High Value Crops - Stakeholder Update, September 2006
22 September 2006
PDF Version 
(110 KB)
Developments in Post-entry Quarantine Activities for High-Value Crops
Production of Post-entry Quarantine Testing Manuals
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) has completed the post-entry quarantine testing manual for Actinidia (kiwifruit) seed and nursery stock. The Actinidia manual is available on BNZ’s website:
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/regs/imports/plants/high-value-crops/peq-actinidi-testing.pdf (832 KB)
The manual for Vaccinium (blueberry and cranberry) seed and nursery stock is almost complete but BNZ has been waiting for a sample of one of the regulated pests in order to validate one of the tests. It is anticipated that consultation on the draft manual will commence at the beginning of October.
BNZ is making good progress on the development of the testing manuals for Solanum (potato) and Malus (apple), and consultation on these manuals will take place in due course.
Decision to delay construction of glasshouse testing facilities
In 2005 the BNZ obtained funding to construct four glasshouse units (16 m2 each) at the Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL) in Tamaki. The purpose of the units was to provide additional capacity for test validation and testing of high-value crops (rather than for holding imported plants in quarantine).
BNZ has re-evaluated the need for additional units in view of the current demand for glasshouse-based testing and has concluded that the current space is sufficient to meet demand. Therefore the construction of the additional units will be deferred and the need reassessed in May 2007.
Pollen review
BNZ is reviewing the pests and diseases associated with pollen of high-value crops, in particular those crops for which pollen is likely to be used as a source of germplasm in New Zealand breeding programmes, e.g. Pyrus (pear). The aim of the work is to clarify the pests of concern and ensure the import requirements are appropriate. Subsequent work is planned to investigate methods to directly test pollen for diseases of concern.
Requirements for plants imported from high-health schemes
BNZ has reviewed some of its operational policies for plants imported from accredited offshore sources of high health material (see: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports/plants/offshore-accredited-facilities.htm). It has been decided that for consignment from such sources:
- clearance will be given by MAF Quarantine Service (MAF QS) rather than by BNZ’s Pre Clearance directorate; and
- final inspection will be done by MAF QS rather than by PHEL; and similarly,
- any samples required for testing (including audit testing) will be taken by MAF QS.
The audit testing requirements for offshore accredited facilities have been reviewed following recent visits to four of the facilities [CPH, CTIFL, ENTAV, and Prosser) and the establishment of revised testing agreements (Table 1). The audit testing requirements have been significantly decreased and the requirements for other sources will continue to be revised as more facilities are reviewed.
Table 1: Audit testing schedule for permits issued after August 2006
| Offshore Facility | Genus | Audit Testing Required |
|---|---|---|
| Centre for Plant Health (CPH), Canada | Prunus | None |
| Vitis | Phytoplasmas [For each permit, samples from 5 randomly selected plants bulked to form one sample] | |
| Malus | Phytoplasmas [For each permit, samples from 5 randomly selected plants bulked to form one sample] | |
| Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Australia | Citrus | Liberobacter spp. [For each permit, samples from 5 randomly selected plants bulked to form one sample] |
| Washington State University – Prosser, USA | Prunus | Plum pox virus [For each permit, samples from 5 randomly selected plants tested individually by ELISA] |
| USDA ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository, USA | Citrus | Xylella fastidiosa [For each permit, samples from 5 randomly selected plants bulked to form one sample] |
| University of California, Foundation Plant Material Service, USA | Vitis | Phytoplasmas and Xylella fastidiosa |
| Etablissement National Technique pour l'Amélioration de la Viticulture (ENTAV), France | Vitis | None |
| Fall Creek Farm and Nursery, USA | Vaccinium | None |
| Centre technique interprofessionnel des fruits et légumes (CTIFL), France | Prunus | None |
Future updates
We plan to e-mail stakeholder updates every two-three months to keep you informed of our progress and other relevant material. These updates will also be available on our website: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/imports/plants/standards/high-value-crops.
If you do not wish to receive these updates, please reply to this e-mail asking to be removed from the mailing list.
If you know of others who might be interested in these updates, please let us know and we will add them to the mailing list. The PEQ (High-Value Crops) team can be contacted at: peqtesting@maf.govt.nz