delhi for their quarantine processing.
Export regulations:
In India the plant quarantine measures for exporting plants and material including seeds have been
streamlined and rigid inspections are enforced before the material is allowed to be landed into the country.
At present plant quarantine regulations differ with different countries for major agricultural commodities
that are being exported out of India. The Central Government has authorized officers of the Directorate of
Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage, ICAR Research Institutes, and National Institutes like Forest
Research Institute, Botanical Survey of India, and the Directorates of Agriculture of all States.
The quarantine authorities have also framed terms and conditions pertaining to inspection,
fumigation or disinfection of the exportable plants and plant material in India including the following
schedule/or fee for inspection and issue of phytosanitary certificate, and/or fumigation or disinfection in
respect of plants, plant material, seeds, and plant products to issue phytosanitary certificate. All the plants
and plant material are subjected to inspection by officials issuing certificate. Infested materials are given
necessary treatment with chemicals and fumigated if necessary.
Plant Protection in India – Milestones:
a. Destructive Insects and Pests Act 1914
b. Locust Warning Organization 1939
c. Directorate of Plant Protection, 1946
Quarantine and Storage
d. National Institute of Plant Health Management 1966
e. Implementation of Insecticides Act, 1968 1971
f. Integrated Pest Management (Central IPM Centres) 1992
g. Plant Quarantine Order 2003
h. Online Registration of Pesticides 2010
i. Online PQ Services (PQIS) 2011
Limitations and Constraints:
i. Lack of organized services of PQ at state level,
ii. Lack of inert state border PQ check posts at railway and road links,
iii. Lack of concerned and coercive action at the state Govt. level,
iv. Lack of rigorous seed/stack certificates or nursery infection.

CONCLUSION:
The PQ measures acts as an important tool in excluding pests from the crop. Effective
implementation of quarantine is highly emphasized for management of pests, which in turn helps in
maintaining the productivity of crops.
REFERENCES:
[1]. Dhaliwal, G. S and Srivastava, K. P. 2012. A Text book of Applied Entomology. Kalyani publishers.pp
37- 44.
[2]. Plant Quarantine TNAU Agritech Portal :: Exports & Imports
[3]. Regulatory methods – Plant Quarantine and Inspection – Quarantine Rules and Regulations.
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Pest Management in Horticultural Ecosystems, Vol. 19, No. 1 pp 85-91.
[5]. Vasantharaj David, B and Ramamurthy, V. V. 2012. Elements of Economic Entomology. Namrutha.
Chennai. pp 93-97.
[6].Vijay Laxmi, R., Geetanjaly and Sharma Preeti. 2014. Plant Quarantine: An Effective Strategy of Pest
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