Commodity risk assessment of Jasminum polyanthum plants from Israel

Abstract

The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to prepare and deliver risk assessments for commodities listed in Commission Implementing Regulation EU/2018/2019 as ‘High risk plants, plant products and other objects’. This Scientific Opinion covers all plant health risks posed by unrooted cuttings of Jasminum polyanthum produced in a protected environment (greenhouse) that are imported from Israel, taking into account the available scientific information, including the technical information provided by the NPPO of Israel by 15 March 2020. The relevance of an EU quarantine pest for this opinion was based on evidence that: (i) the pest is present in Israel; (ii) Jasminum is a host of the pest; and (iii) the pest can be associated with the commodity. The relevance of any other pest, not regulated in the EU, was based on evidence that: (i) the pest is present in Israel; (ii) the pest is absent in the EU; (iii) Jasminum is a host of the pest; (iv) the pest can be associated with the commodity and (v) the pest may have an impact and can pose a potential risk for the EU territory. Six species, the EU‐quarantine pest Scirtothrips dorsalis, and the EU non‐regulated pests Aonidiella orientalis, Milviscutulus mangiferae, Paracoccus marginatus, Pulvinaria psidii and Colletotrichum siamense fulfilled all relevant criteria and were selected for further evaluation. For these pests, the risk mitigation measures proposed in the technical dossier from Israel were evaluated taking into account the possible limiting factors. For these pests, an expert judgement is given on the likelihood of pest freedom taking into consideration the risk mitigation measures acting on the pest, including uncertainties associated with the assessment. The estimated degree of pest freedom varies among the pests evaluated, with S. dorsalis being the pest most frequently expected on the imported plants. The Expert Knowledge Elicitation indicated, with 95% certainty, that between 9,958 and 10,000 bags per 10,000 would be free of S. dorsalis.

Pest categorisation of Takahashia japonica

“…First instar nymphs (crawlers) may move to neighbouring plants on their own or be moved by wind or by hitchhiking on clothing, equipment or animals (insects and birds) (EFSA PLH Panel, 2020 ).…”

Pest categorisation of Pulvinaria psidii

“…P. psidii occurs on leaves and small young stems (Hamon and Williams, 1984 ) but quickly colonises flower panicles, and then fruits when they appear on the tree (Biosecurity New Zealand, 2008 ). P. psidii scales produce a mass of eggs in a cottony ovisac which is relatively easy to detect (EFSA PLH Panel, 2020 ). Double‐sided sticky tape around stems can also be used to monitor the crawlers (Bethke and Wilen, 2010 ).…”

“…First instar nymphs (crawlers) may be carried to neighbouring plants by their own movement, wind (Bakr et al., 2012 ) or by hitchhiking on clothing, equipment or animals (EFSA PLH Panel, 2020 ).…”

“…This pest categorisation was initiated following the commodity risk assessment of jasmine ( Jasminum polyanthum ) unrooted cuttings from Israel performed by EFSA PLH Panel ( 2020 ), in which P. psidii was identified as a relevant non‐regulated EU pest which could potentially enter the EU on J. polyanthum .…”

Pest categorisation of Paracoccus marginatus

“…This pest categorisation was initiated following the commodity risk assessment of jasmine ( Jasminum polyanthum ) unrooted cuttings from Israel performed by EFSA (EFSA PLH Panel, 2020), in which P. marginatus was identified as a relevant non‐regulated EU pest which could potentially enter the EU on J. polyanthum .…”