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hardy  Aroids)" <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL> Aroids)" <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
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From: Adam Fikso <irisman at AMERITECH.NET>
Subject: Re: Seeds and the validity of a phyto
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Dave.  Your comments are right on.  The inspection is visual only, as far=as
I have been able to ascertain.  May involve the use of magnifiers, but
that's it.

I suspect that the main utility of the phyto at this time, is to provide =a
paper trail in the event that a major toxin such as anthrax or botulinus
comes in via this avenue.  Even if a certificate were to be faked, there =are
ways of tracing it back to its originators, which does not exist now.  I
have made jokes and been critical about the issue of terrorism, and I wil=l
probably continue to do so, the incompetence of sectors of the U.S.
government and the management of various portions of it, and of American
business, and will continue to be critical-- as a patriotic duty--but..th=ere
is a terrorism threat which  cannot be adequately addressed by any single
intervention.  I do believe that having a traceable paper trail is part o=f a
system of checks and balances that unfortunately this administration has,=in
the past, chosen to dismantle, to the detriment of many.  Maybe they are
learning.

Adam Fikso in Glenview, IL USDA Zone 5a

----- Original Message -----
From: "Laura & Dave" <toadlily at OLYWA.NET>
To: <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
Sent: Friday, April 07, 2006 2:48 AM
Subject: Seeds and the validity of a phyto


> Put my mark in the lucky column; the seeds arrived today.
>
> Carlo raised a good point, that prompts me to ask a question (or many).=He
> Wrote:
>   The seed regulations are not just for weed seed and insects. Fungal a=nd
>   bacteriological pathogens are invisible to the eye but are also cause
> for
>   concern on the part of the regulators.
>
>   What I really don't know is what and how does an inspector who is
> issuing phyto-sanitary certificates conduct an inspection? I've receive=d
> many from a number of different countries; is there a set of internatio=nal
> standards that are applied? What education and/or training are needed t=o
> be an inspector?
>   The ideal of receiving only healthy plant material is something I can
> get along with, since I'm not really well trained at spotting pathogens.
> But, if many pathogens are invisible, what do the inspections really
> accomplish? It appears to me that the certificate is mostly a verificat=ion
> that the shipper has complied with packing requirements (i.e.., bare ro=ot,
> cleaned bulbs, etc.) and provided proper documentation. The bulk of the
> confirmation of healthy plant material seems to rely on the care and
> integrity of the grower/shipper. Perhaps some of you members that ship
> plants could elaborate on the process you go through?
>   However, I don't want to give the impression that I think that
> inspections are a bad thing in principle. I once shipped some seed to
> myself, one species of which had an insect egg cache that I'd missed
> during cleaning. The seed was caught and taken, and I was quite thankfu=l
> that I was saved from having to battle some weird insect in my greenhou=se.
>
> Dave Brastow
> Tumwater, WA ; zone 7A
>