EPPO RNQP

NAME OF THE ORGANISM: Colletotrichum lini (Colletotrichum linicola) (COLLLI)

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE PEST

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

Pest category:

Fungi

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: Oil and fibre plants sector

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

Not relevant

Conclusion:

Candidate: Oil and fibre plants sector

2 – Status in the EU:

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

Presence in the EU:

Yes

Conclusion:

candidate

Justification (if necessary):

The pest is present in Austria, Belgium, Britain & Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Irish Republic, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Yugoslavia (CABI, 1980).

HOST PLANT N°1: Linum usitatissimum (LIUUT) for the Oil and fibre plants sector.

Origin of the listing:

3 - Oil and fibre plants sector: Council Directive 2002/57/EC

Plants for planting:

Seeds

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

Conclusion:

Evaluation continues

4 - Are the listed plants for planting the main* pathway for the "pest/host/intended use" combination? (*: significant compared to others):

Yes

Conclusion:

Candidate

Justification:

This is a known seed-borne disease in the literature, for example experimental findings in Lithuania in 2003 indicated that 19.0% to 34.0% of flax seeds were annually infected with C. lini causing flax anthracnose, and seed treatments gave control of seedling blight (Gruzdeviene & Dabkevičius, 2003). Timely harvest and seed treatment, destruction of harvest residues, crop rotation and planting resistant cultivars are other ways of controlling the disease by growers (Ambrosov & Neofitova, 1978). No information could be found on the significance of harvest residues/carry over, but this appears to be small.

5 - Economic impact:

Are there documented reports of any economic impact on the host?

Yes

Justification:

In Lithuania seed treatments on infected seed increased straw and linseed yields in all years with increased straw yields between 6.2% and 11.0% with two fungicides, and fungicidal sprays at the fir-tree and seedling stages inhibited anthracnose incidence and severity (Dabkevičius & Gruzdevienė, 2003). C. linicola is one of the diseases of flax which contribute to the reduction of flaxseed and fibre yield, and quality deterioration. The fibre of disease-affected straw is spotted and weak and flaxseed in diseased capsules is underdeveloped, disease-infected and has a low germination. In order to obtain a high flax yield, fibre and flaxseed quality it is necessary to treat seed material (Gruzdeviene 2000).

What is the likely economic impact of the pest irrespective of its infestation source in the absence of phytosanitary measures? (= official measures)

Medium

Is the economic impact due to the presence of the pest on the named host plant for planting, acceptable to the propagation and end user sectors concerned?

Conclusion:

Candidate

Justification:

6 - Are there feasible and effective measures available to prevent the presence of the pest on the plants for planting at an incidence above a certain threshold (including zero) to avoid an unacceptable economic impact as regards the relevant host plants?

Yes

Conclusion:

candidate

Justification:

a) Laboratory tests according to ISTA Methods;
b) treatment of seeds with registered plant protection products.

7- Is the quality of the data sufficient to recommend the pest to be listed as a RNQP?

Yes

Conclusion:

Candidate

Justification:

CONCLUSION ON THE STATUS:

Recommended for listing as an RNQP, based on data.

8 - Tolerance level:

Is there a need to change the Tolerance level:

Proposed Tolerance levels:

(a) Seed treatment authorised for use against Colletotrichum lini has been applied;
or
(b) Not more than 5% of seed affected with Alternaria linicola, Boeremia exigua var. linicola, Colletotrichum lini, Fusarium spp based on laboratory test of a representative sample.

9 - Risk management measures:

Is there a need to change the Risk management measure:

Proposed Risk management measure:

Justification (if necessary):

The SEWG noted that some member states currently have additional requirements for thresholds for C. lini in field inspection of Linum.

REFERENCES:

Athow KL (1987) Fungal diseases. In J.R. Wilcox Edition. Soybeans: Improvement, production and uses. Madison. WI, 687, 727;
Ambrosov A & Neofitova V (1978) The control of diseases of flax in concentrated and specialized areas of flax production. Sb. Nauch. Rabot Rabot BezNIIZR 'Zashchita Rastenii' No.2, 3-9;
CABI (Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International), online 1980. Distribution Maps of Plant Diseases 1980 No. April (Edition 3) pp.Map 159. CABI, Wallingford, UK. Available from https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/FullTextPDF/2005/20056500159.pdf;
Dabkevičius Z & Gruzdevienė E (2003) Investigation and use of plant protection products against flax diseases. Conference paper : DIAS Report, Plant Production 2003 (Ed Woffhechel, H) No.96 pp.220-226;
Gruzdeviene E (2000) General problems and control of fungal diseases of flax in Lithuania. In Proceedings of the International Conference: Development of environmentally friendly plant protection in the Baltic Region, Tartu, Estonia, September 28-29, 2000 (eds Metspalu L & Mitt S). Transactions of the Estonian Agricultural University, Agronomy No.209, 40-42;
Gruzdeviene E & Dabkevičius Z (2003) The control of flax anthracnose [Colletotrichum lini (West.) Toch.] by fungicidal seed treatment. Journal of Plant Protection Research Vol.43 No.3 206-212;