1. Experiences in controlling and managing brown rot in Slovenia Andrej Potočnik Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Slovenia Beograd, 22-23 April 2012

2. gggffe Potato production in Slovenia 1991-2010 Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia

3. 3 Disease and regulation Ralstonia solanacearum Brown rot is a quarantine plant disease which is caused by the bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum (hereinafter referred to as „Rs ‟ ) EU regulation EU regulation Council Directive 2000/29/EC - basic Plant Health Commision Directive; Council Directive 98/57/EC on the control of Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et al., amended by Commission Directive 2006/63/EC (hereinafter referred to as „Rs Directive ‟ ) National legislation National legislation Plant health act (Official Gazette RS, No 62/2007 and 36/20010) Rules on protective measures for the prevention of introduction and spread and for the suppression of potato brown rot (Official Gazette RS, No 31/2007)

4. 4 Rs survey – organization Rs survey is carried out by: Phytosanitary administration of the Republic of Slovenia (PARS) – central responsible body for plant health Phytosanitary Inspection Service(PIS) – responsible body for inspection and supervision: Rs host plants and other regulated objects, except potato from domestic seed production Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (KIS) - potato from domestic seed production National Institute of Biology (NIB) – diagnostic procedures NIB and KIS are legal persons on the basis of public authorisation

5. 5 Rs survey – chronology of key events 1995 – the start of the survey in accordanace with EU concept and regulation 1996 and 1997 – two derogations from certain provisions of Council Directive 77/93/EEC 2000 – 1st Rs finding: Kokrica 2010 – 2nd Rs finding: Podbocje 2011 – 3rd Rs finding: Trgovisce

6. Derogations for 1996 and 1997 6

7. 7 The goals of the Rs Directive and official surveys To detect, locate and determine the distribution of the Rs; To prevent its occurence and spread; In the case of finding the organism and disease, to prevent its spread and to control it by using measures with the aim of eradication. In the case of finding the organism and disease, to prevent its spread and to control it by using measures with the aim of eradication.

8. 8 Rs survey – SI experience Commodity Time of inspections Approx. no. of latent samples Seed potato tubers – domesticOct – Nov35 Seed potato tubers – Eu originDec – Apr50-60 Early ware potato tubers - domesticJun – Jul12 The other ware potato tubers - domesticSept – Nov65 Ware potato – EU originWhole year15 Seed potato fieldsMay – JunVisual. Ware potato fieldsJul – AugVisual. Tomato plantsApr – MayVisual. PelargoniumApr – MayVisual. Wild hosts (S. dulcamara…)Aug – Sep5 WaterAug – Sep12

9. 9 Detection, testing and measures 1st stage: Rapid screenig tests neg. The end of procedures pos. Suspected occurence 2nd stage: Comfirmation tests neg. The end of procedures pos. Sampling object is designated as contaminated Measures

10. 10 Suspected occurence and measures Prohibition of movement and trade Taking steps to trace origin of the suspected occurence Introduction of the additional precautionary measures, where appropriate, based on the estimated risk level Investigation of the extent and primary source of contamination on, at least, all clonally related seed potato stocks. Notification

11. 11 Measures required after confirming the presence of the Rs in a host plant sample - 1 Designated as contaminated are: Lot and/or consignment where the sample was taken, Machinery, vechile, store or its units, any other objects including packaging material, which have been in contact with the lot designated as contaminated, Where appropriate, the field(s), unit(s) and place(s) of production from which the lot designated as contaminated originates.

12. 12 Measures required after the confirming the presence of the Rs in a host plant sample - 2 Investigation of the extent and primary source of the contamination on, at least, all clonally related seed potato stocks. Determination of the extent of probable contamination Determination of the extent of possible spread Demarcation of a zone on the basis of the extent of designated contamination, probable contamination and possible spread Notification

13. 13 Measures required after confirming the presence of the Rs in a host plant sample – SI experience Measures Measures for commodities and objects designated as contaminated (potato tubers lots, machinery, store, fields…) and determined as probably contaminated and cleansing and disinfection are ordered by Phytosanitary inspection service. Demarcation Demarcation is carried out under the order issued by the Pytosanitary administration of the Republic of Slovenia.

14. 14 Investigation of the extent and primary source of contamination Investigation of the sources of the planted material and the extent of the place of production where designated contamination was found. possible spread - Investigation of the possible spread - connections with the other places of production, i.e. seed (clonal relations), the same machinery and equipment, the same irrigation system and the same source of irrigation water, the use of rented fields… possible spread Investigation of the possible spread – what was produced on the fields adjacent to the fields of the place of production where designated contamination was found.

15. 15 Investigation of the extent and primary source of contamination – the tools „ PHYTO ‟ register Access to the e-databases of the subsidies – accurate records of the farms with the current and previous production (KMG Web) GIS (Geographic Information System) - access to the e- databases of the cartographic and ownership information (GERK) Inspection check-up at the places of production

16. 16 Measures regarding plant material designated as contaminated To be used as animal feed after heat treatment, or disposal at an officially approved waste disposal site* e.g. deep burial, disposal at an officially approved waste disposal site* e.g. deep burial, or incineration, or industrial processing with appropriate waste disposal and system of cleansing and disinfection, or other measures with no identifiable risk of the Rs spreading * In accordance with Annex VII of Rs Directive, information also in EPPO standard PM 3/66(2) - Guidelines for the management of plant health risks of biowaste of plant origin.

17. 17 Measures regarding potato tubers determined as probably contaminated To be used as ware potatoes intended for consumption, packed ready for direct delivery and without repacking, or To be used as ware potatoes intended for industrial processing with direct and immediate delivery to a processing plant, or some other use or disposal with no identifiable risk of Rs spreading All measures require appropriate waste disposal and system of cleansing and disinfection.

18. 18 Measures regarding the machinery, conveyance, store, packaging material and any other objects designated as contaminated or determined as probably contaminated Immediatelly following proclamation of contamination: destruction, or decontamination by cleansing and, where appropriate, disinfection shall be performed. All machinery and storage facilities shall be cleansed and, where appropriate, disinfected also after the 1st subsequent growing year Disinfection procedures in potato production – EPPO Standard PM 10/1 (1)

19. 19 Measures regarding fields designated as contaminated Rs directive offers two options, we have decided for the 1st.: For at least 4 growing years following the contamination: The following shall not be planted: potato, tomato, plants of species Brassica, other host plants and crops with identified risk of Rs spreading; The following shall not be planted: potato, tomato, plants of species Brassica, other host plants and crops with identified risk of Rs spreading; Measures shall be taken to eliminate volunteer potato, tomato, other Rs host plants and solanaceous weeds Measures shall be taken to eliminate volunteer potato, tomato, other Rs host plants and solanaceous weeds; Before the 1st potato and tomato cropping season a 2-year period without volunteer potato, tomato, other Rs host plants and solanaceous weeds is required ; In the case of potatoes, only ware potato production is allowed; Harvested potato tubers or tomato plants shall be Rs tested; The 1st. potato seed production is allowed in 2-year rotation cycle following the 1st allowed tomato or ware potato production

20. 20 Measures regarding all other fields in the case of potato planting -1 If there is no risk of the presence of the volunteer potato, tomato, other Rs host plants and solanaceous weeds the following shal be fulfilled: In the 1st growing year following the designation of contamination: or Cropping Rs host plants (potato…) is prohibited or certified seed potato may be planted for ware production only, In the 2nd growing year following the designation of contamination: In the case of potato, only certified seed potato or potato officially tested for the Rs absence and grown under official control, on places of production not designated as contaminated, shall be planted for either seed or ware production.

21. 21 Measures reagrding all other fields in the case of potato planting - 2 For at least 3 growing years following the designation of contamination: Only certified seed potato or potato grown under official control from certified potato shall be planted for either seed or ware production In each of those growing years, when disease eradication measures are enforced, the following procedures shall be performed: Elimination of the volunteer potato, tomato, other Rs host plants and solanaceous weeds if present; Official inspection of the growing crop at the appropriate times in each potato field; Official testing of the harvested potato tubers.

22. KOKRICA - 2000 PODBOČJE - 2010 TRGOVIŠČE - 2011 Rs findings in Slovenia, found only in potatoes in very different places

23. Facts of the Rs outbreaks - 1 Location LocationYear Area of the cont. fields (ha) Category of the cont. potato Origin of the used seed material Measures for the cont. tubers Kokrica 2000 3,54 ware certified/EU deep burial Podbocje 2010 0,76 ware certified/EU deep burial Trgovisce 2011 6,84 ware farm save seed deep burial cont. = contaminated

24. Facts of the Rs outbreaks - 2 Location Sampling on the cont. place of production no. samples/no. pozit. test Sampling probably cont. lots on the other places of production no.samples/no. pozit. test Sampling on the cont. place of production following growing year no.samples/no. pozit. test Kokrica 4/14/0 - Podbocje 2/15/0 10/0 Trgovisce13/3 - not yet relevant cont. = contaminated

25. Rs finding – Kokrica 2000 25

26. Rs finding– Podbocje 2010 26 Fields designated as contaninated Other fields of the contaminated place of productin

27. Rs finding– Trgovisce 2010 27 Fields designated as contaninated Other fields of the contaminated place of productin

28. Kritical points for Rs outbreaks – SI findings Commodities and objects Seed potato tubers – domestic Seed potato tubers – Eu origin Ware potato - domestic Ware potato – EU origin Dispatching, grading and packaging centres Tomato plants Pelargonium Wild hosts (S. dulcamara…) Water Inspection in dispatching, grading and packaging centres should be intesified 28 Low risk Medium risk High risk

29. 29 Legislation on registration and labeling Council Directive 2000/EC - Annex IV.A.II, point 18.5 Commission Directive 92/90/EEC – registration Commission Directive 92/90/EEC – plant passport (in the case of seed potato) Commission Directive 93/50/EEC of specifying certain plants not listed in Annex V, part A to Council Directive 77/93/EEC, the producers of which, or the warehouses, dispatching centres in the production zones of such plants, shall be listed in an official register

30. 30 Council Directive 2000/29/EC, Annex IV.A.II, point 18.5 Requirements for the potato tubers: There shall be evidence by a registration number put on the packaging, or in the case of loose-loaded potato transported in bulk, on the vehicle transporting the potato, that the potatoes have been grown by an officially registered producer, or originate from officially registered collective storage or dispatching centres located in the area of production

31. 31 Council Directive 2000/29/EC, Annex IV.A.II, point 18.5 indicating that the tubers are free from Ralstonia solanacearum and that (a) the Community provisions to combat Synchytrium endobioticum; and (b) where appropriate, the Community provisions to combat Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus are complied with.