Alerts

Further notification of emergency quarantine measures for plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa

Effective from 5 November 2015

Further notification of emergency quarantine measures for plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa – 5 November 2015

Who does this notice affect?

This notice provides clients of the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (the department) who import nursery stock, tissue cultures and corms and bulbs an update from the alert issued on 30 October 2015.

What is the change?

The Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is implementing emergency quarantine measures to reduce the likelihood of entry of the bacterial plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa and related Xylella species.

The following measures apply to plant tissue cultures and nursery stock that are hosts of Xylella species, and are applied in addition to current import requirements.

Changes to import requirements include:

Nursery stock and plant material coming from countries or regions where Xylella occurs will need to be tested offshore and certified as free from Xylella by the government of the exporting country.

Material that does not meet this requirement will be held and tested in the recently opened Australian Government quarantine station at Mickleham in Victoria.

An approved arrangement that ensures the health of plants will need to be in place for off-shore certification of nursery stock from high risk countries.

A more detailed description of measures for tissue culture is outlined in Appendix 1 and for other forms of nursery stock in Appendix 2.

These emergency measures apply to all species from regulated families (Refer to Appendix 3) of plants that are known to host Xylella spp. A list of affected genera will be maintained by the department.

The emergency measures will be implemented in two phases:

Phase 1 – Identified Xylella host species from high risk Xylella countries

Measures for material from high risk countries will be implemented by 19 November 2015.

The high risk countries are:

All countries in the Americas including the Caribbean
All countries in Europe
India
Iran
Lebanon
Taiwan
Turkey.

Phase 2 – Identified Xylella host species from low risk Xylella countries

All other countries not specified as a high risk country will be considered low risk. Measures for low risk material will be implemented by 19 January 2016.

What about consignments that are in transit to Australia?

For Phase 1 – Where a consignment is accompanied by documentation verifying the plant material was shipped prior to the 19 November, the material will be cleared on pre-emergency conditions.

Will there be further change to the import conditions?

The department continues to work closely with stakeholders to minimise the disruption to trade. The emergency measures will be reviewed and evolve in the coming months as information on the spread of the bacteria and host range becomes clearer. A BICON Alert will be issued to notify of any significant changes to import conditions.

Further information

If you require further information to the above information we would appreciate you emailing us at imports@agriculture.gov.au (please title your email with ‘Xylella emergency conditions’.

Appendix 1. Tissue cultures of species from regulated families

Country category

Off-shore certification

On-shore action if the Phytosanitary Certificate is acceptable

(Note 3)

On-shore measures for consignments without an acceptable Phytosanitary Certificate

High risk countries

A Phytosanitary Certificate with the following Additional Declaration or equivalent words:

“All tissue cultures in this consignment were derived from mother tissue cultures that were tested by PCR and found free of all Xylella species as indicated on laboratory test report number ......... (insert number/code here).” (Note 2)

Current import conditions for the plant species apply. Material that passes will be released.

Tissue cultures must be de-flasked and grown for a minimum of 12 months in government PEQ (Note 1) before testing by PCR. All plants will be tested. A positive detection of Xylella will result in destruction of the consignment. All other current import conditions for the plant species will apply.

Re-export or destroy

All other countries and regions not listed above

A Phytosanitary Certificate with the following Additional Declaration or equivalent words:

“Tissue cultures in this consignment were derived from plants and tissue cultures that were grown only in ..........(insert country) which is free from all Xylella species”

Current import conditions for the plant species apply. Material that passes will be released.

Tissue cultures must be de-flasked and grown for a minimum of 12 months in PEQ (private or government) before testing by PCR. All plants will be tested. A positive detection of Xylella will result in destruction of the consignment. All other current conditions for the plant species will apply.

Re-export or destroy

Appendix 2. Nursery stock - cuttings, rooted plants, budwood, and some corms and bulbs

Country category

Off-shore certification

Action if the Phytosanitary Certificate is acceptable

(Note 3)

On-shore measures for consignments that come without an acceptable Phytosanitary Certificate

High risk countries

A Phytosanitary Certificate with the following Additional Declaration or equivalent words:

“Plant material in this consignment was produced under an arrangement approved by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources and was tested by PCR and found free of all Xylella species as indicated on laboratory test report number......... (insert number/code here).” (Note 2)

Current import conditions for the plant species apply.

Plants will be grown for a minimum of 12 months in government PEQ (Note 1) before testing by PCR. All plants will be tested. A positive detection of Xylella will result in destruction of the consignment. All other current conditions for the plant species will apply. OR

Plants will be hot-water treated at 50°C for 45 minutes and then released.

Re-export or destroy.

All other countries and regions not listed above

A Phytosanitary Certificate with the following Additional Declaration:

“Plant material in this consignment and its parent stock were grown only in ..........(insert country) which is free from all Xylella species”

Current import conditions for the plant species apply.

Plants will be grown for a minimum of 12 months in PEQ (private or government) before testing by PCR. All plants will be tested. A positive detection of Xylella will result in destruction of the consignment. All other current conditions for the plant species will apply.

Plant will be hot-water treated at 50°C for 45 minutes and then released.

Re-export or destroy.

Notes

There are scheduled fees associated with the growth of nursery stock in an Australian Government Department of Agriculture post entry quarantine facility, which must be met by the importer. The importer is responsible for contacting the facility to confirm all arrangements, including space availability and number of plants, prior to the plant material arriving in Australia. Importers must clearly nominate on the import permit applications the facility that their material is to be sent to.
Nursery stock from high risk countries must be produced through a Department of Agriculture and Water Resources approved arrangement. Arrangements will include but are not limited to a high health systems approach that includes facility containment, sourcing of mother stock, pre-export growth and containment periods, testing and National Plant Protection Organisation approval and management
The department will reserve the right to undertake testing to verify a consignment is free of Xylella.

Appendix 3: Plant families regulated for Xylella species. List current as of 4 November 15

Acanthaceae	Cupressaceae	Paulowniaceae
Adoxaceae	Cyperaceae	Phytolaccaceae
Altingiaceae	Ebenaceae	Pinaceae
Amaranthaceae	Elaeagnaceae	Pittosporaceae
Amaryllidaceae	Equisetaceae	Plantaginaceae
Anacardiaceae	Ericaceae	Platanaceae
Annonaceae	Escalloniaceae	Poaceae
Apiaceae	Euphorbiaceae	Polygalaceae
Apocynaceae	Fabaceae	Polygonaceae
Aquifoliaceae	Fagaceae	Portulaceae
Araliaceae	Geraniaceae	Proteaceae
Arecaceae	Ginkgoaceae	Ranunculaceae
Asparaguaceae	Hamamelidaceae	Rhamnaceae
Asteraceae	Hydrangeaceae	Rosaceae
Balsaminaceae	Juglandaceae	Rubiaceae
Berberidaceae	Lamiaceae	Rutaceae
Betulaceae	Lauraceae	Salicaceae
Bignoniaceae	Lythraceae	Sapindaceae
Boraginaceae	Magnoliaceae	Solanaceae
Brassicaceae	Malpighiaceae	Talinaceae
Bromeliaceae	Malvaceae	Theaceae
Cannabaceae	Meliaceae	Ulmaceae
Caprifoliaceae	Montiaceae	Urticaceae
Caryophyllaceae	Moraceae	Verbenaceae
Celastraceae	Myrtaceae	Vitaceae
Cistaceae	Nyctaginaceae	Xanthorrhoeaceae
Clethraceae	Oleaceae	Zygophyllaceae
Commelinaceae	Onagraceae
Convolvulaceae	Orobanchaceae
Cornaceae	Oxalidaceae
Cucurbitaceae	Passifloraceae