As a result of the 9-11-01 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon, Congress created a new U.S. Department of Homeland Security. With heightened awareness and concern for potential acts of bioterrorism directed at the U.S. Food and Agricultural System, the Department of Homeland Security provided funds for USDA/CSREES to develop a National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN),  in which the land grant plant diagnostic laboratories comprised the backbone of the system. The nation was divided into five regions, with a regional center designated for each of the five regions. The P&PDL, as part of the North Central Plant Diagnostic Network (NCPDN) region has been working with their counterparts at other land grant institutions to prepare against plant diseases and pests that might pose a threat to American agriculture. Part of this response includes providing training protocols for threat pathogens for the “first detectors”. First detectors typically include individuals such as county extension educators, growers, crop consultants and regulatory field inspectors. Once trained, first detectors will be on the look out for unusual or new diseases to submit to the diagnostic laboratories. This will greatly reduce the time between introduction and detection and, subsequently remediation.

In light of this national initiative, the P&PDL provided a 2003 training session to ANR educators on Homeland Security and the threat of bioterrorist attacks on agriculture. The training included information on the NPDN, the NCPDN, Soybean Rust, and how the newly formed National Plant Diagnostic Network will help provide real-time diagnostics and training opportunities through the Plant Diagnostic Information Service (PDIS)

A poster display on these topics was also presented at the 2003 Annual Extension Conference.