M.Sc. Ag. IInd Sem.

Study material

Course : Plant Genetic Resources: Conservation & Sustainable Use

Chapter : 05
Topic: Plant quarantine and Phytosanitary system
Course Leader: Prof. Shailendra S Gaurav

PLANT QUARANTINE
Plant quarantine measures aim at providing protection to the agriculture of a country or
region against the likely ravages of alien pests/pathogens should they get introduced and
established. These measures are of particular importance and relevance to countries like India
whose economy is largely based on agriculture. Quarantine not only helps to ward off the
threats of exotic pests, but also aim to eliminate and prevent further spread of pests/pathogens
(both indigenous and introduced) with restricted distribution within the country (domestic
quarantine).

According to Mathys (1975), 'Government quarantine offers services which are beyond the
capabilities of individual beneficiaries or that are difficult to obtain in some otherway at a
lesser cost'. Thus, plant quarantine, in real sense, serves as a national service by preventing
the introduction of exotic pests/pathogens/weeds and their further spread.

Plant quarantine may, therefore, be defined as 'Rules and regulations promulgated by

governments to regulate the introduction of plants, planting materials, plant products, soil,
living organisms, etc. with a view to prevent inadvertent introduction of exotic pests, weeds
and pathogens harmful to the agriculture or the environment of a country/region, and if
introduced, to prevent their establishment and further spread'. Plant quarantine is thus
designed as a safeguard against harmful pests/pathogens exotic to a country or a region

Or

The method of exclusion of the pests is enforced through certain legal measures commonly
known as Quarantine.

Plant quarantine may be defined as the restriction imposed by duly constituted authorities
on the production, movement and existence of plants or plant materials, or animals or animal
products or any other article or material or normal activity of persons and is brought under
regulation in order that the introduction or spread of a pest may be prevented or 8 limited or
in order that the pest already introduced may be controlled or to avoid losses that would
otherwise occur through the damage done by the pest or through the continuing cost of their
control.
 Quarantine can be defined “as a legal restriction to prevent the entrance and establishment of
a plant disease or insect pest in an area where the pest or disease dose no exist”.

The meaning of this term has been broadened, and plant quarantine is now taken to mean
all aspects of the regulation of the movement of living plants, living plant parts or plant
products between politically defined territories or ecologically distinct parts of them.

Historical events

 The first legal restrictions to hinder the spread of disease were enacted against
human disease.
 1403- It was the notorious outbreak of bubonic plague, which swept through
Europe during the 14th century that led the Venetian Republic to appoint three
guardians of public health, to exclude infected and suspected ships and to make the
first quarantine of infected areas in 1403.
 The term quarantine has been derived from latin words 'quaranta giorni literally
means 40 day period
 Travellers from the Levant and Egypt, where plague was endemic, were isolated in
a detection hospital for 40 days.
 1660- a quarantine law was enacted in Rouen, France, ordering the eradication of
barberry plants from the vicinity of grain fields.

 1866-The first British legislation against a disease in animals or plants was an Act of
1866 granting emergency powers for the destruction of all cattle affected by
rinderpest which had been introduced into Britain by imported Russian cattle the
previous year.

 1873-An embargo was passed in Germany to prevent importation of plant and plant
products from the US to prevent the introduction of the Colorado potato beetle
(Leptinotarsa decemlineata) in 1873.

 1877- The United Kingdom Destructive Insects Act was passed to prevent the
importation of the Colorado beetle.

 1875-In North America, the first legislative measures against plant disease were
promulgated by states in 1875.

 1891- The first plant quarantine measure was initiated in US by setting up a seaport
inspection station at San Padro, California.

 1912- The US Congress enacted the Federal Plant Quarantine Act, which among
other things, prohibits the entry of plants into the United States.

 1881-The first international plant protection convention, the Phylloxera convention

was signed at Berne on 3 November 1881 by five countries. This convention
remained in force till 1951, when International Plant Protection Convention under
 FAO was established at Rome. This agreement was constituted with the purpose of
securing common and effective action to prevent the introduction and spread of pests
and diseases of plants and plant products.

 2003-The PFS order was revised in order to fulfill India's legal obligations under the
WTO Agreement and the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India), 2003
(referred to as PQ order) came into force with effect from January 1, 2004.

Forms of quarantine/The legislative in different countries

Grouped into five classes-

1. International quarantine- Legislation to prevent the introduction of new pests

and weeds from foreign countries

2. Domestic quarantine- Legislation to prevent the spread of already established

pests, diseases, and weeds from one part of the country to another.

3. Farmer’s quarantine-Legislation to enforce farmers to apply effective control

measures to prevent damage by already established pests.

4. Food quarantine- Legislation to prevent the adulteration and misbranding of

insecticides and determine their permissible residue tolerance levels in food stuffs.

5. Quarantine for pest control operations-Legislation to regulate the activities of

people engaged in pest control operations and application of hazardous
insecticides.

Plant Quarantine system in India:

 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.

 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.
 Under the DIP act, the Directorate of Plant Quarantine and Storage (DPPQS),
Faridabad, headed by Plant Protection Advisor to the Govt. of India (under the
Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture) is responsible
for enforcing quarantine regulations and also for making rules for quarantine
inspection and disinfestations of any article or class of articles in respect of which a
notification has been issued by the Central Government.
 Plant Quarantine regulatory measures are operative through the "Destructive insects
& pests Act, 1914 (Act 2 of 1914)" in the country. The purpose and intent of this Act
is to prevent the introduction of any insect, fungus or other pest, which is or may be
destructive to crops. The import of agricultural commodities is presently regulated
through the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003 issued
under DIP Act, 1914 incorporating the provisions of New Policy on Seed
Development, 1988. Further, the significance of Plant Quarantine has increased in
view of Globalisation and liberalisation in International trade of plants and plant
material in the wake of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement under WTO.
The phytosanitary certification of agricultural commodities being exported is also
undertaken through the scheme as per International Plant Protection Convention
(IPPC), 1951.

 There are 29 Plant Quarantine Stations (10 are located at airport, 10 are at seaport
and 09 at land route) under DPPQS. The NPQS, New Delhi and RPQSs at Chennai,
Kolkata, Amritsar and Mumbai have been strengthened with modern equipment for
plant quarantine testing, etc., to facilitate speedy clearance of imports and exports
under the FAO-UNDP Project.
 National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources ( NBPR), New Delhi, which is the nodal
institution for exchange of plant genetic resources, has been empowered under PQ
order to handle quarantine processing of germplasm and transgenic planting material
being imported for research purposes in the country.
 As per the recent amendments made under the PQ order, the ICAR-Advanced Centre
for Plant Virology at IARI, New Delhi, ICAR-IIHR,Indian Institute of Horticultural
Research, Bangalore and CSIR-IHBT, Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource
Technology, Palampur have been identified for ensuring virus-free status in the
imported in vitro material.
 Seed was not covered under the DIP Act until 1984, when the Govt. of India
brought forward a comprehensive 'Plants, Fruits and Seeds (Regulation of Import into
India) Order, 1984' which came into force in June 1985 (Anonymous, 1985).With a
view to provide the farmers the best planting materials available in the world for
maximising productivity per unit area and to encourage the private seed industry in
India not only to meet the internal requirements but also to develop export potential
for high quality planting materials, the Government of India announced a 'New Policy
on Seed Development' in September 1988. The new policy covers the import of
 seeds/planting materials of wheat, paddy, coarse cereals, oilseeds, pulses, vegetables,
flowers, ornamentals and fruit crops; procedures for their import and the related plant
quarantine procedures/requirements.

The main features of the existing plant quarantine regulations in India are as follows:

1. No consignment of seeds/planting materials shall be imported into India

without a valid 'Import Permit', which is to be issued by a competent
authority, to be notified by the Central Government from time to time in the
Official Gazette.
2. No consignment of seeds/planting materials shall be imported into India unless
accompanied by a 'Phytosanitary Certificate', issued by the official Plant
Quarantine Service of the source country.
3. All consignments of plants and seeds for sowing/propagation/planting
purposes shall be imported into India through land customs station, seaport,
airport at Amritsar, Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi and Madras, and such other
entry points as may be specifically notified by the Central Government from
time to time, where these shall be inspected and, if necessary, fumigated,
disinfested/disinfected by authorised plant quarantine officials, before
quarantine clearance.
4. Seeds/planting materials requiring isolation growing under detention, shall
be grown in post-entry quarantine facility approved and certified by the
Designated Inspection Authority (DIA) to conform to the conditions laid
down by the Plant Protection Adviser to the Govt. of India.
5. Hay, straw or any other materials of plant origin shall not be used as packing
material.
6. Import of soil, earth, sand, compost, and plant debris accompanying
seeds/planting materials shall not be permitted. However, soil can be
imported for research purposes under a special permit issued by the Plant
Protection Adviser to the Govt. of India.
7. The DIP Act empowers the Central Government to make rules for regulating
the import of seeds/planting materials into India and also the movement of the
materials from one State to another within the country. The State
Governments are also empowered to enact rules/regulations to regulate the
movement of materials from one region/area to another within a State.

Directorate Of Plant Protection Quarantine & Storage

(Old CGO Complex, NH-IV,Faridabad, Haryana -121001)

Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine & Storage was established in the year 1946
on the recommendation of Woodhead Commission as an apex organization for
advising the Government of India and state governments on all the matter related to
Plant Protection. The Directorate is headed by Plant Protection adviser. Plant
Protection strategy and activities have significant importance in the overall crop
production programmes for sustainable agriculture. Plant protection activities
encompasses activities aimed to minimizing crop losses due to pests through
 integrated pest management, plant quarantine, regulation of pesticides, locust warning
& control and training in desert areas besides training and capacity building in plant
protection. It is an attached Office of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

Mandate
 To popularize adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) through training and
demonstration in crops inter-alia promotion of biological control approaches in crop
protection technology.

 To ensure availability of safer and effective pesticides through regulatory measures

under the Insecticides Act, 1968.

 To prevent introduction of exotic pests inimical to Indian agriculture by

implementation of Destructive Insects and Pests Act, 1914 supported by Plant
Quarantine Order (Regulation of Import into India), 2003.

 To advise and assist the union government on all matters including international
obligations related to plant protection

 To keep watch and control over locust in scheduled desert area.

 Human resource development in plant protection technology.

 Monitoring pesticides’ residues at national level.

NBPGR's Quarantine Responsibilities

1. National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi has been
designated as the national nodal agency for exchange of germplasm material of agri-
horticultural and agri-silvicultural crops for research purposes in the country; it has
also been entrusted with the quarantine responsibilities in respect to germplasm of
these crops.
2. The Director of NBPGR has been empowered to issue 'Permits' for import of
seeds/planting materials for research purpose.
3. NBPGR has a separate Division of Plant Quarantine to meet the quarantine
requirements in respect of the germplasm materials being exchanged through it. The
Division has trained scientific and technical staff representing the disciplines of
entomology, nematology and plant pathology, well equipped laboratories, green
houses and post-entry isolation growing field facilities to discharge its quarantine
responsibilities efficiently.
4. In case of certain crops, after laboratory examination at NBPGR, the exotic material
is passed on to the specific crop-based institutes for post-entry isolation growing,
before it is released to the indentors. These institutes have established adequate post-
entry isolation growing facilities and required expertise is also available with them.
These are CPRI- Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla; CTCRI- Central Tuber
 Crops Research Institutes, Trivandrum; CTRI-Central Tobacco Research Institute,
Rajahmundri; SBI-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore; and CPCRI- Central
Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod. NBPGR has established a RPQS-
regional Plant Quarantine Station at Hyderabad to fulfil the quarantine
requirements of the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics
(ICRISAT), Directorate of Rice Research and other research organisations in the
region.

Coordinating system of Quarantine

1. Most of the plant material enters the country as air cargo or air mail parcels.
Passengers going abroad also bring seed/planting material with them. The New Seed
Policy now permits private enterprises to introduce more material in certain cases
under 'Open General Licence'. Bulk consignments for consumption or sowing are
brought by ships, and small research consignments through air freight or post.
Therefore, the customs department, postal department, the International Airport
Authority and Port Authority of India are also involved. Various research
institutes under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Council
of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) systems, agricultural universities, state
departments of agriculture and the private individuals/agencies are the ultimate users
of the introduced germplasm material in crop improvement programmes.Very
effective linkages among all the government agencies are required so that while the
introduced planting material is made available to the user clients without undue delay.
2. The customs department, postal department, the International Airport Authority and
Port Authority of India should ensure that the consignments/post-parcels containing
seeds/planting materials are cleared promptly and are sent compulsorily to the plant
quarantine services. The consignments should never be released directly to the
users. A 'Plant Quarantine Declaration Card', similar to the 'Customs Declaration
Card' should be introduced for passengers travelling to India.
3. Any planting material declared or ceased by customs department must be handed
over to the plant quarantine officials for inspection and clearance. Officials of
customs/postal departments should be made aware about the importance of plant
quarantine through regular refresher courses. All international airports/sea
ports/international post offices should have plant quarantine counters alongwith the
customs counters:

PHYTOSANITARY CERTIFICATE

Phytosanitary Certificate is an official document required when shipping regulated

articles such as plants, plant products or other regulated articles. A phyto certificate
 is an official document that is generated from the exporting country’s Department of
horticulture, agriculture, food or water resources. It can only be issued by an
authorized officer from a government department that is authorized by a National
Plant Protection Agency (NPPO). The agency is in force to protect the threat of
spreading pests, contamination or diseases into the country of import.

The importer will require a phytosanitary certificate to import regulated articles

including commodities such as plants, bulks & tubers or seeds for propagation, fruits
& vegetables, cut flowers & branches, grain and growing medium. They may also be
required for certain plant products that have been processed and have a potential for
introducing regulated pests (examples include cotton or wood). Sometimes they can
also be required to cover contaminated articles such as empty shipping containers,
vehicles or other organisms. If the shipper can not provide a phytosanitary certificate
to the importer, it’s highly likely that the goods will not be cleared through customs.
The goods may be seized and completely destroyed. Phytosanitary certificates can be
in paper form or, where it is accepted by the NPPO of the importing country, in
electronic for

Background

Phytosanitary certification is used to attest that consignments meet phytosanitary

import requirements and is applied to most plants, plant products and other regulated
articles that are traded internationally. Phytosanitary certification contributes to the
protection of plants, including cultivated and uncultivated/unmanaged plants and wild
flora (including aquatic plants), habitats and ecosystems in the importing countries.
Phytosanitary certification also facilitates international trade in plants, plant products
and other regulated articles by providing an internationally agreed document and
related procedures.

Article V.2(a) of the IPPC: stipulates how phytosanitary certificates should be issued:

 Inspection and other related activities leading to issuance of phytosanitary certificates

shall be carried out only by or under the authority of the official national plant
protection organization. The issuance of phytosanitary certificates shall be carried out
by public officers who are technically qualified and duly authorized by the official
national plant protection organization to act on its behalf and under its control with
such knowledge and information available to those officers that the authorities of
importing contracting parties may accept the phytosanitary certificates with confidence as
dependable documents.

 This was clarified at the FAO Conference in 1997 during adoption of the 1997
revision of the IPPC: “It is understood that … ‘public officers who are technically
qualified and duly authorized by the national plant protection organization’ include
officers from the national plant protection organization”. “Public” in this context
means employed by a level of government, not by a private company. “Include
 officers from the national plant protection organization” means that the officer may be
directly employed by the NPPO, but does not have to be directly employed by the
NPPO.

Information on Phytosanitary Certificate for Export

No. __________
Each phytosanitary certificate for export should have a unique identification number,
which allows for trace-back of consignments, facilitates audits and serves for record-
keeping.
Plant Protection Organization of ____________
The name of the country issuing the phytosanitary certificate for export should be
listed here along with the name of the NPPO.
TO: Plant Protection Organization(s) of ____________
The name of the importing country should be listed here. Where a transit country and
the importing country have specific phytosanitary requirements that include the need
for a phytosanitary certificate for export, the names of both countries should be listed
and the transit country should be indicated.

I. Description of Consignment

Name and address of exporter: ____________

This information identifies the source of the consignment to facilitate its trace-back
and audit by the NPPO of the exporting country. The address of the exporter should
be located in the exporting country. The name and address of an exporter’s local agent
or shipper should be used where an international company with a foreign address is
the exporter.

Declared name and address of consignee: ____________

The name and address inserted here should be in sufficient detail to enable the NPPO
of the importing country to confirm the identity of the consignee and, where
necessary, to be able to conduct trace-back of non-compliant imports. Where the
consignee is not known, “To order” may be used if the NPPO of the importing
country permits the use of the term and accepts any associated risks. The importing
country may require that the address of a consignee be a location in the importing
country.

Number and description of packages: ____________

The number of packages and their description should be included. Sufficient detail
should be included in this section to enable the NPPO of the importing country to link
the phytosanitary certificate for export with the corresponding consignment. In some
cases (e.g. grain and bulk timber), shipping containers and/or railcars are considered
the package and the number may be included (e.g. 10 containers). In cases of bulk
shipments, the term “in bulk” may be used.
Distinguishing marks: ____________
Distinguishing marks on packages (e.g. lot numbers, serial numbers or brand names)
and conveyance identification numbers or names (e.g. container and railcar
identification numbers or vessel name in the case of bulk shipments) should be
included if necessary for the identification of the consignment.

Place of origin: ____________

The place of origin refers to places where the commodity was grown or produced and
where it was possibly exposed to infestation or contamination by regulated pests. In
all cases, the name of the country or countries of origin should be stated. Normally a
consignment gains its phytosanitary status from the place of origin. Countries may
require that the name or code of the pest free area, pest free place of production or
pest free production site be identified. If different lots within a consignment originate
in different places or countries, all countries and places where necessary should be
indicated.

Declared means of conveyance: ____________

This section refers to how the commodity is transported when leaving the certifying
country. Terms such as “ocean vessel”, “boat”, “aircraft”, “road”, “truck”, “rail”,
“mail” and “carried by hand” may be used. The ship’s name and voyage number or
the aircraft’s flight number may be included if known.

Declared point of entry: ____________

This should be the first point of arrival in the country of destination, or if not known,
the country name.

Name of produce and quantity declared: ____________

This section should be sufficiently descriptive of the commodity and should include
the name of the plant, plant product or other regulated article, unit and the quantity as
accurately as possible to enable the NPPO of the importing country to verify the
contents of the consignment. Entries should not refer to trade names, sizes or other
commercial terms.

Botanical name of plants: ____________

The information inserted here should identify plants and plant products using
accepted scientific names, at least to genus level but preferably to species level.

Certifying statement
This is to certify that the plants, plant products or other regulated articles described
herein have been inspected and/or tested according to appropriate official procedures
and are considered to be free from the quarantine pests specified by the importing
contracting party and to conform with the current phytosanitary requirements of the
importing contracting party, including those for regulated non-quarantine pests.
 Specimen certificate

(Note this document will vary with different government departments)

Sources

PFS ORDER, 1989[The Plants, Fruits and Seeds (Regulation of Import into India) Order,
1989 ]

http://www.plantquarantineindia.org/seeds.htm

http://www.nbpgr.ernet.in/download.htm

http://ppqs.gov.in/Ipmplant.htm

http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/export_import/imp_exp_plant_quar.html

http://india.gov.in/sectors/agriculture/plant_protection.php

coursesonline.iasri.res.in/mod/page/view.php?id=14887 http://ppqs.gov.in/Ipmplant.htm

http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/mod/page/view.php?id=14887

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/plant-quarantine

https://incodocs.com/blog/phytosanitary-certificate-document-for-export/
http://www.fao.org/3/a-k5129e.pdf

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Shailendra Singh Gaurav