(1) No mint or mint rootstock shall enter Montana unless the following
conditions are met:
(a) The mint or mint rootstock is certified mint
or mint rootstock which meets the following criteria:
(i) The acreage from which the imported mint or
mint rootstock originates is included in an official mint certification program
which has been reviewed prior to importation by the committee and found to
substantially meet or exceed the requirements of this rule; or
(ii) The mint or mint rootstock has been
inspected in the state of origin. The
inspection procedures used by the state of origin must be reviewed and approved
by the head of the department of plant sciences and plant pathology, Montana
state university and the mint committee prior to shipment of mint into
Montana and must meet inspection criteria listed below:
(A) The inspections shall be conducted at such
times in the life cycle of the pests and mint wilt to maximize the ability of
the mint inspector to detect the pests and mint wilt if present. All mint rootstock fields shall be inspected
according to the following procedure:
(I) Based on the field inspection the samples
shall be free of mint wilt and mint stem borer (0 tolerance) . The 0 tolerance for these pests applies to
the life of the mint field. The
identity and level of pests detected shall be recorded and provided on the
phytosanitary certificate for mint root borer, strawberry root weevil, mint
flea beetle and wire worm; and
(II) Two field inspections shall occur, one early
in the growing season and one in early fall prior to harvest. Feeder roots shall be analyzed for the root
knot nematode and root lesion nematode.
Identification and level of infestation of the northern root knot
nematode (Meloidogyne hapla) and/or Columbia root knot nematode
(Meloidogyne chitwoodii) and root lesion nematode will be stated on the
phytosanitary certificate. It is
the responsibility of the exporting state to assure that inspections have
occurred at appropriate times.
(iii) The person(s) conducting the inspections
must be able to demonstrate by education, training, and experience, the
expertise necessary to identify mint wilt and mint pests.
(b) The mint, mint rootstock, or mint plant
tissue is tested by Montana state university and is determined to meet the
tolerances of (1) (a) (ii) (A) above. The
head of the department of plant sciences and plant pathology, Montana state
university and the mint committee may also review and approve other testing if
they are satisfied that the testing meets the tolerances of (1) (a) (ii) (A) above; or
(c) Nuclear stock may be imported when
accompanied with a phytosanitary certificate confirming that the nuclear stock
has been grown in sanitary, isolated, and environmentally
controlled conditions, and
the nuclear stock is free of all pests and mint wilt.
(2) Each lot of mint or mint rootstock shipped
into Montana must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate which states:
(a) The name, address, and phone number of the
shipper; and
(b) The general description of the field
location(s) where the mint or mint rootstock originated from;
(c) The name, address, and phone number of the
importer;
(d) A statement that the mint or mint rootstock
is certified mint or inspected according to the above defined procedure;
(e) A statement declaring that, based on
inspection of the mint or mint rootstock according to the above defined
procedure, no mint wilt or mint stem borer have been found, and the identity
and the level or amount of infestation for the root knot nematode, root lesion
nematode, mint root borer, strawberry root weevil, mint flea beetle and
wire worm infestations must be stated; and
(f) Each importing Montana grower will receive a
copy of the phytosanitary certificate which contains the information in (2) on
the imported mint rootstock. When
possible these copies shall be provided to Montana growers prior to
importation.
(3) A copy of the phytosanitary certificate must
be sent to the Montana department of agriculture by the agency responsible for
plant pest regulations in the state of origin prior to importation of the mint
or mint rootstock. The department shall
forward a copy of the phytosanitary certificate to the chairman of the Montana
mint committee and the appropriate grower.
(4) If any imported mint or mint rootstock is found
to be in violation of these importation rules, the mint or mint rootstocks
shall be shipped back to the exporting grower or destroyed at the discretion of
the importer. If the mint or mint
rootstock has already been planted, the mint shall be destroyed by tillage or
chemical means. All such remedial
actions shall be at the importing grower's expense.