List of non‐EU phytoplasmas of tuber‐forming Solanum spp.

Abstract

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health prepared a list of non‐EU phytoplasmas of tuber‐forming Solanum spp. A systematic literature review and search of databases identified 12 phytoplasmas infecting S. tuberosum. These phytoplasmas were assigned to three categories. The first group (a) consists of seven non‐EU phytoplasmas, known to occur only outside the EU (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma americanum’, ‘Ca. P. australiense’, ‘Ca. P. fragariae’‐related strain (YN‐169, YN‐10G) and ‘Ca. P. hispanicum’) or having only limited presence in the EU (‘Ca. P. aurantifolia’–related strains, ‘Ca. P. pruni’‐related strains and ‘Ca. P. trifolii’). The second group (b) consists of three phytoplasmas originally described or reported from the EU. The third group (c) consists of two phytoplasmas with substantial presence in the EU, whose presence in S. tuberosum is not fully supported by the available literature. Phytoplasmas of categories (b) and (c) were excluded at this stage from further categorisation efforts. Three phytoplasmas from category (a) (‘Ca. P. australiense’, ‘Ca. P. hispanicum’ and ‘Ca. P. trifolii’) were excluded from further categorisation, as a pest categorisation has already been performed by EFSA. Comments provided by the EU Member States were integrated in the opinion. The main uncertainties of this listing concern: the taxonomy, the geographic distribution and prevalence and host range. The following phytoplasmas considered as non‐EU and whose presence in S. tuberosum is fully supported by literature (category (a)) are categorised by the Panel in a separate opinion: ‘Ca. P. americanum’, ‘Ca. P. fragariae’‐related strain (YN‐169, YN‐10G), ‘Ca. P. aurantifolia’–related strains and ‘Ca. P. pruni’‐related strains.

Pest categorisation of the non‐EU phytoplasmas of tuber‐forming Solanum spp.

“…The process is described in EFSA PLH Panel et al, (2020b), in which a systematic approach identified 12 phytoplasmas naturally infecting S. tuberosum. Among these phytoplasmas, based on information on distribution and prevalence both inside and outside the EU, the Panel identified seven non-EU phytoplasmas, known to occur only outside the EU or occurring outside the EU and having only limited presence (reported in fewer than five EU Member States (MS)) in the EU.…”

“…This opinion provides a pest categorisation of the four non-EU phytoplasmas with confirmed presence in tuber-forming Solanum spp., that have been listed in EFSA PLH Panel et al (2020b), thus covering the following entities:…”

“…P. pruni'-related strains). For the latter pests, Table 12 and Appendix C integrate data from the list of non-EU phytoplasmas infecting S. tuberosum (EFSA PLH Panel et al, 2020b) with additional information on their natural hosts. The ability of 'Ca.…”

“…The EFSA Plant Health Panel (from here on: "the Panel") decided to address the pest categorisation of this group of infectious agents in two steps: first, a list of the non-EU phytoplasmas of the host plants (EFSA PLH Panel et al, 2020b) and second, the present pest categorisation.…”