b"Mystery Seeds Bring Phyto ConcernsAs APHIS continues to learn more about the mystery seeds from China, ASTA shares the phytosanitary concerns that have popped up.Alex MartinIN MID-JULY,the U.S. Department ofplants in a field that are prohibited. So, for Agricultures Animal and Plant Healthexample, if you're growing some variety Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) notedthat's allowed in from India, but it was that mystery seeds were showing up ingrown in a field where there were volun-mailboxes across states from China. Someteer plants that were producing rice or packages stated they were jewelry, somecorn that is prohibited from India, you can didn't have any markings at all except forintroduce these things and they can have some Chinese writing on them. APHISdiseases on them that can cause prob-immediately jumped on to the problem tolems. So, APHIS has a legitimate concern assess the situationbut what have theyabout this. found that has given them concern? Back in the early 2000s, when I was Seed World sat down with thein charge of APHIS Plant Protection and American Seed Trade AssociationsQuarantine, we set up a program called (ASTA) Ric Dunkle, senior director of seedthe Smuggling Interdiction and Trade health, to learn more about the some ofCompliance Program that was designed the findings from APHIS.to monitor the internet to try to catch Ric Dunkle serves as senior director of seedentities that were illegally importing plant Seed World (SW): So, this hashealth for ASTA.products. been a big deal since July! Why didIt's not a new thing. I think more and these mystery seeds appearing inproducts are left unregulated, then any- more, as the internet becomes more mailboxes become such a big dealthing can potentially come in. Any pestssophisticated, it beccomes more difficult that APHIS wanted to get involvedand diseases that might be on or in theseto police it as well. When you get this kind in it? products can be unknowingly releasedof unsolicited activity going on, yeah, it's Ric Dunkle (RD): Well, initially the issueinto the environment and cause all kindsa huge potential threat to bring in exotic developed when APHIS noticed thereof economic and environmental problems.organisms into the United States illegally. were unsolicited seed packets comingThere are many, many, many cases where through the mail.this has occurred. SW: Are there any other kind of First of all, the internet is a pathwayIt's known that there are a number ofphytosanitary risks that could that is easy, unfortunately, to bring any- pathogens in particular that can get insidepotentially arise from just having thing in illegally. You can bypass all kindsof seeds during production. They're calledseeds appear? of import requirements if you just doseed transmitted pathogens or seedborneRD: Sure there is. One of the things that internet sales in general. But in the case ofpathogens. There can also be contami- can happen is, even under a controlled this one, it was seeds.nants on the seed surfaces and seed that'sscenario, seed producers may grow seed Seeds are like most other agriculturalbeen unmitigated, once planted, can thenin a foreign country where there also commodities, they're highly regulatedbe a vehicle for introducing, establish- may be prohibited plants such as noxious and they're highly regulated for a pur- ing and spreading unwanted pests andweed species.pose because raw agricultural products indiseases. There are even some insects thatWhen you harvest that seed, if there particularwhether it's seeds or plantscan get inside of seeds as well. are any of those noxious weed plants out or fruit or vegetablescan be a pathwayThere can be contaminants in a seedin your fields, the noxious weed seeds can to move unwanted pests and diseases intoshipment as well as weed seed species. Aalso get harvested along with the seed the United States. typical example that comes in from Asia,that you're harvesting. If those seeds look If seed or any other raw agriculturalspecifically, can be seeds from volunteerlike the seed being harvested, or if they're 10/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2020"