Emergence of harmful organisms: what lessons can be learned?

Petter F, Ward M, Roy ASR EPPO Secretariat

EPPO: a brief introduction

What is EPPO? European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization

● EPPO is an intergovernmental organization

● Created in 1951 by 15 countries

● It has now 51 member countries

● International cooperation in plant protection: plant quarantine and pest control

● Work with National Plant Protection Organizations - NPPOs (Plant Protection Services)

EPPO’s missions Prevent entry and spread of harmful organisms (crops, forests, natural environments)

Early warning/horizon scanning Recommendations on pests which should be

regulated as quarantine pests (EPPO A1 and A2 Lists) Prepare standards (e.g. phytosanitary measures,

diagnostic protocols)

Provide information to EPPO members on pests Regulated pests Pests which may present a risk to the EPPO region

Early warning is part of the EPPO strategy

• Manage an early warning system (Alert List) and maintain a database (GD/PQR)

• Evaluate the risks presented by emerging pests (Pest Risk Analysis)

• Make recommendations on pests which should be regulated in the EPPO region

Courtesy: Alain Roques (INRA, France)

Why is early warning needed?

For NPPOs to be prepared to:

• Initiate risk analysis activities

• Draft contingency plans

• Elaborate surveillance programmes, diagnostic tools

• Implement eradication/containment programmes

• Implement prohibitions/restrictions on plant movements

• Prepare information/communication material for stakeholders …

Early warning within EPPO

• Initiated in 1999

• Provides early warning

• Suggests possible candidates for Pest Risk Analysis

• Freely available on the EPPO website: www.eppo.org/QUARANTINE/Alert_List/alert_list.htm

EPPO Alert List

Pests

EPPO Alert List

EPPO A1 and A2 Lists

Pests are selected by the EPPO Secretariat or

proposed by NPPOs

Alert List is reviewed every year (selection of candidates for PRA or removal after 3 years when

sufficient alert has been given). Alert List is constantly updated

Some pests are submitted to PRAs

Some pests are recommended by the

EPPO Council for regulation as QPs

Pest Risk Analysis

removal

Early warning: what is the trigger?

New introductions of pests (EPPO region and elsewhere)

Expansion of geographical distribution (EPPO region and elsewhere)

New host plants New vectors Increase of damage Progress in taxonomy…

Something new or unusual …

How we do it? Litterature searches • Peer-reviewed international

journals • CABI database, compendia … • National journals

e.g. Entomologia Croatica, Gesunde Pflanzen, Növényvédelem, Ochrona Roslin, Phytoma, Phytoma-España

• Conference proceedings • Books

Over 100 publications are reviewed

Official pest

Reports by NPPOs

Internet data collection

pest alerts shared on social networks

How do we communicate about it?

Some examples of emerging pests identified by EPPO over the years

and main triggers

Tuta absoluta (Tomato leafminer)

Courtesy: Marja van der Straten, National Reference

Centre, Plant Protection Service Wageningen (NL).

Courtesy: Prof. Yamina Guenaoui and Amine

Ghelamallah. University of Mostaganem (DZ).

Courtesy: JM Cobos Suarez, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente

y Medio Rural y Marino, Madrid (ES)

French National PRA reviewed at

EPPO level 2002-2004

EPPO A1 List

(recommendation in 2004)

Detected in Europe in

2007

EPPO A2 List

(transfer in 2009)

Trigger: • Pest identified as Solanaceous pest. Main pathways identified closed

(prohibitions) pathways or not regulated (tomato fruits) • Measures recommended for fruits of Tomato in the PRA

A fruit pest Drosophila suzukii identified as a potential risk in 2010-01 and added to the A2 List in 2011. Origin of the introduction unknown (main potential fruits pathways not regulated)

Xylella fastidiosa

EPPO A1 List since 1981 Outbreak in Europe in 2013

EPPO A2 List

(transfer in 2017)

Courtesy: J. Clark, University of California, Berkeley (US).

Courtesy: Camille Picard (DGAL-SDQPV, FR)

In 1981 measures recommended: • Prohibition of import for Vitis & Citrus plants for planting. • Requirements for imported Peach and other Prunus material (certified

material, control of vectors) • Other hosts: Inspection services should be aware that other hosts also present a

certain risk (examples of genus mentioned Acer, Morus, Platanus, Quercus, Ulmus… ).

Extent of damage on Olive & trade of ornamental host plants not anticipated

Alert List (in 2009)

PRA (experts met in

2011)

EPPO A2 List

(recommendation in 2012

Regulated in EU in

2013

Trigger • Detected for the first time in 1992 in Italy but sporadic occurrence. Detected

again in 2008 with economic losses noted. Outbreaks in other European countries but some strain only cause leaf spots

• Initially, pollen not suspected to be a pathway • In 2015, assignment of strains Psa biovar 4 to a de novo pathovar:

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidifoliorum pv. nov.

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae

Plant Protection Service of Emilia-Romagna region (IT).

Drs. G.M. Balestra (DAFNE – Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, IT) and M. Scortichini (CRA, Roma, IT)

Alert List (in 2015)

SI national PRA

EPPO A2 List

(recommendation in 2017)

Not yet regulated by our MC (except SI)

Citrus bark cracking viroid

Courtesy Dr. Sebastjan Radišek, Slovenian Institute for Hop Research and Brewing (SI)

Trigger • Outbreak in Slovenia on Humulus lupulus (hop), a new host for CBCVd,

where it causes severe disease symptoms and dieback. • Viroid of minor economic importance on citrus, present only in certain

citrus producing countries or regions

Two nematodes affecting rice: Heterodera elachista (Japanese rice cyst nematode) Meloidogyne graminicola (Rice root-knot nematode)

Pablo Castillo - Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, CSIC, Cordoba (ES)

Alert List (in 2014 & 2017)

IT national PRAs being evaluated

Trigger: • Outbreaks in Italy. • Heterodera elachista on a new host • Origin of the introduction unkown: no obvious pathways, difficult to

recommend preventive measures on commodities

Neodiprion abietis Conifer pest (tree defoliator) NL interception on cut flowers of non host plants

Alert List (in 2015)

PRA (experts met in February 2016)

EPPO A1 List

(recommendation in 2016)

Not yet regulated by our MC

Lycorma delicatula (spotted lanternfly)

Trigger • Risk identified when introduced in the US (in 2014); already been introduced

in Korea (2000) was since showing invasive behaviour. • Hitch hicker non agricultural products (e.g. stones)

Another hitchhicker, Halyomorpha halys detected in CH in 2008, origin of introduction unknown, no way to stop natural spread

Alert List (proposal from

Norway in 2010)

PRA (experts met

in 2010)

EPPO A1 List

(recommendation in 2011)

EU

regulated pest (quarantine in

2014)

Trigger Information from NO, increase in the trade of wood from North America used to produce biofuel (e.g. wood chips), as this material may be stored close to birch trees

Agrilus anxius (bronze birch borer)

EPPO A1 List

(recommendation in 1994)

EPPO following the spread in

Africa since 2016

PRA In progress by

EFSA

Spodoptera frugiperda

2015

Early warning: challenges and lessons learned

Early warning: a few challenges

• When studies are carried out on a pest

basis: the results do not ‘highlight’ organisms which are not pests in their areas of origin

• When resulting from a pathway analysis: studies generate long lists of potential pests which have to be documented and prioritized, and do not necessarily ‘highlight’ organisms which are not pests in their areas of origin

When trying to identify potential risks: a lot of data has to be collected, analyzed, and prioritized.

• Some species not known to cause damage on some hosts before they establish in a new area

• Some species were not known to be PESTS in their area of origin

• Some species which arrived in Europe were unknown (new for science)

• Language issue not all languages easy to access. Litterature on pests can be very limited

Early warning: a few challenges

Early warning: possible improvements • Have better tools to follow and predict trade patterns

• Improve predictive models and necessary data sets to determine:

- areas at risks before they are invaded - spread patterns

• Encourage research to fil the gaps (Euphresco)

• Enhance surveillance & continue to develop tools for early detection in the field

• Better inform and involve the public about risks in plant health (citizen science)

• Last but not least! : develop networks of sentinel trees (arboreta, and tree plantations in other parts of the world) to identify potential pests of European trees

ALERT LIST MAINTAINTED BY:

Thank you for your attention