United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Biological Control Organism Permits
Under the authority of the Plant Protection Act of 2000, a Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) 526 permit is required for the importation, interstate movement and environmental release of biological control organisms of plant pests and weeds.
Biological control organisms regulated by PPQ include:
- Invertebrate predators and parasites (parasitoids) or competitors used to control invertebrate plant pests
- Invertebrate herbivores used to control weeds
- Microbial pathogens used to control invertebrate plant pests
- Microbial pathogens used to control weeds
- Non-pathogenic microorganisms used to control plant pathogens
- Genetically modified biological control organisms require permits from Biotechnology Regulatory Services.
Specific procedures need to be followed when proposing the first time environmental release of a biological control organism:
- Applying for a PPQ 526 Permit
- Apply for a General Permit for Importation of U.S. EPA Registered Biopesticide
Examples of biological control organisms that do NOT typically need a PPQ 526 permit but may be regulated by other federal agencies or individual states are:
- Biological control organisms against pests, parasites or diseases, or vectors of diseases of vertebrates (including livestock, fish and pets)
- Most viruses of arthropod plant pests
- Most Bacteriophages and mycoviruses
- Interstate movement of microbial biocontrol organisms (“biopesticides”) registered by Environmental Protection Agency.
Biopesticides that are biological controls, according to APHIS, would be any registered pesticide used to control a plant pest, weed or plant disease for which the active ingredient is a live microbial organism, including the metabolites of that organisms.