Plant Protection News - January 2012

In this issue:

Eleven national diagnostic protocols endorsed

Eleven diagnostic protocols for plant pests of concern to Australia have recently been endorsed as National Diagnostic Protocols (NDP).

The Plant Health Committee, the national coordinating body for plant health in Australia, endorsed the diagnostic protocols in January 2012.

The endorsed NDPs, developed by the Subcommittee on Plant Health Diagnostic Standards (SPHDS), are:

  • Potato spindle tuber viroid (Potato spindle tuber viroid) – NDP 7
  • Bacterial ring rot of potato (Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus) – NDP 8
  • Citrus canker (Xanthomonas citri pv. citri) – NDP 9
  • Blackline (Cherry leaf roll Nepovirus) – NDP 10
  • Chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) – NDP 11
  • European stone fruit yellows (European stone fruit yellows phytoplasma) – NDP 12
  • Black rot of grapes (Guignardia bidwelli) – NDP 13
  • Rice blast (Magnaporthe grisea) – NDP 14
  • Potato mop top virus (Potato mop top virus) – NDP 15
  • Potato wart (Synchytrium endobioticum) – NDP 16
  • Peach X disease (X-disease phytoplasma) – NDP 17

SPHDS developed the diagnostic protocols in accordance with SPHDS Reference Standard No. 2:  Development of Diagnostic protocols – Technical Procedures and SPHDS Reference Standard No. 4: Guidelines for Peer Review and Verification Reports.

Including the eleven diagnostic protocols recently endorsed, SPHDS have developed 17 NDPs in total, with the other six being for Apple Brown Rot (NDP 1), Plum Pox Virus (NDP 2), Avocado Thrips (NDP 3), Poinsettia Thrips (NDP 4), Sudden Oak Death (NDP 5) and Pierce’s Disease (NDP 6).

SPHDS aims to sustain and improve the quality and reliability of plant diagnostics for plant pests of concern to Australia’s plant environment. It is comprised of representatives from Australian governments, Plant Health Australia, universities, the CSIRO, museums and the Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity.

The diagnostic protocols can be downloaded at the SPHDS website.

Emergence of a national plant diagnostic network

Progress towards establishing a National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network in Australia has been made.

The Subcommittee on Plant Health Diagnostic Standards (SPHDS), the group tasked with establishing a more formalised network by December 2011, has worked with Australian plant diagnosticians and various plant biosecurity interest groups to commence operation of the network.

The network, under SPHDS guidance, has recently made many developments in plant biosecurity diagnostics, including:

  • enhanced networking through a range of workshops
  • key actions from the National Plant Biosecurity Plan relating to plant diagnostics are being included in network participant’s work plans
  • commencement of a laboratory accreditation scheme in over half of the jurisdictions
  • efficient movement of plant pest specimens between laboratories
  • development of a draft process for the import of diagnostic control samples
  • creation of a discussion forum on diagnostic capacity development
  • further integration of reference collections, and
  • increased number of National Diagnostic Protocols developed.

Furthermore, SPHDS has developed a dedicated and secured online community space for the network to assist with collaboration efforts of participants. The online community space is moderated by SPHDS and hosted by the Australian Biosecurity Intelligence Network.

SPHDS anticipates that the formation of a diagnostic network will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of Australia’s ability to rapidly and accurately diagnose plant pests of concern, thereby supporting incursion response efforts and trade in plants and plant products.

Lois Ransom, Chief Plant Protection Officer and Chair of the Plant Health Committee which oversees SPHDS, says that building a formal network across jurisdictions is an important part of ensuring Australia’s plant diagnostic capacity and capability continues to evolve.

“The diagnostic network has the potential to deliver many benefits by maximising the flow of diagnostic data and use of resources. It is identified as a key action for diagnostics in the National Plant Biosecurity Strategy and I look forward to seeing it progress.” she said.

Key Australian plant diagnosticians expressed a commitment and interest in creating a more formal diagnostic network during the National Plant Health Diagnostic Network workshop held on 7-8 June 2011 in Sydney.

SPHDS, as a member of the network, is responsible for guiding the implementation of the network and keeping members informed of progress.

SPHDS aims to sustain and improve the quality and reliability of plant diagnostics for plant pests of concern to Australia’s plant environment. It is comprised of representatives from Australian governments, Plant Health Australia, universities, the CSIRO, museums and the Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity.

Onshore plant pest surveillance program continues

A national onshore program focusing on the rapid detection of exotic plant pests to Australia has been implemented for the 2011-12 period.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) coordinated the implementation of the program, known as the National Plant Pest Surveillance Program, in its ninth year of operation since its inception in 2004. The surveillance program incorporates:

  • trapping for Asian gypsy moth and exotic fruit flies in high risk first ports of entry into Australia, with some trapping extending into urban and peri-urban areas

  • pest surveillance for a range of plant pests, including exotic species, in the vicinity of first ports of entry or at sites that have a relatively high risk of pest presence based on pathway and habitat considerations, and

  • information management to assist jurisdictions with the collection and recording of surveillance data in a standardised and consistent way, and that allows for national aggregation of data for analysis and reporting.

DAFF, in collaboration with the Australian state and territory jurisdictions that deliver surveillance operations, designed the program primarily to enable the early detection of exotic pest species that may enter and establish in Australia.

DAFF expects that early detection of exotic plant pests will minimise the impacts of incursions on Australia’s primary industries and plant environment. Furthermore, surveillance data collected will be used to provide additional confidence to trading partners of Australia’s pest status.

DAFF expects that the multi-jurisdictional approach will enhance Australia’s plant pest surveillance with nationally agreed approaches and shared responsibilities. Furthermore, it will build core capacity, skills and techniques for cost-effective surveillance.

The Office of the Chief Plant Protection Officer (OCPPO) within DAFF administered funding for the surveillance program through the Australian Government’s Plant Biosecurity and Response Reform program and departmental commitments. Jurisdictions also provided substantial “in-kind” contributions to the delivery of the program.

Newly formatted international plant standards published

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat has published reformatted International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) on the International Phytosanitary Portal (IPP).

The international standards have been revised to help ensure consistency between past and newly adopted standards, as well as conforming to the newly developed IPPC Style Guide. Additionally, the following points were included in each standard:

  • a record of milestones from the initial addition of the concept to the list of topics, through to the adoption of the ISPM which provides the process of development for each standard (any errors or omissions can be sent via email to the IPPC Secretariat at ippc@fao.org)

  • a new appendix has been added to ISPM 27 Diagnostic protocols for regulated pests and to ISPM 28 Phytosanitary treatments for regulated pests which list the adopted diagnostic protocols and phytosanitary treatments respectively, and

  • ink-amendments, agreed by CPM-5 and CPM-6 meetings, have been incorporated into applied to ISPMs 3, 5, 10, 13, 14, 22 and Supplement 1 to ISPM 5.

The diagnostic protocols that are annexes to ISPM 27, as well as the phytosanitary treatments that are annexes to ISPM 28, are available separately on the IPP.

PDF versions of the reformatted ISPMs are available from the IPP website at International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs).

Draft international plant standards released for final comment

Ten draft International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), or parts thereof, have been released for final member comment by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat.

The Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM), the governing body of the IPPC, will consider the draft standards for adoption at its meeting in March 2012. Additionally, the CPM will also be considering changes to the standard setting process to make it more efficient and faster.

All draft standards have been previously circulated for comment from members of the IPPC but the text may have amended as a result of these comments. These draft standards have been developed to fill gaps in plant protection and cover a range of issues.

The Australian IPPC Secretariat is seeking comments from Australian stakeholders with an interest in plant biosecurity regarding the draft standards by 20 February 2012 for submission by the official contact point. Comments on the standards can be submitted to the Australian IPPC Secretariat via email.

There are two standard setting processes currently used, the regular and special processes.

Under the regular process, substantial concerns with the draft text can be provided via the official contact point and the CPM may use them to modify the draft text prior to adoption or they may be referred back for further drafting. The four drafts being considered under this process arelisted below.

  • Attachment 1: Draft ISPM Integrated measures for plants for planting in international trade
  • Attachment 2: Draft ISPM Systems approach for pest risk management of fruit flies (Tephritidae)
  • Attachment 3: Draft revision of Supplement 1 to ISPM 5. Glossary of phytosanitary terms: Guidelines on the interpretation and application of the concepts of “Official control” and “Not widely distributed”
  • Attachment 4: Amendments to ISPM 5. Glossary of phytosanitary terms

Under the special process, drafts are adopted without discussion at the CPM unless a formal objection based on technical aspects of the draft are provided to the IPPC secretariat at least 14 days prior to the meeting by an official contact point. There are two diagnostic protocols and four phytosanitary treatments being considered under the special process, these are listed below.

Diagnostic protocols:

  • Attachment 1: Diagnostic protocol for Plum pox virus
  • Attachment 2: Diagnostic protocols for Trogoderma granarium

Phytosanitary treatments:

  • Attachment 3: Cold treatment for Bactrocera tryoni on Citrus sinensis
  • Attachment 4: Cold treatment for Bactrocera tryoni on Citrus reticulata x C. sinensis
  • Attachment 5: Cold treatment for Ceratitis capitata on Citrus paradisi
  • Attachment 6: Cold treatment for Ceratitis capitata on Citrus reticulata cultivars and hybrids

The standards are available from the IPPC website at The Commission on Phytosanitary Commission.

ISPMs are the standards, guidelines and recommendations that are recognised as the basis for phytosanitary measures applied by Members of the World Trade Organization under the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS Agreement).

Recent international plant pest reports

Australia’s recent official pest reports to the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) are listed below. The Australian IPPC Secretariat prepares and adds the reports to the International Phytosanitary Portal as part of Australia’s party obligations to the IPPC.

  • Detection of Garlic allexiviruses in Western Australia
  • Invasive ant, Wasmannia auropunctata, in Far North Queensland
  • New hosts for Phoma herbarum in Western Australia
  • Detection of a new pathotype of Elsinoe australis causing black scab of jojoba in New South Wales and Queensland

Details for each of the above mentioned reports are provided on the IPPC website at Official Pest Report.

Potential new pest threat identified from a new trade route

In early 2011 a number of newly built vehicles arriving in Australia from southern South America were found to be contaminated with viable egg masses and dead moths of Hylesia nigricans (Berg) (Lepidoptera : Saturniidae : Hemileucinae). This pest species has not previously been intercepted in Australia.

This is a new trade route for Australia and has resulted in the interception of a new pest of quarantine concern. With ongoing globalisation of car manufacture and shipping around the world, Australia wishes to notify National Plant Protection Organizations of the risk that it has identified.

Read more about this Australian news item on the IPPC website at A potential new pest threat identified from a new trade route.

Last reviewed:
31 Jan 2012
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