Nebraska Department of Agriculture

Animal & Plant Health Protection
Plant Health

European Corn Borer Certification Program

Quarantine Requirements

European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) overwinter in stalks, cobs, and shanks of one-half inch or larger diameter stalks and debris of corn, sorghums, broom corn, and sudan seeds. In order to exclude the European corn borer, all corn, sorghums, broom corn, and sudan seeds shipped to states with a European Corn Borer Quarantine must be scalped (screened) over a one-half inch screen (either round or square-holed). Railroad cars must be inspected for stalks and other debris and cleaned, if necessary, before loading. If scalping is done before loading and the clean grain is stored in a bin, that bin must be inspected to make sure it is free of debris. Fumigation may be substituted for screening, but quarantine states will only accept methyl bromide fumigation. Rejections will occur if the load is found to have debris of one-half inch or over or if live European corn borers are detected. After rejection, depending on the receiving states requirements, the load will either be fumigated, rolled, or screened at the shipper's expense. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) will inspect each elevator and screening equipment if rejections occur. Flagrant violation of the quarantine may result in a hearing and certificate revocation.

Application for Certification and Inspection of Screening Equipment

Annual application must be made for certification of screening facilities. Inspection of the screening facilities must be conducted on a regular basis by the elevator. The most recent inspection shall be reported at the time of application for certification.

States Requiring European Corn Borer Certification

Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas**, Utah, Washington, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia have a European Corn Borer Quarantine in effect.

Texas**
European corn borer has been found in the following counties in the panhandle of Texas. Those counties are Bailey, Carson, Castro, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Floyd, Gray, Hale, Hansford, Hartley, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Moore, Ochiltree, Oldham, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, and Swisher. European corn borer certificates are not required for shipments into these counties. Unfumigated and unscreened grain may be shipped through the European corn borer free area of Texas, if it is destined to a foreign port through a port elevator operating under the authority of the Federal Grain Inspection Service (F.G.I.S.). The European corn borer certificate must accompany each car or truck lot from the state or origin stating that grain is for export only and must not be diverted to any other Texas point. A bill or bill of lading must carry a notation that change of destination to other Texas points is not authorized, except that grain may be diverted to another qualified port elevator.

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