Islamic Azad University Establishes Phytosanitary Quarantine

“In order to recieve the license of the phytosanitary clinic active in the Strategic Technologies Laboratory Network, the Bojnourd branch succeeded in obtaining a phytosanitary quarantine license and seeks to provide a basis for international activities with other countries,” Qolamreza Kazzemi, the president of the Islamic Azad University’s Bojnourd branch in North Khorassan province, told ANA.

“Identifying plant pest diseases, controlling and containing the spread of diseases, participating in the implementation of national and international regulations, issuing and certifying plant health for export and import, and research and development are among the important missions of this quarantine,” he added.

Quarantine is a legislative (regulatory) attempt to exclude pests from invading into the areas where they do not exist by monitoring the import and export of plant, seed/planting material to prevent the spread of disease and pests. Insect pests may move along with the infected plants, seed, fruit, planting materials, or equipment.

Plant quarantine may, therefore, be defined as rules and regulations promulgated by government or governments to regulate the introduction of plants, planting materials, plant products, soil, living organisms, and so on, from one region to another with a view to prevent inadvertent introduction of exotic pests, weeds, and pathogens harmful to the agriculture, horticulture, or the environment of a country/region, and if introduced, to prevent their establishment and further spread without adversely affecting the trade.

Quarantine aims to prevent entry of dangerous pathogens, but not by completely blocking the movement of biological material.

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