PHYTOSANITARY HARMONIZATION EFFORTS IN NORTH AMERICA

Tom Moore, HM.Clause

APSA Third Expert Consultation

June 29, 2017

ASTA’s mission is to be an effective voice of action in all matters concerning the development, marketing and movement of seed, associated products and services

throughout the world.

ASTA promotes the development of better seed to produce better crops for a better quality of life.

Current Projects In Process

• National Seed Health Accreditation Pilot Project (NSHAPP)

• Regulatory Framework for Seed Health (ReFreSH)

• Evaluation of Seed Quality Management Practices to reduce Phytosanitary Risk (The Gottwald Research Project)

• Case Study of PMMOV on Pepper.

NATIONAL SEED HEALTH ACCREDITATION PILOT PROGRAM (NSHAPP)

APHIS’ Pilot for Imported Seed

Import Testing Pilot Program

• Collaboration between industry, National Seed Health System and USDA-APHIS

• Testing program for imported seed

• Prevent introduction of pathogens into the USA

• Voluntary

• Initial target – CGMMV in cucumbers, melons, watermelon

Program Scope

• Melon, watermelon and cucumber seed

• ISTA method 07-026 for CGMMV• 2,000-seed samples

• Untreated seed

• Began accepting small lots March 1st

• 5% sampling of lots smaller than 20,000 seeds (per infection unit concept)

• NSHS or NAL accredited labs in the US

Import Testing Pilot Program

• Started collecting data Jan 2016

• Currently have 7 companies participating (represents over 75% of host seed imports)

• Data reported at the beginning of each month

• Positive finds reported immediately

Results

• 9119 lots tested as of May 1, 2017

• 21 positives

• All positive seeds lots were destroyed, re-exported or not imported

• Limited number of “spot-check” samples tested by ISU • All negative

Production Locations – positive lots

• Cucumber• India

• China

• Melon• China

• India

• Israel

• Vietnam

• Watermelon• China

• Israel

• Thailand

Issues

• ISTA 7-026 is not yet validated for treated seed• Work is in progress to validate this

• Spot-checking of participant samples is a disincentive• Not realistic for small seedlots

• Wider participation is needed• smaller seed companies, seed brokers

• Incentives are needed

Next Steps

• Working to integrate a systems approach for CGMMV risk mitigation

• Would consider other production practices and other activities

• Will phase NSHAPP program into ReFreSH.

Regulatory Framework for Seed Health

ReFreSH

A New APHIS Approach

• Regulatory Framework for Seed Health (ReFreSH)

• Risk-, science-based systems approach

• Work within current seed trade model

• Leverage industry best practices

• Promote global adoption of seed trade framework

ReFreSH-Clean Seed “Passport”• Participating company will be issued a clean seed

document

• Company will be able to move seed among participating countries without phytosanitary certificates for each consignment

• Production process will be certified/accredited at each stage; practices will be audited

• Industry required to report pests

• Goal: Facilitate safer global movement of clean seed

Developing the Framework: ReFreSH Workshops

• Initial APHIS-seed industry workshop was held January 27, 2017

• Purpose:

• for APHIS to understand current industry practices and how effective they are, by themselves, in reducing/managing phytosanitary risk

• Pest management

• Post-harvest processing

• Quality management

• Discuss how to evaluate risk

• Determine available risk mitigation tools

• Identify gaps

• Industry/APHIS collaboration is critical!

ReFreSH to be Based on Accreditation Standard(s)• Document and evaluate production practices

• Evaluate current best management practices for their strength in phytosanitary risk reduction

• What can we build on?

• Identify key risk management points in production and post-harvest processing

• APHIS will develop standards for production and post-harvest processing and storage

• Companies will submit applications for accreditation based on these standards

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Information Needs

• Seed production practices

•Global production areas and typical movement patterns

•Pests of high concern

•Differences between small and large producers

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Risk Characterization: Needed for Key Pests/Crop Species

•Pathway analysis

•Pest risk assessment of high profile crops

•Determine critical quarantine pests that follow the seed pathway

•APHIS has started with spinach, tomato, Capsicum seed

Leading a Global Conversation

• APHIS is working with other NPPOs to establish widely accepted global seed movement system that promotes a managed risk approach

• APHIS has had initial conversations with QUADs countries (CA, AUS, NZ) and Netherlands

• Initial discussions for an international NPPO meeting this year on seeds

Considerations

•APHIS has selected a new seed health coordinator

•Ed Podleckis has replaced Angela McMellen-Brannigan

•More ASTA/APHIS workshops are being planned/organized

EFFECTS OF SEED QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON PHYTOSANITARY RISK REDUCTION

ASTA/USDA-ARS

2016

Goal

• “To develop a probabilistic risk-based model to assess the efficacy of seed quality management practices in reducing phytosanitary risks as well as enhancing disease control”

• Initially, the main focus is CMM (Clavibacter michiganensissubsp. Michiganensis) as a model system.

Photo: http://www.posgradoeinvestigacion.uadec.mx/CienciaCierta/CC33/1.html#.VmnjBk2FNaQ

• Quantify risk reduction associated with company QM practices at each stage of seed production From breeding to sale

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Breeding material

GreenhouseSeed

laboratoryBreeding in

fieldVariety testing

Seed stockSeed

productionCommercial

sales

= What Risk?

The seed goes through a pathway which has several components. Some components introduce risk and some others are mitigation measures of that risk. Such models can estimate synergistic effects of components of a production system in reducing phytosanitary risk.

Systems Approach Towards Phytosanitary Management

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Systems Approach Towards Phytosanitary Management

A Model to estimate risk of a systems approach

Components have many interacting variables that can be quantified

Fie

ld P

rod

uct

ion

Va

ria

ble

s -

ALab Testing Variables - A

Plant Operations

Outcome

Plant Operations Variables - B

Seed Health Test

Lab Testing Variables - B

ISHI Protocol

Se

ed

Pro

du

ctio

n O

utc

om

e

Trade Operations Variables

Seed Health Test

Disease Endemnicity

Variables

Seed Test Accuracy

Disease Endemic Location

Control ParametersSeed Test Accuracy

Plant Operations Variables -A

Trade Conditions

Current Ongoing Activities

• Researchers (Dr. Gottwald ) are populating the model with data/information/expert opinion for Cmm and tomato seed

• This application will be demonstrated sometime this fall and at the next ASTA vegetable and flower convention (San Diego)

• Next application: CGMMV and melon seed species

• Project will be published in a peer refereed journal in 2018.

PEPPER MILD MOTTLE VIRUS (PMMOV)Case Study for Harmonization of Seed Testing Methods

Pepper Mild Mottle Virus (PMMoV)• Vegetable seed companies grow pepper seed in China for

ultimate export to Mexico (high value specialty market)

• This seed is usually first brought to the U.S. for testing, cleaning, processing, packaging, then re-exported to Mexico

• Some companies test their seed for PMMoV in China. If positive, they may treat the seed (with TSP), then confirm efficacy of the treatment via bioassay (on a specific variety of tobacco plant)

• U.S. phytosanitary (re-export) certificates for Mexico are issued based either on the initial (usually ELISA) results or negative bioassay results

PMMoV

• Shipments are held at the border in Mexico and re-tested, using PCR. • On a treated/bioassayed shipment, the Mexican result is always

positive and shipments are rejected

• On a shipment in which PMMoV was not detected, there is still a high incidence of (false) positives

• PMMoV is easily mechanically transmitted, which complicates the use of PCR

• Efforts are underway (since 2014) to work with Mexican authorities to harmonize testing methods for PMMoV

Objective:

Evaluate different testing

methods to determine

PMMoV infection and

infectivity to facilitate

trade between the USA

and Mexico.

This study is being led

by Dr. Tracy Bruns, Iowa

State University.

Project overview• 5 seed lots have been provided by US companies

• looking for more

• would like to include an untreated PMMoV + lot

• At ISU, perform ISTA 7-028 and method provided by Mexico SAGARPA on all lots• Characterize lots before final testing

• Send lots to 5 NSHS accredited labs in the US for testing by both methods

• Compare results of these methods

• Provide feedback of outcomes to all parties

• APHIS will use these results to encourage SAGARPA to accept U.S. test results or at least use the same method for re-testing as the U.S. uses for export certification

Positive Bioassay Results

• Seed lots suspected of having PMMOV tested at

Iowa State University

• Lots chosen include:

• 1 negative lot

• 1 lot with active PMMOV infection (ELISA positive, bioassay

positive)

• 1 lot with inactive PMMOV infection (ELISA positive,

bioassay negative)

• Seed has been sent out to participants

• Would still like to include labs in Mexico if possible

Current status

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS