Version the survey design
Keep purpose, authority, target list, host, area, season, sites, methods, effort, detection limits, training, safety, quality controls and deviations.
PURPOSE · PLACE · SURVEY · SAMPLE · CONFIRM
Plant Pest
Surveillance Systems
Plant pest surveillance is a designed observation system, not a collection of alerts. It connects a stated purpose and area with target and non-target context, hosts, methods, traps or visits, collection events, specimens and samples, diagnostic work, reporting authority, response and correction. Visible symptoms or model detections remain preliminary until the appropriate evidence and authority say otherwise.
5CHAPTERS4VISUAL BLOCKS6GRAPH LINKS2SOURCES
OBSERVE / SELECTED CONCEPTPlant Pest Surveillance SystemsStart with the role, then move through the editorial sequence.
HOW TO READ THIS PAGE
Visual explanationA diagram or operating scene makes the relationship visible.
Structured modelA flow, comparison, capability set, or boundary map organizes the idea.
Guided explanationOriginal prose connects the concept to its operating context.
01 / Overview
Design the search
before interpreting a find.
APHIS describes CAPS as a cooperative network using threat assessment, scientifically sound survey and diagnostic protocols, survey materials, field surveys, quality controls, approved reporting and established notification protocols for exotic plant pests of regulatory significance.
NPDN confirmation guidance demonstrates that a significant preliminary finding can require defined regulatory contacts, diagnostic coordination, submission records, shipping controls and official communication. The exact pathway is jurisdiction-, pest-, program- and risk-specific.
02 / Evidence flow
Plan, survey, preserve,
diagnose, notify.
01PLAN / 01Define the surveillance questionPurpose, authority, target or syndrome, host and habitat, geographic frame, timing, method, training, negative evidence, quality plan and escalation contacts
02SURVEY / 02Capture a qualified eventSite and host, trap or route, device or observer, date and time, effort, method version, environmental context, finding or non-detection, photos and deviations
03PRESERVE / 03Protect specimen and sample identityCollection identity, relationship to survey event, collector, material, images, packaging, safety, custody, condition, submission record, destination and receipt
04CONFIRM / 04Use the authorized diagnostic pathwayPreliminary identification, laboratory method and authority, required official contacts, confirmation status, controlled communication, response owner, correction and archive
03 / Evidence layers
A detection can mean
several different things.
LayerRepresentsDoes not establish alone
Image or model outputVisible pattern or predicted classPest identity
Trap or scouting findMethod-specific observation at a place and timeArea-wide presence or absence
Preliminary identificationQualified working determinationOfficial confirmation
Authorized confirmationConclusion within the program and submitted materialFull distribution, source or impact
04 / Practice
Preserve negative evidence
and escalation evidence.
Identify every observation
Tie trap service, scouting visit, image, specimen and sample to stable site, host, device or observer, method, time, effort, result and environmental context.
Protect the diagnostic handoff
Preserve field finding, collection, labels, images, submitter, packaging, safety disclosure, custody, shipping authorization, destination, receipt and sample condition.
Keep authority explicit
Separate grower observation, model output, scout judgment, laboratory result, preliminary identification, official confirmation, public communication and regulatory response.
05 / Boundaries
Surveillance cannot
declare a pest-free place.
No pest identification, survey protocol, sampling instruction, shipping direction, quarantine advice, reportability conclusion or regulatory determination is provided.Contact the appropriate extension, diagnostic laboratory and plant-health authority before collecting or moving significant or regulated material.
Absence of detection is bounded by design and effort.Host coverage, timing, location, method sensitivity, trap performance, observer training, weather, access and data quality remain visible.
Do not publicly disclose a suspected regulated detection outside the authorized communication path.Protect location, producer, diagnostic and investigation information while following current official requirements.
06 / Connections
See the system around this concept.
Follow incoming and outgoing relationship records to understand what supplies, informs, enables, coordinates with, or extends this technology in the published knowledge graph.
Relationship radar / published edges6 records / 5 neighboring systems
Incoming03records point toward this concept
observe rolePlant Pest Surveillance SystemsSelected technology
Outgoing03records point from this concept
06connections visible
observe / Crop sensingCrop Disease Imaging ↗adds visible-pattern observations to
Qualified images and model outputs can contribute bounded observations to a designed plant surveillance system but do not identify or officially confirm a pest.
observe / Machine perceptionAgricultural Machine Vision ↗can add validated image observations to
A task- and domain-validated machine-vision pipeline can help collect or prioritize observations while survey design, human review, specimens, diagnostics and authority remain separate.
connect / Farm softwareFarm Recordkeeping Systems ↗adds survey, sample and response evidence to
Survey purpose, site, host, visit, trap, observation, specimen, sample, diagnostic status, communication, response and correction can extend the farm history under appropriate access controls.
decide / Digital agriculture governanceFarm Data Governance ↗requires governed location and diagnostic evidence from
Sensitive farm locations, suspected detections, diagnostic records, official communications, corrections and controlled sharing require explicit authority and governance.
connect / Plant biosecurityPlanting Material Chain of Custody ↗provides source, shipment and destination context to
Planting-material origin, lot, shipment, propagation and destination records can define surveillance questions without diagnosing a pest or changing official material status.
connect / Plant biosecurityPlanting Material Chain of Custody ↗routes qualified detection questions into
An authorized surveillance finding can trigger custody review and official escalation while observation, diagnosis, regulatory action and material disposition remain separate decisions.
2CONNECTED ROUTES6–6STEP POSITIONS22ROUTE SOURCE LINKS
Operating practice
Run the farm biosecurity and early-warning chain
Follow people, animals, assets and crop observations across farm boundaries, livestock alerts, physical verification, plant surveillance, diagnostic sample custody, trace retrieval, response authority and governed records.
- 01 / BOUNDUnderstand biosecurity movement recordsTechnology→
- 02 / AUDITReconstruct a movement chainField guide→
- 03 / WATCHUnderstand livestock health-event surveillanceTechnology→
- 04 / TRIAGETurn one animal alert into evidenceField guide→
- 05 / REVIEWReview the surveillance periodField guide→
- 06 / SURVEYUnderstand plant pest surveillanceTechnology→
- 07 / HAND OFFProtect the plant diagnostic sampleField guide→
- 08 / RETAINKeep an operational recordTechnology→
- 09 / GOVERNGovern sensitive evidenceTechnology
CURRENT POSITION06
06 / SURVEY
Open the complete route ↗Understand plant pest surveillance
Connect purpose, authority, host and area to survey design, field events, traps or images, specimens, samples, diagnostics, reporting and response.
07 / Evidence
Primary sources.
This original briefing uses current USDA APHIS CAPS program material and NPDN diagnostic confirmation and communication guidance. It provides no survey protocol, pest diagnosis, shipping instruction, quarantine advice, official confirmation or compliance opinion.
01
Cooperative Agricultural Pest SurveyUSDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service · Accessed 2026-08-06
02
Diagnostic Confirmation and Communication ProtocolNational Plant Diagnostic Network · Accessed 2026-08-06