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Federal Interagency Committee on Invasive Terrestrial Animals and Pathogens
U.S. Department of Agriculture
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Plant Pathogens Subcommittee

The Plant Pathogens Subcommittee promotes proactive protection of natural and agricultural resources from invasive plant pathogens.

Plant pathogens include fungi, viruses, viroids, bacteria, phytoplasmas, and nematodes - cause billions of dollars in economic losses each year to agriculture, landscape, and forest settings in the United States. These diseases damage natural ecosystems, reduce crop yields, lower product quality or shelf-life, and, sometimes, contaminate food and feed with toxic compounds.

Contact the Subcommittee Leadership

Strategic Plan

Vision

K NO W New Pathogens

Mission

Promote proactive protection of natural and agricultural resources from invasive plant pathogens.

Strategic Goals

  1. Expand and mobilize science, technical capabilities, and technology transfer.
  2. Promote the development and integration of an information network infrastructure for plant pathogens.
  3. Invigorate communications and public awareness of plant pathogens.
  4. Catalyze connection, coordination and participation in national and international partnerships.
  5. Identify and define appropriate human and fiscal resources to address plant pathogen issues.

Strategies

  1. Science, Technical Capabilities, Technology Transfer Long-Term Strategies
    1. Inventory existing national and international infrastructure and capacity.
    2. Identify knowledge gaps.
    3. Determine the most important pathogens, their biology and pathways.
    4. Improve diagnostic capabilities
    5. Develop sound systematic knowledge.
    6. Evaluate mitigation options.
    7. Mobilize the transfer of science and technology nationally and internationally.
      • Ports
      • Policy makers
      • Exporting countries
  2. Information network and infrastructure Long-Term Strategies
    1. Identify existing information resources.
    2. Articulate a vision of the desired network infrastructure.
    3. Determine data and information gaps.
    4. Promote the analysis and development of data to fill information gaps.
    5. Catalyze linkage mechanisms through agencies and other organizations.
  3. Communications and Public Awareness Long-Term Strategies
    1. Disseminate white papers and other Subcommittee products on the ITAP Web site.
    2. Communicate with scientific societies who we are and what we do.
    3. Establish liaisons across ITAP Subcommittees, FICMNEW, and ANSTF
      • Utilize Sharepoint
    4. Develop and implement a Subcommittee strategic communications plan.
    5. Participate in Invasive Species Awareness Day.
  4. Partnerships Long-Term Strategies
    1. Identify roles and responsibilities.
    2. Inventory venues and organizations who are key players on both national and international scales.
      • Identify existing linkages.
      • Identify desirable linkages.
      • Assess gaps and develop and action plan to fill them.
      • Implement plans to fill gaps.
      • Facilitate communications among players.
    3. Identify and brief agency decision-makers to support and implement Subcommittee products and topics.
  5. Human and Fiscal Resources Long-Term Strategies
    1. Present the compelling case for the urgency for addressing the impact of plant pathogens on economics, natural resources, and trade.
    2. Leverage Subcommittee member agency resources to support Subcommittee work plan deliverables.