In 2008, the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN) was established with the mission of “providing high quality asexually propagated plant material free of targeted plant pathogens and pests that cause economic loss to protect the environment and ensure the global competitiveness of specialty crop producers”. In the following year, the NCPN set a new standard for foundation plant material for the United States. The new testing strategy, Protocol 2010, requires that nuclear stock at the five Grape Clean Plant Centers in the U.S. be generated through micro shoot tip culture, and test free of an extensive list of pathogens. This rigorous testing is conducted to ensure that clean plant material is available to nurseries and growers, and serves as the foundation of state certification programs.

During this session, speakers will discuss the different facets of the certification process and highlight the potential benefits of using certified plant material.  

Moderator:

Justin Scheiner, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, College Station

Speakers:

Bobby Cox, Bingham Family Vineyards, Texas

Robb Parr, Parr Vineyards, Texas