EPPO RNQP

NAME OF THE ORGANISM: Spiroplasma citri (SPIRCI)

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE PEST

Name as submitted in the project specification (if different to the preferred name):

Pest category:

Bacteria

1- Identity of the pest/Level of taxonomic listing:

Is the organism clearly a single taxonomic entity and can it be adequately distinguished from other entities of the same rank?

Yes

Is the pest defined at the species level or lower?:

Yes

Can listing of the pest at a taxonomic level higher than species be supported by scientific reasons or can species be identified within the taxonomic rank which are the (main) pests of concern?

Not relevant: Fruits (including hops) sector

Is it justified that the pest is listed at a taxonomic rank below species level?

Not relevant

Conclusion:

Candidate: Fruits (including hops) sector

2 – Status in the EU:

Is this pest already a quarantine pest for the whole EU?

Presence in the EU:

Yes

List of countries (EPPO Global Database):

Cyprus (1996); France (2011); France/Corse (2011); Italy (2012); Italy/Sicilia (1991); Italy/Sardegna (1991); Spain (2015)

Conclusion:

candidate

Justification (if necessary):

Data of the presence of this pest on the EU territory are available in EPPO Global Database (https://gd.eppo.int/). The pest is considered to be absent in Europe except in the Mediterranean area, despite the fact that some alternative host plants are largely distributed in Europe (EU COM, 2016).

HOST PLANT N°1: Poncirus hybrids (PMIHY) for the Fruits (including hops) sector.

Origin of the listing:

IIA2AWG

Plants for planting:

Plants intended for planting, other than seeds

3 - Is the pest already listed in a PM4 standard on the concerned host plant?

Yes

Conclusion:

Qualified

Justification (if necessary):

Production of certified pathogen-tested trees and rootstocks of Citrus, Poncirus, Fortunella and their hybrids are covered by EPPO PM 4/12 (1) Standard.

CONCLUSION ON THE STATUS:

Recommended for listing as an RNQP - based on EPPO PM 4 Standard.

8 - Tolerance level:

Is there a need to change the Tolerance level:

Proposed Tolerance levels:

Zero tolerance of symptomatic plants in the marketed material.

9 - Risk management measures:

Is there a need to change the Risk management measure:

Yes

Proposed Risk management measure:

Non-certified material (‘CAC’):
(A) Derived from mother plants which have been inspected and found free from Spiroplasma citri;
AND
(B) (a) Plants produced in areas known to be free from Spiroplasma citri;
or
(b) Site of production found free from Spiroplasma citri over the last complete growing season by visual inspection of the plants at the appropriate time during the last growing season;
or
(c) Not more than 2% of plants showing symptoms during an inspection at the appropriate time during the last growing season and those plants have been rogued out and destroyed immediately.

Pre-basic, basic and certified material, additional measures to be considered include:
• Visual inspection of mother plants;
• Measures to control the vector or reduce transmission;
• Physical protection of mother plants;
• Testing of mother plants.

REFERENCES:

EFSA Panel on Plant Health (PLH) (2014) Scientific Opinion on pest categorisation of Spiroplasma citri. EFSA Journal 2014;12(12):3925, 29 pp. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2014.3925 http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/3925.pdf;
EPPO (2008) Certification scheme for strawberry. Bulletin OEPP/EPPO Bulletin 38, 430–437;
EU COM (2016) Recommendation of the Working Group on the Annexes of the Council Directive 2000/29/EC – Section II – Listing of Harmful Organisms as regards the future listing of Spiroplasma citri Saglio et al.;