Texas aims to stop 'major threat' of cotton jassid pest invasion

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Weeks after announcing an invasive species, known as the cotton jassid, made its way into Texas earlier this month, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced Thursday that an emergency quarantine is now in place to stop the spread.

The quarantine now applies to shipments coming from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee -- which are all places where the pest has been detected, Miller said in a news release Thursday.

"This emergency order immediately restricts the movement of host plants and regulated articles from infested areas into Texas unless strict certification or treatment requirements are met. Retailers and nurseries found violating the quarantine face fines, destruction of infested plants, and potential criminal penalties," the release said.

The cotton jassid is known to feed on various plant hosts, like cotton, okra, eggplant, sunflower, hibiscus and several weeds, according to Miller's office.

The pest was initially detected on retail hibiscus in multiple Texas towns, including Cedar Park. Miller went on to say in the release the pest posed "a serious threat to Texas' multi-billion-dollar cotton industry."

“Texas cotton farmers are the backbone of our economy and our communities,” Miller said in the release. "Texas grows 40% of the cotton grown in the U.S., making this pest a major threat to our supply. I won’t let a threat like the cotton jassid harm our farmers, ranchers, nurseries, or landscapes. We’re taking aggressive steps to stop this pest in its tracks."

According to Miller's office, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) "has the authority to establish quarantines when an imminent threat exists." The TDA has since issued the following emergency regulatory orders, as provided by Miller's office:

• Destroy infected plants, like infested hibiscus or any in the Malavaceae family -- including cotton, roselle, kenaf, okra, abutilon, mallow, lavatera, sidalcea and more.
• Reject shipments without phytosanitary documents: "Any nursery stock shipments coming into Texas without any phytosanitary or nursery inspection documentation must be rejected at the road station and diverted back to the original state," Miller's office said.
• Quarantine and monitoring: Enhanced inspections will be conducted by TDA inspectors border road stations, as well as in the state. Additionally, inspectors will conduct those inspections at retail and nurseries across the state.
• Vehicle seizure and impoundment: Vehicles included in the seizure and impoundment include "trucks, trailers, or refrigerated haulers transporting regulated products into Texas." Miller's office said those vehicles "will be pulled off the road, impounded, and subject to forfeiture under state law."
• Expanded statewide inspections: TDA inspectors, USDA and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension will all conduct "increased inspections at markets across Texas to prevent the spread of the pest."
• Retailer and public guidance: "Outreach materials" to be distributed to "retailers, landscapers, and the public to enhance detection, awareness, and reporting"
• Education and outreach: "Distribution of facts sheets and identification guides to retailers, landscapers, cotton producers, and the public to enhance awareness, detection, and reporting." 

"TDA inspectors, working closely with the USDA and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, have already conducted over 400 inspections across the state. Several positive samples have been confirmed, and the department is ramping up inspections and enforcement to contain the pest," Miller's office said.

“If you’re a grower, a retailer, or a consumer, we need you on the lookout,” Miller said.

To report a suspected cotton jassid infestation, contact the TDA at PlantQuality@TexasAgriculture.gov, or call (512) 463-7660, Miller's office said.