28th Meeting of the Panel on Phytosanitary Measures for Potato

Paris, 2023-02-01/03

 

 

The 28th meeting of the Panel on Phytosanitary Measures for Potato was held on 2023-02-01/03 in Paris, at the EPPO headquarters. The Panel discussed Standards under revision, the future work programme and new pest situations.

 

Panel members

 

Standards under revision

  • The Standard PM 4/28 Certification scheme for seed potatoes was revised in an Expert Working Group in 2022 and sent for country consultation before the meeting of the Panel. The Panel reviewed the comments received. This Standard should be presented at the next Working Party on Phytosanitary Regulations with the objective to have it approved this year by the Council.
  • The Standards PM 9/2 National regulatory control systems for Clavibacter sepedonicus and PM 9/3 National regulatory control systems for Ralstonia solanacearum were revised in an EWG and a subgroup of the Panel in 2022, benefiting from the discussions which took place in EU working groups for the revision of the corresponding EU Control Directives. These Standards were sent for country consultation before the meeting of the Panel. The Panel reviewed the comments received. These Standards should be presented at the next Working Party on Phytosanitary Regulations with the objective to have them approved this year by the Council.
  • The first draft of revised Standard PM 3/70 Export certification and import compliance checking for potato tubers was discussed. An EWG will be organized in 2023.

 

Future work programme

The Panel discussed needs for revision of:

  • The Phytosanitary Procedure Production of pathogen-free minitubers of potato (PM 3/63). The definition of ‘Minitubers of potato’ should be adjusted in line with new definition given in revised PM 4/28.
  • The National Regulatory Control System for PSTVd (PM 9/13). The revision of this Standard was considered as a low priority and was therefore not added to the draft work programme for 2024.
  • The Phytosanitary Procedure on the sampling of potato tubers for detection of Meloidogyne chitwoodi and M. fallax (PM 3/69) and the National regulatory control system for M. chitwoodi and M. fallax. After a presentation of the Melo-Survey Euphresco project , the Panel suggested that the need for revision is further discussed when outcome of this project is available.
  • The Commodity-speciļ¬c phytosanitary measures on potato (PM 8/1). The revision of this Standard was not identified as a priority. However, ongoing/recent EPPO listing of tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV), Meloidogyne luci & M. ethiopica mean an update of the Standard will be required.

 

New pest situations

The Panel was informed about new pest situations related to potato e.g. R. pseudosolanacearum in water samples in the Netherlands, the recent reports of Spodoptera ornithogalli damaging potato in Pennsylvania (USA) and its proposal for addition to EPPO A1 List, as well as an Euphresco Project on Taxonomy and epidemiology of Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp, in Europe, North America and South Africa .

 

The Panel reviewed EFSA pest categorizations on the Andean Potato Weevil complex and on non-EU phytoplasmas of tuber-forming Solanum spp., and did not recommend adding new pests identified in these categorizations to EPPO Lists. The ‘Guidance for Pest free production site, pest free place of production and pest freedom of the crop in the risk management options in EPPO recommendations’ was endorsed by the Panel. The Panel suggested to prepare a list of new tuber crops which are potentially a risk for potato production so that a first discussion paper could be prepared on the related risk.

 

The meeting date for the next Panel and for possible expert working groups will be decided later during the year.