24th meeting of the Panel on Phytosanitary Measures for Potato

Paris, 2018-02-21/23

 

 

The 24th  meeting of the Panel on Phytosanitary Measures for Potato took place in EPPO Headquarters in Paris on 2018-02-21/23. The Panel agreed with the revision of PM 3/21 Post-entry quarantine for potato to include new pests and new tests methods. The revision will carry on in consultation with experts in charge of post-entry quarantine in the region and will be sent for country consultation. The Panel finalized the draft regulatory control system Standards (in series PM9) on Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida and agreed to send it for country consultation.

 

Panel members – more pictures 

 

Standards under development

  • Management of the phytosanitary risks of soil associated with potato tubers and potato waste: the Panel made progress on the draft Standard and agreed that it can be discussed with the potato processing industry (Europatat and EUPPA) to have preliminary comments.
  • Control of volunteer potato: the Panel agreed on the structure. The draft will be further developed before the next Panel meeting.
  • Testing of potato varieties to assess resistance to Synchytrium endobioticum: the specification has been approved last year by the Working Party, an working group has been set up and is working per correspondence. A joint meeting with the Panel may be organized in 2019 to finalize the draft.

 

Future programme

  • Standard PM 9/25 National regulatory control system for ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ and its vector Bactericera cockerelli was adopted in September 2017. The Panel agreed to develop an Appendix to provide guidance on what should be done if symptoms due to haplotypes C, D, E are found in potato or solanaceous crops. It will be discussed as the next meeting
  • Early review of PM 9/22 National regulatory control system for Epitrix species damaging potato tubers: when information is provided by Spain, a teleconference will be organized with the Panel to decide how to progress.

 

The Panel discussed emerging pests in potato, in particular concerns raised by the import of Ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus) and the situation of Tecia solanivora in Spain.

 

 

Internal damage on potatoes (left) and larvae of Tecia solanivora (right)
Courtesy: Consellería do Medio Rural de la Xunta de Galicia

 

Finally the Panel was informed about Euphresco projects related to potato, and discussed potential follow-up of the EPPO project on Regulated Non-Quarantine Pests (RNQPs).


The next Panel meeting is planned on 2019-02-12/14.