March 2024
By Michael Martin, PhD, and Craig Regelbrugge, AmericanHort
Here is the most recent update regarding the Boxwood Tree Moth (BTM).
AmericanHort and the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) continue to actively collaborate with federal and state regulators who are working to establish a new certification program to facilitate the safe interstate movement of boxwoods. USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) leadership is expected to review and approve the certification framework in early March. Meanwhile, the National Plant Board is vetting the framework with state regulatory officials, who will play a key role in implementing program components, including compliance agreements with affected producers.
Optimistically, the program may be unveiled by mid-to-late March. Producers seeking to certify boxwoods produced in regulated areas where BTM has been found will need to enter into a compliance agreement with their state plant regulatory agency and implement various safeguarding measures, including surveillance trapping, pest scouting and inspection, treatments, training, and recordkeeping. We also anticipate certification provisions for boxwoods produced in acceptable controlled environments (greenhouses or screenhouses). HRI expects to play a key role in facilitating industry training, education, and outreach.
In related good news, USDA-APHIS has announced its 2024 funding plan for Plant Protection Act projects. The plan includes almost $900,000 in new funding for 2024, targeting Boxwood Tree Moth research and development, survey, and outreach. Most of this money will continue a major collaborative research initiative involving HRI, APHIS, university scientists, and the IR-4 program. While progress to date has already enabled federal and state regulators to develop a certification program for safe boxwood trade, the ongoing research will support refinements to the program as the pest inevitably spreads.