International Plant Protection Convention Research Articles

International collaboration to assess and manage the impacts of climate change on plant health in the framework of the International Plant Protection Convention

AbstractAs part of the 2020–2030 strategic framework for the International Plant Protection Convention, a focus group on climate change was established in 2021. The focus group includes scientists and plant health officials from around the world. The group has been raising awareness of the importance of climate change to plant health, promoting the consideration of climate change in all IPPC activities and drafting technical resources for NPPOs. The group is due to continue its activities until 2025.

Phytosanitary management of ICARDA’s germplasm seed collections for safe movement and better future use

Abstract Germplasm exchange from international genebanks and breeding programs is vital for successful crop improvement programs. More than 10,000 different accessions of wheat, barley, lentil, faba bean, chickpea, grasspea, and pasture and forage crops are distributed by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) every year to around 70 countries. New accessions are added to the germplasm collections in the Center's genebank and utilized in the breeding programs. Recent years have witnessed an increasing global concern about the loss of plant genetic resources because of conflicts, human pandemic diseases, extreme weather events, pest and disease outbreaks, and natural calamities such as earthquakes, floods, etc., which led to disrupting access to germplasm and undermining social protection systems. Safety duplication of germplasm collections held in genebanks in other institutions, including international, regional, and national genebanks, as well as the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (SGSV), is one of the essential measures to safeguard germplasm and also to replenish any lost accessions and resume use and distribution of seeds to users internationally. Germplasm distribution procedures are conducted per International Plant Protection Convention phytosanitary regulations to avoid the transboundary spread of seed-borne pests and pathogens. The ICARDA’s Seed Health Laboratory exercises maximum efforts to maintain the “phytosanitary clean” health status of germplasm during regeneration, conservation, distribution and ensure compliance with phytosanitary regulations in international germplasm distributions to guarantee minimum loss of genetic resources. These efforts include the development of new methods to detect and manage seed-borne pathogens. An increase in global awareness to preserve germplasm for current and future use is crucial to combat climate challenge, malnutrition, and food insecurity.

Improved statistical methods for estimating infestation rates in quarantine research when hosts are naturally infested.

Trading partners often require phytosanitary or quarantine treatments for fresh horticultural produce to ensure no economically important pest species are moved with the imported product. When developing such treatments, it is essential that the level of treatment efficacy can be determined. This is often based on the mortality of the total number of target pests exposed to treatment, but in naturally infested products this number is not always known. In such cases, the infestation rate and subsequently an estimate of the number of pests are obtained directly from a set of untreated control samples of the host product. The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat has provided 2 formulas for these situations that place an interval around the point estimate obtained from the control samples to obtain an estimate of the infestation rate. However, these formulas do not allow a confidence level to be assigned to the estimate, and there are concerns with the assumptions regarding the distribution and the measure of variability used in the formulas. In this article, we propose 2 alternative formulas. We propose that the lower one-sided confidence limit should be applied to all infestation datasets that are approximately normally distributed. As infestation data are sometimes skewed, it is proposed the lower one-sided modified Cox confidence limit is applied to data approximately log-normal distributed. These well-recognized formulas are compared to the formulas recommended by the IPPC and applied to 3 datasets involving natural infestation.

International Cooperation to Support the Diagnosis of Forestry Pests: The Role of EPPO and Euphresco

Plant pests are a threat to biodiversity, food security, and the economy. The challenges posed by the introduction of plant pests have triggered the establishment of cooperative mechanisms such as the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), an international treaty to protect plant health, but also of Regional Plant Protection Organizations (RPPOs), such as the European and Mediterranean plant Protection Organizations (EPPO). RPPOs participate in activities in their regions to promote and achieve the objectives of the IPPC. Because accurate and reliable detection and identification of pests are essential in order to be able to take appropriate measures against a pest and thus avoid or reduce the economic, social, and environmental costs that it can cause, the IPPC and EPPO have established a specific program on diagnostics. The main aim of this article is to present the diagnostic activities conducted by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization and Euphresco. Some information is also presented on other initiatives in diagnostics.

PLANT QUARANTINE: AN EFFECTIVE APPROACH FOR THE PREVENTION OF DISEASES: A REVIEW

A major factor in the long-distance spread of diseases and insect pests that could be dangerous to the agriculture of the importing country is the interchange of germplasm and the international trade of agri-horticultural products. Protecting nations from the unauthorized influx of novel insect pests and illnesses fall within the purview of the National Plant Protection Organizations. Combining regulatory and technical strategies that can guarantee biosecurity for a country or region can be used to achieve the exclusion. The International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), which offer standards on pest prevention, detection, and eradication, are developed by the Food and Agriculture Organizations International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). Inthe recent era, the import and export of plant commodities have dramatically increased,and the chance of plant diseases is also increased from their original native place to new location, where it does not exist. The new diseases have tremendous loss in India and the world. In the last decade beginning the government of India in 2003 has notification of new Plant Quarantine order (PQ order)that harmonized Indias regulatory frameworkwith the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and internationally accepted standards and the tenants of the sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement of the world trade organization. So,to prevent exotic diseases from a foreign country or within country legal restrictions are enforced commonly known as quarantinelaws. Plant Quarantine measures are taken at the domestic or in time or as well as foreign Quarantine. It acts as an important tool to exclude plant diseases.Effectively implementation of Quarantine is highly emphasized for disease management.

The Efficacy, Phytotoxicity, and Safety of Liquid Ethyl Formate Used to Control the Grape (Campbell Early) Quarantine Pest Pseudococcus comstocki

Mealybugs found on grapes during quarantine in Korea are fumigated with methyl bromide (MB). However, MB is an ozone-depleting, highly toxic pesticide; therefore, the International Plant Protection Convention, a representative organization involved in quarantine, recommends using MB alternatives. We evaluated the feasibility of using liquid ethyl formate (EF), a new EF formulation, to control mealybugs (Pseudococcus comstocki) on grapes (Campbell Early). Large-scale tests and the comparative evaluation of EF and MB desorption from grapes were conducted during the simulated 72-h post-fumigation period. Dose–response tests showed that the EF concentration and time product causing 99% mortality (LCt99) at 5 °C was 47.36 and 145.85 g h/m3 for adults and eggs, respectively. EF treatment at 70 g/m3 for 4 h at 5 °C with a loading ratio of 10% achieved an LCt99 of 145.85 g h/m3 on P. comstocki, confirming EF efficacy on mealybugs without phytotoxic effects on grapes. EF fumigation may also be safer because EF concentrations were maintained at less than 100 ppm, the specified exposure limit of EF; meanwhile, those of MB were higher than the exposure limit (1 ppm). Therefore, liquid EF can be used as a safer alternative to MB in phytosanitary treatments of grapes to control P. comstocki.

Risk assessment procedures in Argentina for the safe import, quarantine and release of biological control agents against pests.

The decision to import and release biological control agents is a national one that may involve various authorities. It will be overseen by the national plant protection organisation that implements the responsibilities described in the International Plant Protection Convention. This article provides an overview of the decision processes and roles of these authorities in Argentina. Argentina has a long history of coordination with the other Southern Cone nations on plant protection and other technical sanitary and phytosanitary matters associated with trade. This article reports on 25 years of evaluation, import and release of exotic biological control agents. Not a single import with a permit has faced rejection on the basis of phytosanitary requirements. This record highlights the region's commitment to integrated pest management approaches that rely on international shipments of live insects and other beneficial organisms.

Improved Radio-Frequency Heating through Application of Wool Insulation during Phytosanitary Treatment of Wood Packaging Material of Low Moisture Content

Abstract The International Standard of Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM-15) requires signatory countries of the International Plant Protection Convention to use approved treatment methods on wood packaging materials used in international trade to significantly reduce the risk of spreading alien species. One of the approved methods utilizes dielectric heating (DH) to raise the temperature in the wood to 60°C through the profile of the workload for 1 minute to eradicate pests. To improve the uniform distribution of heat within a wood workload using radio frequency, a form of DH, we tested the use of a wool blanket as a thermal insulation material for wood pallet components. Three species commonly used in the pallet industry—yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.), and eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.)—of low moisture content were used to generate matched sets of stringer samples. Internal wood temperatures were monitored continuously during treatment to comply with the ISPM-15 schedule. Applying a wool (keratin) insulation blanket increased the rate of heating, improved heating uniformity throughout the workload, and reduced moisture loss compared to uninsulated controls for some wood species, but not all. These findings were most significant for pallet materials with higher moisture content and more permeability (white pine and yellow poplar). By reducing treatment time, power consumption costs can be reduced using wool insulation when implementing the ISPM-15 DH treatment schedule.

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) - monitoring the implementation of IPPC standards

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) - monitoring the implementation of IPPC standards

Invasive alien plants in plant health revisited: another 10 years

AbstractTen years ago, the authors gave an overview of the early history of invasive alien plants in plant health. In the last decade, the field has seen further development, which is reported here. This includes new activities at the global scale, e.g. in the International Plant Protection Convention and the Convention on Biological Diversity, on a regional scale, e.g. in the EU and the region of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization, and on a national scale. New activities include a prioritization scheme for the pest risk analysis of invasive alien plants, new Standards and regulations, and a further development of the cooperation between the environmental and plant health sectors.

Use of ITS-1 to Identify Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera occipitalis (Diptera: Tephritidae): A Case Study Using Flies Trapped in California from 2008 to 2018

Molecular methods are necessary to diagnose immature life stages of the agricultural pest fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), and are useful to corroborate identifications based on adults because morphological variation within the species can overlap with congeners. DNA sequencing of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) has been adopted by the International Plant Protection Convention as an internationally accepted method to distinguish between the 2 pestiferous fruit fly species Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera carambolae (Drew & Hancock). Reported ITS-1 sequences also are distinct and diagnostically informative to distinguish several other Bactrocera species related to B. dorsalis. In this study, we applied DNA sequencing of ITS-1 to a collection of 513 adult flies trapped in California, USA, in the yr 2008 to 2018. Internal transcribed spacer 1 sequences were successfully recovered from 504 (98%) of these flies. One fly had an ITS-1 sequence that matched B. occipitalis (Bezzi) records. Re-examination of that fly using cytochrome c oxidase I, elongation factor 1-alpha, and morphology supports it as the second record of B. occipitalis trapped in California. The other 503 flies had ITS-1 sequences consistent with B. dorsalis. Six unique ITS-1 sequences (or DNA types) were observed in the collection of 503 B. dorsalis. Three of the ITS-1 sequences (types A, B, and C) were present in 84% of the 503 flies and match ITS-1 records reported in prior publications on B. dorsalis. The other 3 sequences (types D, E, and F) observed in 4% of the 503 B. dorsalis have not been reported in publications. Ambiguous nucleotides were observed from 12% of the 503 B. dorsalis flies, precluding designation of a sequence type. Including the 3 new types from the current study, a total of 15 unique ITS-1 sequences now are known for B. dorsalis. The study, therefore, documents additional intraspecific variation of ITS-1 that aids in future applications for species identification.

Forest Biosecurity in Canada – An Integrated Multi-Agency Approach

In Canada, forest biosecurity is primarily under federal jurisdiction as the federal government is the signatory to the International Plant Protection Convention and other international trade agreements. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which is Canada’s National Plant Protection Organization, has the mandate of analyzing risks, setting policy, and managing incursion responses related to forest biosecurity. Other federal government agencies play important roles; the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) enforces regulations at international ports of entry and the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada conducts research and analysis in support of the development and implementation of phytosanitary regulations. The provinces and territories also manage invasive species through implementing regulations to prevent the spread of established forest pests. This paper outlines the regulatory framework for forest biosecurity within Canada, and provides case studies of species that have invaded Canadian forests or are anticipated to do so in the near future.

Phytosanitary examination: Ukraine experience and international standards

The article explores Ukraine’s experience in conducting phytosanitary expertise based on international standards. It was stated that Ukraine should develop a series of draft in national legislation in the field of quarantine and plant protection, which would be adapted to the legislation of the European Union and at the same time meet the requirements of the International Plant Protection Convention. In this area, Ukraine has already partially implemented some structural reforms in the phytosanitary sector, but these processes require continued state support and encouragement, international coordination that will facilitate the development of agriculture in general. Such coordination can be undertaken primarily in the framework of international universal organisations within the UN system, in particular within FAO. It has been emphasised that Law of Ukraine No. 2501-VIII “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Regulation of Some Phytosanitary Procedures” came into force on February 2, 2019. Among the innovations are the granting of the right to carry out expert examination to private laboratories, new terms in the field of plant quarantine and the creation of the Register of Phytosanitary Certificates issued. It has been concluded that Ukraine is currently actively applying international standards, participating in their development and registering official translations of international standards for phytosanitary measures. Developing national and applying international standards, as a key factor in creating a quality system in the field of plant quarantine, not only ensure full fulfilment by Ukraine of its obligations under the IPPC and SPS, agreeing on the phytosanitary safety of exported quarantine cargoes, but also increase the competitiveness of the domestic vegetal products in the world market. This creates a positive image of Ukraine as a reliable trading partner that does not violate the requirements of other countries and guarantees the conformity of product quality, phytosanitary procedures to internationally recognised standards. Therefore, for qualified phytosanitary examinations, the mechanism of guaranteeing compliance with national and international standards, amending legislation, introducing effective penalties for violation of the rules and procedure for conducting phytosanitary examinations should be a promising area

Interception of non-indigenous weed seeds in lentil and lentil husk shipments imported from Australia, Canada, U.S.A., and Sri Lanka to India

Four weed species, non-indigenous to India, were intercepted from lentil and lentil husk import shipments. Raphanus raphanistrum L. in lentil shipment from Australia, Polygonum lapathifolium L. and Thlaspi arvense L. in lentils from Canada and U.S.A., and Echinochloa crus-pavonis (Kunth) Schult. in lentil husk imported from Sri Lanka were intercepted. The extent of contamination by the non-indigenous species was 0.1 to 0.2% by number. The infested shipments were salvaged. The non-compliances were notified to the trading partners on each interception as per the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) guidelines. Molecular characterization of intercepted weed seeds is envisaged.

Phytosanitary Examination: Ukraine Experience and International Standards

The article explores Ukraine’s experience in conducting phytosanitary expertise based on internationalstandards. It was stated that Ukraine should develop a series of draft in national legislation in the field ofquarantine and plant protection, which would be adapted to the legislation of the European Union and at thesame time meet the requirements of the International Plant Protection Convention. It has been emphasisedthat Law of Ukraine No 2501-VIII “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Regulation ofSome Phytosanitary Procedures” came into force on February 2, 2019. It has been concluded that Ukraine iscurrently actively applying international standards, participating in their development and registering officialtranslations of international standards for phytosanitary measures. This creates a positive image of Ukraineas a reliable trading partner that does not violate the requirements of other countries and guarantees theconformity of product quality, phytosanitary procedures to internationally recognised standards. Therefore,for qualified phytosanitary examinations, the mechanism of guaranteeing compliance with national andinternational standards, amending legislation, introducing effective penalties for violation of the rules andprocedure for conducting phytosanitary examinations should be a promising area.

Pest Risk Management in Trade: The Opportunity from Using Integrated Combined Measures in a Systems Approach (ISPM 14)

During the International Year of Plant Health, the role of pest risk management in trade is reemphasised. Systems Approach uses a combination of measures to reduce pest risk, making it more robust against failure than a single pre-export phytosanitary measure. The original context for formalising Systems Approach in an International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM 14) is considered next to today's global situation. A summary of advantages and challenges for implementation concludes with recommendations. The use of decision support tools is highlighted as one way to increase confidence in the efficacy of a system that may include very different types of measures with varying kinds of supportive evidence. Ultimately trust and confidence between trade partners is key to finding pest risk management that allows safe trade. At a time of global economic stress, this article encourages those involved in trade to embrace Systems Approach as an effective approach to preventing the spread of plant pests, as coordinated by the International Plant Protection Convention and its over 180 member countries.

Dose Effect of Phytosanitary Irradiation on the Postharvest Quality of Cut Flowers

The present study was conducted to determine the effects of electron beam irradiation on the postharvest quality of cut flowers. Cut flowers were irradiated with electron beam at 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1,000, and 2,000 Gy with a 10 MeV linear electron beam accelerator to evaluate their irradiation tolerance. Postharvest quality was determined by monitoring fresh weight loss, flower longevity, flower diameter, flowering rate, visual quality of flowers and leaves, and chlorophyll content. Cut flowers showed a radiation-induced damage with increasing the irradiation dose. Flower longevity and fresh weight of cut flowers decreased when the irradiation dose was increased. Flower bud opening was also inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. The effective irradiation doses for 10% reduction of postharvest quality (ED10) values were 144.4, 451.6, and 841.2 Gy in the ‘Medusa’ lily, ‘Montezuma’ carnation, and ‘Rosina White’ eustoma, respectively. Although tolerance of cut flowers to electron beam irradiation vary according to species, cultivars, or maturity stage conditions, it is conceivable that ‘Montezuma’ carnation and ‘Rosina White’ eustoma could be tolerated and maintained overall postharvest quality up to 400 Gy, the generic irradiation dose approved by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) for postharvest phytosanitary treatments. Key words: electron beam irradiation, flower export, irradiation tolerance, quality evaluation, quarantine

3D finite element enthalpy method for analysis of phytosanitary treatment of wood by microwave

Circulations of some wood products are identified as one of the causes that have facilitated the introduction of pathogens and insects in several countries of the world. This biological invasion has caused the destruction of plant species, causing significant economic and ecological losses for many regions of the world. To this end, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has established, through the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the “ISPM 15” standard on the use of microwaves for phytosanitary treatment. The goal of this work is to quantify numerically the minimum time required for the phytosanitary treatment of three Eastern Canadian wood species, trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), white birch (Betula papyrifera) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum). The nonlinear heat conduction problem is solved using three-dimensional volumetric specific enthalpy based on finite element analysis. The incident microwaves are supposed plane wave. The dielectric and thermophysical properties are a function of temperature, moisture content and structural orientation. It is worth noting that these investigations were performed at the frequency of 2466 MHz, temperatures from − 20 to 60 °C, and moisture content of 131%. This study focused on a sample cube of wood 22 mm thick and a pallet (100 mm × 50 mm × 22 mm).

A worldwide perspective of the legislation and regulations governing sentinel plants

Sentinel plants, plants in exporting countries that are inspected at regular intervals for signs and symptoms of invertebrate pests and microbial pathogens, are a promising tool for detecting and identifying harmful organisms of woody plants prior to their introduction into importing countries. Monitoring of sentinel plants reveals crucial information for pest risk analyses and the development of mitigation measures. The establishment of sentinel plants requires the import and plantation of non-native plants, which may be affected by the laws, regulations and administrative procedures in the individual countries. To evaluate the feasibility of sentinel plants as a global approach, this study aimed to summarise regulations and administrative procedures that affect the establishment of sentinel plants using non-native plants in countries worldwide. Information about national regulations of import and planting of non-native plant species was collected through a questionnaire survey, conducted among national representatives to the International Plant Protection Convention. Over 40 countries responded. The results show that legislations and regulations should not be major obstacles for a global use of the sentinel plants approach. However, the few existing experiences show that it can be complicated in practice. Here we describe the current state of art of the procedures that should be adopted to establish sentinel plants and we propose a strategy to circumvent the shortcomings resulting from the lack of a specific regulation.

First Report of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) in Zambia

In 2014, the NPPO of Zambia, the Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Service (PQPS) initiated a pest risk analysis for Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), the tomato leaf miner. This was after increased reports of the pest spreading southwards in Africa and neighboring Tanzania officially reporting the pest in 2013. By 2014, the pest was reported to occur in Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia, Kenya and Tanzania. By end of 2015, farmers in some districts in Zambia reported pest damage and suspected that it could be T. absoluta. This posed a serious threat to the Zambian tomato industry as tomato is one of the most important vegetable crops in Zambia grown both on a small scale and commercial scale as a cash crop. It accounts for 86% of the total value of fresh fruit and vegetable sales within the smallholder sector for Zambia. For this reason, PQPS initiated a detection surveillance of the pest in reported areas in February 2016. The Zambia preliminary surveys revealed that the pest is present in Northern, Copperbelt, Lusaka and Central Provinces of Zambia. Identification of the pest was confirmed by observing collected adult moths for key taxonomic features; filiform antennae, brown or silverfish with black spots on the moth wings and moth size. Other factors for identification were characteristic damage on leaves and fruits, pheromone traps catches and consultation of international experts in Tanzania. Introduction of T. absoluta to Zambia has devastated the Zambian tomato production industry. A taskforce has been formed to address the threat being caused by T. absoluta. Zambia has also updated its phytosanitary import conditions for tomato since this confirmation and drafted the legislation to regulate movement of tomatoes. Notification for the first report has since been sent to the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). Key words: Tomato, Tuta absoluta, detection surveillance, Zambia