Eliminating Phantom Agents to Streamline Global Germplasm Exchange

Outdated regulations listing “phantom agents,” or plant pathogens that were reported in the past with no true evidence of existence, are slowing the global exchange of clean plant materials. The Arkansas Clean Plant Center led the efforts of a global team of agricultural scientists to identify and remove 120 of these “phantom agents,” most of which were “discovered” before modern molecular analysis tools existed, from regulatory lists.

Read More