The integrated approach used by APHIS PPQ 
to combat plant pests and diseases has global 
benefits. U.S. trading partners can trust that 
they are receiving healthy, pest- and disease- 
free agricultural shipments, while U.S. con- 
sumers can continue to enjoy the tastes of 
America and the world. 
PPQ’s personnel are the vital link among the 
elements of PPQ’s integrated approach. The 
unit’s approximately 3,500 employees repre- 
sent a wide variety of academic disciplines 
and are a highly educated and skilled work 
force. Plant pathology, entomology, botany, 
weed science, ecology, zoology, veterinary 
science, biotechnology, computer science, 
statistics, and management are only some of 
the areas PPQ employees specialize in. The 
majority of PPQ employees hold college 
degrees, and many have advanced degrees in 
the sciences. PPQ employees work all over 
the United States and in a number of other 
countries. Management and staff specialists 
work at APHIS headquarters offices in and 
near Washington, DC, as well as at PPQ’s 
Center for Plant Health Science and 
Technology (CPHST) in Raleigh, NC. PPQ 
also has offices in all 50 States where person- 
nel concentrate on local issues. 
Surveillance and Detection 
One reason PPQ was ready for the pink hibis- 
cus mealybug in California was because PPQ 
constantly monitored the species’ progress 
in the Caribbean. By working together with 
the various governments in the Caribbean, 
APHIS was able to track the pest and, in 
turn, strategically release the parasitic wasp. 
APHIS uses similar approaches to guard the 
country’s borders from pests in other areas 
of the world that could threaten U.S. 
agriculture. 
Another example of international monitor- 
ing is the Moscamed program. Designed to 
reduce the risk of Mediterranean fruit fly 
(Medfly) introduction into the United States, 
Moscamed Is a cooperative program between 
the governments of the United States, 
Mexico, and Guatemala. The program, initi- 
ated in 1977 and managed by APHIS’ 
International Services (IS) program, works 
to eradicate the Medfly from Mexico and to 
maintain a barrier in Guatemala to halt the 
Medfly’s northern spread. 
PPQ also has programs that monitor and 
manage established plant pests like boll wee- 
vil and gypsy moth and certain noxious 
weeds of foreign origin. To monitor plant 
pests, PPQ works with the States in a project 
called the Cooperative Agricultural Pest 
Survey (CAPS). Survey information on 
insects and plant diseases is entered into a 
nationwide database, the National 
Agricultural Pest Information System 
(NAPIS). Information from this database can 
be accessed from anywhere in the country by 
persons with an authorized account. PPQ 
has also used the CAPS program to conduct 
ongoing surveys for foreign plant pests and 
diseases, such as the Asian longhorned beetle 
and plum pox. 
By accessing NAPIS, users can retrieve the 
latest collected data on pests. NAPIS data can 
assist in pest forecasting, early pest warning, 
quicker and more precise delimiting efforts, 
and better planning of plant pest eradication 
or control efforts. Survey data—which can 
reflect the absence as well as the presence of 
pests—also help U.S. exports by assuring 
foreign countries that our commodities are 
free of specific pests and diseases. More than 
a million records are in the NAPIS database. 
About 200 Federal and State agencies use 
NAPIS. Its data can be downloaded and ana- 
lyzed with geographic information systems 
to provide graphic representation of 
information. 
By constant 
surveillance and 
preparation, APHIS’ 
PPQ program is 
ready to respond 
to plant pest and 
disease outbreaks 
across the United 
States without 
delay. 
Plant Health Programs 3 
