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Re: [APD] RE: Tropica plants



I think it's great that Claus took time to respond. It is
good that explanation is in the archives now for when the
question gets asked again, as all questions on APD get
asked again, sooner or later.

Good roots, good plants, good fun,
Scott H.

 


--- Claus Christensen <clc at tropica_dk> wrote:

> 
> Nicholas Plummer asked: Can anyone explain why Tropica
> plants cannot be imported into the US.? 
> 
> USA is the only industrialised country that does not
> allow import of Tropica plants. USDA requires that the
> roots are visible. This is not possible because all
> Tropica plants are grown in pots with stone-wool.
>  
> (Federal Register § 319.37-8   Growing media.(a) Any
> restricted article at the time of importation or offer
> for importation into the United States shall be free of
> sand, soil, earth, and other growing media)
> 
> Extracting the main point of a letter addressed to the
> United States Department of Agriculture: 
> 
> Tropica was established in 1970 as a specialised nursery
> producing solely aquatic plants. Each year Tropica
> produces 2 million aquatic plants potted in the sterile
> medium 'rock wool' manufactured under the trade name
> Grodan. This particular growth medium is currently
> hindering the export of these first-class aquarium plants
> into the United States. Grodan is recognised world-wide
> as an effective and clean growth medium. It enables the
> grower to control and fight any disease or pest what so
> ever on hydroponically grown plants. Currently, Tropica
> exports more than 150 species to 30 different countries
> all over the world including Japan, New Zealand,
> Australia and Canada. All of these countries are
> extremely careful about preventing the introduction of
> new pests. 
> The United States presently allows the import of aquatic
> plants grown in nurseries in for example India, Sri Lanka
> and Singapore as long as they come free of soils or other
> particulate root medium. In addition, the United States
> allows the import of aquatic plants collected in the wild
> from South America as well as Asia. Both of these sources
> of aquatic plants present a high risk of introducing
> unwanted 'weeds' and phyto-diseases (fungus, bacteria,
> and virus). This is not a theoretical risk! During the
> obligatory quarantine period, Tropica has found that many
> of the plants held in quarantine carry diseases and pest.
> 
> Importing plants from Tropica Aquarium Plants poses far
> less risk than importing plants from the wild or from
> less rigorously controlled nurseries in Asia. Diseases
> are avoided by strict control in the production by
> actually growing the plants in 'rock wool' on sterile
> plastic tables using reverse osmosis water. The nursery
> is under strict control by the Danish Department of
> Agriculture (DDA), which visits Tropica unannounced
> searching for pests and diseases. In addition, DDA will
> issue 'Phytosanitary Certificates' after carefully
> examining and approving each shipment. Also, each
> shipment is subjected to country specific pre-export
> treatments.
> 
> Best regards
> Claus
> Tropica
> Denmark
> 
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------
> Claus Christensen: (mailto:clc at tropica_dk)
> Managing director
> Tropica Aquarium Plants: (mailto:tropica at tropica_dk)
> Tropica http://www.tropica.dk
>
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> 
> 
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The AGA's Sixth Annual International Aquascaping Contest is open! 

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So, get some fresh alkalines for the camera, clean the glass front, back and sides, remove the filter tubes and burping clam, and start snapping the shutter. 

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