►  Welcome, Extension Professionals!  ◄

You have reached the main page of the
Plant Biosecurity Management course sponsored by the
Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN)

This course is designed for Extension advisers, agents, and specialists who understand the urgency of plant protection and will have the opportunity to teach plant biosecurity management to agricultural producers, workers, and others involved in the U.S. agricultural sector.

  ationale
Warnings by government agencies and public interest groups point out that our agricultural sector is vulnerable to an agroterrorist attack, including the intentional introduction of a pest or pathogen to U.S. crops. Specialists agree that the economic impact of a biosecurity event in this country could be devastating. In a recent EDEN survey, 80% of agricultural producers nationwide reported that Extension would be the first place they would contact if they observed something unusual in a field, orchard, or vineyard. Acknowledging this producer reliance on Extension professionals for technical information and support, it is critical to offer this timely and comprehensive course on the four phases of plant biosecurity management.

   ontent:
This course will prepare Extension educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to teach others:

  1. the threat of both intentional and unintentional introduction of pests and pathogens to crops;

  2. how to mitigate plant biosecurity hazards and security risks to farm operations and agribusinesses;

  3. how to prepare for a rapid and appropriate response to a suspected plant biosecurity problem;

  4. what recovery activities to expect in the event a plant biosecurity problem is confirmed;

  5. how to reduce the impact of a biosecurity event on humans, crops, property, and the environment.

A panel of plant experts from the disciplines of entomology, plant pathology, integrated pest management, agricultural safety, and emergency management outlined the course content. All of the course materials were peer-reviewed for technical accuracy.

  esources:
To assist Extension professionals in educational programming efforts, this site offers ready-to-use presentations, case studies, applied activities, and handouts for producer workshops and/or community awareness presentations. Additionally, numerous links are provided to government news and pest alerts, publications, and key agency programs related to plant biosecurity management and homeland security. Included is information from:

  • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

  • Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN)

  • Regional Integrated Pest Management Centers (IPM)

  • National Agricultural Pest Information System (NAPIS)

  • Plant Protection Quarantine (PPQ)

  • National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN)

  • Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

   echnical Training Available from NPDN:
If you are also seeking certification as a “First Detector” or need technical training on pest detection, pest identification, sampling, and related topics, a different course may be more appropriate to meet your professional development needs. The National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) currently offers technical training modules online and has a certification course for “First Detectors” under development. The following chart shows how this course differs from the EDEN course you are about to begin: NPDN_EDEN_Course_Comparision_Chart.pdf.

   ow to Begin:
There are a few things you will need to know in order to get started in the course.  Click here to bring up instructions about how to get started.  They will appear in the Help frame on the right side of this window.

Last updated:  09/01/09