ENVIRONMENT

Soybeans at risk? Why Indiana agriculture officials worry about mystery seeds from China

Sarah Bowman
Indianapolis Star

There's a reason Indiana agriculture officials don't see the humor in the mysterious seed packets that are showing up in more than 300 Hoosier mailboxes.

Soybeans.

Similar packages sent to residents in Washington state have contained the seeds of amaranth, a noxious weed that poses a threat to one of Indiana's biggest cash crops.

So as people in all 50 states have reported receiving mysterious packages of seeds, most postmarked from China, agricultural officials aren't joining in on the memes and jokes that have caught fire on social media.

Those officials worry about what they might be: noxious weeds, invasive species or carriers of dangerous invasive species. It is still unclear at this point what the contents of the seeds collected in Indiana are, but the Office of the Indiana State Chemist doesn't want to take any chances. 

In Indiana, 5.5 million acres of soy are planted this year. 

Many in this family of amaranth weeds are already resistant to multiple classes of herbicides and are "yield robbers," said Don Robison, seed administrator in the State Chemist Office.

"We cannot afford to add to the issues agriculture already has with this class of weeds," Robison said.

A packet of seeds postmarked from China arrived at a Lafayette resident's home this week, as agricultural experts put out warnings not to plant the seeds that mysteriously started arriving in U.S. mailboxes this month.

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, is working closely with the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection, other federal and state agencies to investigate, according to a USDA statement issued Tuesday. The USDA and state agriculture officials have issued warnings about the unsolicited seed shipments and have advised people not to plant them. 

But a few people in Indiana already have, according to Robison. They were curious to know what they were or just didn't know, unaware of what's at stake. Not only could they harm their backyard garden, Robison said, but it could also hurt the commodity and specialty crops that make up an integral part of Indiana's agricultural economy. 

Those mystery seeds from China: Might be part of an Amazon review scam

In cases where the seeds have already been planted, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources most likely will come to the home and remove the plants and seeds from the pot or soil. 

Robison, who has been in the seed business for more than three decades and in his current role for four years, said he has never seen or heard of anything like this: "This is new territory." Especially being at this scale, he added. 

Residents in all 50 states have reported receiving suspicious packages of seeds. Robison said his counterparts around the nation are giving reports of similar numbers to Indiana, "so it is easily in the thousands across the country."

"This could be a big deal," Robison said. "That is currently an unknown." 

Robison said he first heard of the situation Saturday night. He serves on the board of Association of American Seed Control Officials, and another state started asking questions. "Since then it has blown up," he said. 

APHIS is collecting the seeds and either a USDA lab or the Indiana State Seed Lab will analyze and identify the seeds. If the Indiana lab identifies the seed, Robison said the staff will wear full personal protective equipment as though they are dealing with some  seed treatments that can be toxic to humans — that's because they are not sure what the seeds might contain. 

Those who receive the packages are also being advised not to throw the seeds out. 

"Throwing the seeds away is the same as planting them," Robison said. "There will be seed to soil contact in a landfill, and at that point there are at least three different bad outcomes." 

The first is that it is a noxious weed, like the amaranth. The second is that it could be an invasive species that Indiana doesn't currently have, causing problems with Indiana's environment and waterways. 

The Agriculture Department is looking into the origins of mysterious packages of seeds with Chinese mailing addresses delivered to recipients who say they never ordered them.

The last, and potentially most worrisome, is that the seed could carry a disease that is not currently found in the Midwest. That disease could spread and destroy a crop that has no built-up resistance to this new pathogen. 

At this time it is unclear why residents are receiving these packages; USDA and potentially Homeland Security are working on that aspect. 

It is believed the packages are possibly being sent as part of what's called a "brushing scam," where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales, according to the USDA statement. Some of the packages are being labeled as jewelry such as a stud earring or bracelet, according to residents who have received the packages. 

A packet of seeds postmarked from China arrived at a Lafayette resident's home this week, as agricultural experts put out warnings not to plant the seeds that mysteriously started arriving in U.S. mailboxes this month.

Those who receive the seeds should do the following: 

  • Place all contents in a zip-top bag, then place the bag in an envelope or small box and mail it to:
    • USDA APHIS PPQ 
    • State Plant Health Director 
    • Nick Johnson 
    • 3059 N. Morton St. Franklin, IN 46131 · 
  • If you are unable to mail the items, do not dispose of them. Keep the seeds, packaging and mailing label and contact the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology at 866-663-9684 or DEPP@dnr.IN.gov.
  • Anyone who has already planted seeds should not dispose of the plants or soil. Contact the Indiana DNR Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology at the phone number and email address above.
  • Never plant seeds of unknown origin.

Call IndyStar reporter Sarah Bowman at 317-444-6129 or email at sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStar’s environmental reporters: Join The Scrub on Facebook.

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.