Catch pests before
they gain control

By GENE HUGOSON
Posted 8/29/02

Editorís note: Gene Hugoson is commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

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From gypsy moths to soybean aphids to leafy spurge, Minnesota seems to face a new pest invasion every month. Most of us consider exotic insects and weeds little more than a nuisance, but a recent study estimates these pests and others like them cost the nation an estimated $55 billion in economic losses each year. These losses are felt most intensely in the agricultural, horticultural and nursery industries.

Given the destructive potential of these pests, itís unfortunate that the most affected industries also are the ones that unwittingly help the pests spread. In many cases, these invasive pests hail from different parts of the world, and they arrive in Minnesota only after hitching a ride in a shipment of grain or nursery products.

To illustrate this problem, consider the case of the soybean aphid, a pest common in parts of Asia but never seen in North America until recently. No one knows how it arrived in the country, but it was first detected in nine Midwestern states (including Minnesota) in the summer of 2000.

Now, experts believe soybean aphids may soon become the leading pest problem for Minnesota farmers - greater than rootworm, soybean cyst nematode and even European corn borers. What makes this pest problem so frustrating is that the aphid was probably introduced accidentally by humans through a shipment of agricultural products from Asia to North America.

Unfortunately, the soybean aphid will almost certainly not be the last invasive pest accidentally introduced to Minnesota. With the continued expansion of international trade and travel, we are bound to see this problem get worse before it gets better. In fact, the state is on guard right now for a whole list of possible pest threats, including Karnal bunt and Asian Longhorned Beetle. Both pests could prove devastating to Minnesota.

Itís important to have early detection programs in place in order to catch the pests before they get out of control. With nearly 400 million tons of goods moving through Minnesota each year through air, rail, sea and highway passages, it takes a broad network of surveillance programs to be sure invasive pests donít find their way into the state.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture serve as the stateís first line of defense against invasive pests and plants that seek to damage the stateís treasured forests and prairies and the gardens and trees of homeowners. The MDAís Invasive Species Management Program works to keep new and destructive insects, plants and microorganisms from entering Minnesota by identifying and evaluating the means or pathway upon which the pests could enter. This program is built upon surveys and trapping programs that monitor the presence of invasive plants and insects.

Although state and federal programs catch most of the invasive pests that find their way into the state, citizens must also do their part. Aside from cargo and agriculture commodities, pests can also be inadvertently brought into the state through normal human activities. Vigilance by homeowners, landscape and tree professionals and those who work with nursery and agriculture commodities helps reduce the risk of exotic pest establishments here.

As our global interests continue to expand, we must maintain this vigilance in order to protect our treasured forests and our valuable nursery and agriculture industries. For more information about invasive pests, please visit the MDA website at www.mda.state .mn.us/invasives/.