3257 SWEET POTATO WEEVIL

State Exterior Quarantine

A quarantine is established against the following pest, its hosts, and possible carriers:

A. Pest. Sweet potato weevil (Cylas formicarius elegantulus) which feeds on all parts of host plants, but primarily roots or tubers.

B. Area Under Quarantine. The entire states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

C. Articles and Commodities Covered. Sweet potato plants, vines, cuttings, draws, and slips, and sweet potato tubers, or so-called yams (Ipomoea batatas), and morning-glory plants (Ipomoea and Convolvulus spp.).

D Restrictions.

1. All Articles and Commodities Covered, Prohibited From Area Under Quarantine. All articles and commodities covered are prohibited entry into California if grown, packed, or stored within, or shipped from the area under quarantine except as specified in (2), (3), (4), and (5) below.

2. Seed sweet potato tubers for planting or propagation are admissible only under a permit issued to the receiver by the Secretary (see Title 3, Sections 300 and 3154).

3 Other Sweet Potato Tubers Grown, Packed, or Stored Within, or Shipped From the Area Under Quarantine Admitted if Treated at Origin. Sweet potato tubers grown, packed, or stored within, or shipped from the area under quarantine, will be admitted into California provided they have been certified by an authorized agricultural official of the state of origin as having been treated (at owner's risk) for sweet potato weevil and were protected from post-treatment infestation by sweet potato weevil.

4 Articles and Commodities Covered, Except Seed Sweet Potato for Planting or Propagation. From a Noninfested County or Parish in the Area Under Quarantine Admitted Under Certification of Origin. Articles and commodities covered, if grown, packed and stored (if stored) within and shipped from a noninfested county in the area under quarantine, except seed sweet potato for planting or propagation, will be admitted into California provided each lot or shipment is accompanied by a certificate of origin issued by an authorized agricultural official of the origin state giving the name and address of the shipper, number and kind of container in shipment or lots, manner of shipment, and car initials and number if shipped by rail. The certificate shall state that the lot or shipment originated in a noninfested county or parish.

5. Exception. Morning-glories from a noninfested county or parish in the area under quarantine are admissible without a certificate of origin.

IDENTIFICATION OF TRUE YAMS

APPENDIX A 10-31-84

True yams (Dioscorea spp.) are not restricted by this quarantine. It is difficult to differentiate between true yam and sweet potato tubers using color of skin and/or tuber flesh as the determining factors. Sweet potato tuber flesh may be white, orange, red, or purple. The skin can be any of the aforementioned colors and in addition may be yellow or orange brown.

A recent shipment of "Boniatos", thought to be true yams, were found infested with sweet potato weevils. This indicates that tubers in trade labeled as "Boniatos" are actually sweet potatoes. Since it is difficult to differentiate between true yam and sweet potato tubers, shipments of "Boniatos" should be rejected unless the tubers have been certified at origin as being treated in an approved manner for sweet potato weevil.

To determine if the tubers are true yams, cut one end of the tuber off so you have a slice approximately 2 inches thick. Rub the freshly cut areas together several times and gently pull apart. If strings of latex appearing gum are found attached to both pieces, the tuber can be determined to be a true yam and may be released.

Additional Infested Areas

Appendix  B

The following areas are considered infested with the sweet potato weevil.  These should now be treated as regulated areas.  Articles and commodities covered should be rejected under the Food and Agriculture Code Section 6461.5. Other parts of the state are not covered and certification is not required.

North Carolina

    That portion of New Hanover County described as follows:  The entire island bordered on the west by the
    Cape Fear River and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and south of that line established from the Carolina
    Beach Inlet from the Atlantic Ocean along the Intracoastal Waterway at Snow Canal until it reaches the
    Cape Fear River."

    That portion of Brunswick County described as follows: "The entire area bordered on the north by the
    Intracoastal Waterway and on the east by the Cape Fear River and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean
    and on the west by a straight line beginning at the junction of Highway 133 with the Intracoastal Highway,
    extending south through the point where Highway 133 ends, and terminating at the junction of said straight
    line with the Atlantic Ocean."

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture has informed us that sweet potato production is not permitted in the identified quarantined areas.
 
 APPROVED ORIGIN CERTIFICATION

APPENDIX C                                                                                                                                                                                    07-09-08

For the purposes of this quarantine, regulated articles certified with colored tags, attached or placed in each container in the load, issued by an authorized agricultural official of the origin state, indicating that the lot or shipment originated in a noninfested county or parish is an acceptable form of origin certification.