| Legend |
|---|
| Justification for qualification based on EPPO PM 4 Standards |
| Justification for disqualification |
| Additional or non-conclusive information |
| Standard text |
NAME OF THE ORGANISM: Heterodera fici (HETDFI)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE PEST
Name as submitted in the project specification (if different):
Pest category:
Nematoda
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
If necessary, please list the species:
-
Is it justified that the pest is listed at a taxonomic rank below species level?
Not relevant
Conclusion:
- Candidate: Fruits (including hops) sector
Justification (if necessary):
-
2 – Status in the EU:
Is this pest already a quarantine pest for the whole EU?
No
Presence in the EU:
Yes
List of countries (EPPO Global Database):
-
Conclusion:
Candidate
Justification (if necessary):
The pest is reported from Czech Republic (Šefrová & Laštůvka, 2005), Estonia (GBIF, 2023), Italy (Fanelli et al., 2019), Portugal (Abrantes et al., 2008). Other EU countries were mentioned by DEFRA (2022) - Greece, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Spain - however, citations could not be verified. Heterodera fici is known to be widespread all over the world.
HOST PLANT N°1: Ficus carica (FIUCA) for the Fruits (including hops) sector.
Origin of the listing:
Commission Implementing Directive (EU) 2014/98/EU and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072
Plants for planting:
Plants intended for planting
3 - Is the pest already listed in a PM4 standard on the concerned host plant?
No
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:
Adults, juveniles, eggs, and cysts can be found in association with infected or contaminated planting stock.
The main way Heterodera fici spreads, however, is as resistant cysts moving with soil. Thus, anything that moves soil short or long distances is a potential pathway including agricultural equipment and containers, tools, vehicle tires, and workers clothing or boots (CDFA, 2022).
Cysts can also move in the soil with water from rainfall or irrigation. Cysts can persist in dry soil for months to years, protecting the eggs, until there is adequate water for hatching. Leachates from fig roots stimulate egg hatch and emergence of juveniles from cysts when temperatures are above 10°C, with a maximum hatch at 20-25°C (Di Vito, 1986; Di Vito and Sasanelli, 1990; CDFA, 2022). Under field conditions in the Mediterranean region this nematode might have more than one generation (Di Vito, 1986).
The main way Heterodera fici spreads, however, is as resistant cysts moving with soil. Thus, anything that moves soil short or long distances is a potential pathway including agricultural equipment and containers, tools, vehicle tires, and workers clothing or boots (CDFA, 2022).
Cysts can also move in the soil with water from rainfall or irrigation. Cysts can persist in dry soil for months to years, protecting the eggs, until there is adequate water for hatching. Leachates from fig roots stimulate egg hatch and emergence of juveniles from cysts when temperatures are above 10°C, with a maximum hatch at 20-25°C (Di Vito, 1986; Di Vito and Sasanelli, 1990; CDFA, 2022). Under field conditions in the Mediterranean region this nematode might have more than one generation (Di Vito, 1986).
5 - Economic impact:
Are there documented reports of any economic impact on the host?
No
Justification:
Insufficient data available. The occurrence of H. fici in commercial fig trees in southern Italy did not show any symptoms of retarded growth or leaf yellowing (Fanelli et al., 2019). Maqbool et al. (1987) reported yellowing of fig trees in Pakistan but these were infested with both Meloidogyne javanica and H. fici.
What is the likely economic impact of the pest irrespective of its infestation source in the absence of phytosanitary measures? (= official measures)
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?
Is there unacceptable economic impact caused to other hosts (or the same host with a different intended use) produced at the same place of production due to the transfer of the pest from the named host plant for planting?
No
Conclusion:
Not candidate
Justification:
Remark: Heterodera fici is limited to Ficus spp. (Nemaplex, 2010, accessed 29/Mar/2024, Fanelli et al., 2019).
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?
Conclusion:
Justification:
7- Is the quality of the data sufficient to recommend the pest to be listed as a RNQP?
Conclusion:
Justification:
CONCLUSION ON THE STATUS:
Disqualified: impact for fig trees is minimal and considered acceptable.
8 - Tolerance level:
Is there a need to change the Tolerance level:
Yes
Proposed Tolerance levels:
Delisting
9 - Risk management measures:
Is there a need to change the Risk management measure:
Yes
Proposed Risk management measure:
Delisting
REFERENCES:
- Abrantes IM de O, Santos MCV dos, Conceição ILPM da, Santos M S N de A, Vovlas N, 2008. Root-knot and other plant-parasitic nematodes associated with fig trees in Portugal. Nematologia Mediterranea 36 (2), 131-136.
- CABI (2021) Heterodera fici. CABI digital library (accessed 19/Mar/2024). https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabicompendium.114784
- CDFA (2022) California Pest Rating Proposal for Heterodera fici Kirjanova, 1954, Fig cyst nematode. California Department of Food & Agriculture. https://blogs.cdfa.ca.gov/Section3162/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Heterodera-fici.pdf
- DEFRA (2022). UK Plant health risk register details for Heterodera fici. Last updated 09/02/2022.
- https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/pests-and-diseases/uk-plant-health-risk-register/viewPestRisks.cfm?cslref=4272
- Di Vito, M & Inserra RN (1982) Effects of Heterodera fici on the growth of commercial fig seedlings in pots. Journal of Nematology 14, 416–418.
- Di Vito M & Sasanelli N (1990) The effect of natural and artificial hatching agents on the emergence of juveniles of Heterodera fici. Nematologia Mediterranea 18, 55–57.
- Fanelli E, Vovlas A, Santoro S, Troccoli A, Lucarelli G, Trisciuzzi N & De Luca F (2019) Integrative diagnosis, biological observations, and histopathology of the fig cyst nematode Heterodera fici Kirjanova (1954) associated with Ficus carica L. in southern Italy. ZooKeys 823: 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.823.26820
- GBIF (2023). Heterodera fici Kirjanova, 1954. In Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species – Estonia. Occurrence: present, establishment: introduced (alien) (accessed 1/May/2024). https://www.gbif.org/species/160879988/verbatim
- Luc M, Sikora RA & Bridge J (2005). Plant Parasitic Nematodes in Subtropical and Tropical Agriculture, 2nd edition. CABI Publishing Oxfordshire. 492 pg
- Nemaplex.UCDavis.edu: Revision Date: 03/31/2024; Accessed (2/Apr/2024). http://nemaplex.ucdavis.edu/
- Šefrová H, Laštůvka Z (2005) Catalogue of alien animal species in the Czech Republic. Acta univ. agric. et silvic. Mendel. Brun., LIII, No. 4, 151-170.
- Vovlas N, Inserra RN & O’Bannon, JH (1989). The fig cyst nematode, Heterodera fici. Nematology Circular No. 168. Florida Department Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry, 3 pp. https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/25247/file/nem168.pdf.