Agdia, Inc. has announced that its testing services department is the first private laboratory to be accredited under a new USDA APHIS mini-tuber pathogen testing pilot program. This recent recognition by the USDA of Agdia’s testing services as an APHIS-approved testing laboratory enables results of testing activities to be used to apply for mini-tuber phytosanitary certification.
Agdia’s accredited testing services laboratory has conducted diagnostic testing for potato pathogens for 35 years and offers a full range of testing options for a multitude of crops. Most recently, Agdia announced the implementation of a PCR method for detection of Dickeya spp., bacteria that have become a significant concern of U.S. potato producers in recent years. Agdia also routinely tests for the presence of bacterial ring rot (BRR), a zero-tolerance pathogen in seed certification, as well as several potato viruses such as potato virus Y. A complete list of tests that Agdia performs for potato pathogens can be found on the company’s website.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the USDA in this new program for potato export,” says Deborah Groth-Helms, director of Agdia Testing Services. “I am excited to see our laboratory recognized for the quality and breadth of our services. This new pilot program will help streamline communication with foreign government agencies importing U.S. mini-tubers and will help the industry define what the most pressing disease concerns are for potato producers worldwide .”
Agdia’s testing services laboratory may be contacted at testing@agdia.com or
(574) 327-6071 for information on how to send samples. More information about the USDA APHIS mini-tuber pathogen testing pilot program can be found here.
Source: Plant Management Network