Newsletter09-09-English

This has been another busy and exciting year for NAPPO. In some ways, 2009 may have been NAPPO’s most significant year in its long history.

In February, NAPPO participated directly in tri-lateral country consultations with Japan, China and Korea on the North American standard for preventing the introduction of Asian Gypsy Moth into North America – RSPM No. 33.

RSPM No. 33, adopted in August 2009, establishes the Guidelines for regulating the movement of ships and cargo from areas infested with the Asian Gypsy Moth. We will continue working with National Plant Protection Organizations and industry in Asian countries to facilitate the implementation process of this regional standard.

During the week of May 19-21, NAPPO co-hosted an International Electronic Phytosanitary Certification Workshop with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The workshop was held in Ottawa, Canada and was attended by over 60 delegates from 14 countries. Workshop attendants had the opportunity to discuss different electronic certification approaches; establishing an international forum for information sharing; and developing a strategic plan to standardize electronic certification under the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).

In July 27-31, NAPPO co-hosted another workshop with SAGARPA/SENASICA/DGSV, APHIS/USDA, IICA and the Plant Protection Committee of the State of Tabasco, on Citrus Quarantine Pests. The workshop was very successful at raising awareness among government and industry members in citrus-producing countries on the risks and economic impact of citrus quarantine pests and in providing phytosanitary options to prevent their introduction and spread.

This year, NAPPO reconstituted the Seeds Panel. Panel members have been working on identifying major constraints related to the certification of seeds for re-export. This is an issue our industry has raised for some time now and we are glad for the opportunity to work in partnership with them to bring some solution to this trade barrier. In addition, recognizing the importance of this issue in countries around the world, the NAPPO organization and member countries have submitted requests to the IPPC for developing a new standard on the international movement of seed.

We have initiated the development of a NAPPO-recognized curriculum for plant health/biosecurity regulators. Eventually, this work will be captured in a new NAPPO occupational standard for the region. This standard will allow regional harmonization of all critical competencies needed for an individual working in the plant health/biosecurity regulatory area.

Traditionally, several NAPPO standards have served as the basis for international standards. This is the case of RSPM No. 4, Guidelines for the use of Irradiation as a Phytosanitary Treatment which helped developed the IPPC standard on Irradiation, ISPM No. 18, Guidelines for the use of irradiation as a phytosanitary measure. I am happy to report that these standards have made possible the application of this technology, allowing for trade in North America and increasingly more, around the world. In the NAPPO region alone, Mexico has been applying irradiation to export guavas into the United States since 2008, and starting this year, Mexico has included mangoes. Plans are on their way to apply the same technology for other fruit and vegetable exports.

It is my personal opinion that by working closely together within the NAPPO organizations of the three countries, Canada, Mexico, and the United States, we will have a greater opportunity and a greater chance of success in promoting safe agriculture while protecting our individual environments than if we were to work alone as separate entities.

Lastly but not least, I would like to extend a warm invitation to all our colleagues in government and industry to the NAPPO Annual Meeting in Chicago, in October 19-23. This year’s symposium is on “Living Modified Organisms and Plant Health”. We have invited several experts in this topic from the North American region and Europe to participate in the LMO symposium which I trust you will find very instructive.

Hope to see you there,

Paul Eggert

Associate Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

United States Department of Agriculture

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Left to right: Christa Dove, Bonnie King-Ostenso, Melonie Torillo, Catherine Mitchell Brown & Julie Aliaga.

Christa "Christy" Dove is a Management Analyst with USDA's Plant Protection and Quarantine program. Christy works on the Resource Management Support staff in Riverdale, Maryland, where she is the Lead Federal Agency Travel Administrator covering the automated Govtrip travel system. Christy has worked with PPQ for just under 21 years, starting her career in September 1988. She has experience working with NAPPO as she has been a part of the US NAPPO team for 9 years, starting with San Diego, California in 2000.

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Bonnie King-Ostenso began her government career in 1978 working with the Department of Commerce. She later started working with USDA in 1992 for the APHIS’ International Services. She has been working with the NAPPO group since 1993, a year after joining APHIS. She is currently the Director of APHIS’ International Visitors Center located in Riverdale, Maryland. She and her husband love to spend time on the bay fishing and crabbing. When they are not on the boat, they are usually found spending time with their 9 grandchildren.

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Melonie Torillo is a Management Analyst with USDA/APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), Resource Management Staff in Riverdale, MD. Melonie joined APHIS in 1990 and worked eleven years with Veterinary Services before coming to PPQ eight years ago. As a management analyst for PPQ, Melonie provides technical advice, guidance and assistance to headquarters and regional personnel; plans, coordinates and assists with local and national meetings; provides administrative assistance with Trust Fund agreements and assists with cooperative agreement reviews; provides administrative and program support to PPQ nationwide; and is the Logistics Chief for the PPQ National Incident Management Team Delta. Melonie has been a member of the USA NAPPO Team for seven years assisting with the planning and coordinating of the US meeting as well as providing assistance for the Mexico and Canada meetings.

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Catherine Mitchell Brown began her career with USDA and recently celebrated 20 years with the United States Government. She graduated with an Associates of Arts in General Studies from Prince George Community College (PGCC) in Landover, MD, in 2000. She has served as a Training Technician, Training Specialist and is currently a Conference and Events Manager serving 8,000 APHIS customers in the art of meeting management and group dynamics. Throughout her career, she has obtained a Certified Government Meeting Planner certification and belongs to the Society of Government Meeting Professionals. She enjoys time on the beach with her family, husband and son, Tim and TJ Brown.

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Julie Aliaga began her career with USDA APHIS in 1984, as a Plant Protection and Quarantine Officer in San Diego, California. In 1990, she moved with her husband and son to Miami, Florida where she worked in different capacities as an PPQ Senior Officer, Supervisor, and State Operations Support Officer. Since 2006, she has been working in Riverdale, Maryland as the Director of the International Standards Program. Julie represents North America at the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Standards Committee. She is a member of the NAPPO Working Group, Standards and Annual Meeting Panels. Julie studied Agronomy in her native Perú and has a science degree on Integrated Pest Management from the University of California at Berkeley.

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Guidelines for Regulating the Movement of Ships and Cargo from Areas Infested
with the Asian Gypsy Moth, RSPM No. 33

This standard was approved by the NAPPO Executive Committee during its meeting held in Oklahoma City on August 10, 2009. The standard provides NAPPO member countries with guidelines for risk management aimed at minimizing the entry and establishment of the Asian gypsy moth (AGM) in North America. It describes risk management options for ships which called on ports where the AGM is present. It also describes measures necessary for cargo from or passing through infested areas destined to North America.

The standard describes the following general requirements: Basis for regulating, risk management options in infested

areas, certification of ships, responsibilities of the ship’s master, risk management in NAPPO countries, risk management for cargo aboard ships and non-compliance actions.

The adoption of this NAPPO standard is a major step for protecting the vast and highly valued forest resources in North America from the invasive AGM.

Full text of the standard is available at www.nappo.org, under ‘Standards’

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Summary

The International Workshop on Citrus Quarantine Pests was held in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico from July 27 to 31, 2009. The workshop was held within the framework of the North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) and organized by the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fish and Food (SAGARPA) through the National Service for Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA), with the support form the Secretariat of Agricultural Development from the State of Tabasco, the Tabasco Plant Health State Committee (CESVETAB), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and NAPPO.

There were 310 participants from 13 countries, including: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Cuba, USA, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Dominican Republic. Results on research and practical experiences on monitoring, integrated management, diagnostic, control, prevention activities, outreach and impact of huanglongbing (HLB), leprosis, canker and variegated chlorosis were presented. These are interesting and important subjects for technicians, growers, nursery people, phytosanitary authorities and scientists.

Participating countries exchanged experiences according to the issues they are facing; therefore, we reach the following conclusions:

Actions to control and prevent the introduction of other quarantine pests has to be applied in an integrated manner with active participation from federal and state governments, as well as from industry, including growers, nursery operators, packers, business people and transportation companies. The most effective way to apply actions is at the regional level including not only citrus growing areas of one country but also the group of countries being affected or that are at risk of being affected by different quarantine pests. Within this regional approach, Regional Plant Protection Organizations such as NAPPO and OIRSA may have a significant role in developing and reviewing regional standards for phytosanitary measures that regulate movement of host material, as well as in capacity building, facilitating delivery of training workshops and information dissemination. The workshop provided important conclusions and recommendations for National Plant Protection Organizations to establish strategies to face these quarantine pests in the best possible way.

Source: Hector Sanchez

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Irradiation as a post-harvest phytosanitary treatment offers great technical and economic advantages as opposed to traditional treatments such as methyl bromide. Its commercial application for plant quarantine uses has an important growth potential.

In Mexico, in the 80’s the National Institute for Nuclear Research (Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, ININ) started commercial processing of food with gamma irradiation. Since then the demand has gradually increased due to the great benefits irradiation provides by eliminating pathogenic microorganisms. In 1995, the former Department of Food Safety and Assistance issued the norm NOM-033 SSA-1995 “Irradiation doses allowed in food” which was in effect until its abolition on September 6, 2005. Its abolition was due to the Codex Alimentarious tendency to eliminate dose limit allowed to process food. As in the cooking process high doses in other words, high doses damage products and they will be rejected by consumers due to their appearance and organoleptic properties, similar to overcooked food. In both cases, there are no harmful elements to the health however characteristics like texture and flavour deteriorate.

Through the years, Mexico has exported a considerable volume of plant products to different parts of the world, mainly to the United Sates. Some of the plant products can be exported only after receiving phytosanitary treatment either by physical or chemical means. This situation affects in one way or another the organoleptic characteristics of products causing changes in colour, smell or flavour. Also, these changes can reduce the produce shelf life. Methyl bromide fumigation is the quarantine treatment widely used. However, its major setback is that it affects the ozone layer and therefore contributes to global warming.

Irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment was approved by NAPPO in a regional phytosanitary standard in 1997. In 2003 the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations approved the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 18 titled “Guidelines for the use of irradiation as a phytosanitary measure”. This international standard provides technical guidance on the specific procedures for the application of irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment for regulated pests or articles and establishes that phytosanitary authorities should be in charge of evaluation, adoption and use of irradiation as a phytosanitary measure. They are also responsible to collaborate with other national and international regulatory agencies (such as the ININ), regarding developing, approving, security and application of irradiation and its distribution, use and consumption of irradiated products.

Once the United States Department of Agriculture implemented this international standard in its national regulations they accepted irradiation as phytosanitary treatment for fruit products. SAGARPA included gamma rays in the modification to the Mexican Official Norm NOM-

022-FITO-1995, “Requirements and specifications that a legal entity must comply with to provide phytosanitary treatment services”. The objective of the standard is to establish the requirements and specifications for persons interested in starting a business to provide phytosanitary treatment services for plants, plant products, by-products for importation, exportation or domestic movement. This is in order to sign an equivalency agreement with USDA, as well as several work plans that presently allow export of guava, mango, citrus (orange, grapefruit and mandarin), carambola and manzano chili peppers.

Mexico started implementing this technology on November 2008. This has allowed exports of approximately 1000 tons of Mexican guava to the United States. Additional to this fruit, last July Mexico exported two shipments of irradiated Manila mango (34 tons) to the United States and it is expected that starting in September 09, irradiated citrus (grapefruit, orange and mandarin), manzano chili pepper and carambola can be send to the United States.

In the short run, we also expect that irradiation usage will increase to export other commodities such as: sapote, sapodilla, soursop, mamey, Mexican hawthorn, hog plum, pitahaya, sweet lime, pomegranate, fig, rambutan among others.

To implement this technology, SAGARPA has sought the support of experts in the field within our country. We found a possible solution with the ININ’s scientists for which an agreement has been signed “Collaboration Framework Agreement between SAGARPA and the ININ which was signed by both entities last May.

As a complement to this framework agreement, we are working on specific agreements by which the ININ will carry on research projects in collaboration with the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The study to determine effects of irradiation on fruits already authorized to enter to the United Status, such as citrus and manzano chili pepper, are among those studies.

In addition to these tasks, a specific agreement is being developed to create the regional reference centre for irradiation as phytosanitary treatment which will serve as the basis to implement this technology at the regional level. We are also seeking the support and endorsement of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), so that the centre becomes a training centre in the use of irradiation as a phytosanitary measure.

Needless to say, this technology will provide important opportunities for investment and added value for the fruit and vegetable industries in the NAPPO region.

Source: Mario Puente. Phytosanitary Regulation, Plant Health General Directorate, SENASICA.

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(Anticipatory staffing)

Visit the NAPPO website at www.nappo.org

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Announcements

The Third International Barcode of Life Conference

The Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) and the Instituto Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) invite you to join us in Mexico City during the week of 7-13 November 2009 for the Third International Barcode of Life Conference.

There will be three days of pre-conference workshops, including two full-day short courses that will introduce participants to the lab protocols of DNA barcoding and the management and analysis of barcode data.

If you have any questions about the conference, please write to inquiries.dnabarcodes2009@si.edu

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Cactus Moth Program Evaluation

The cactus moth program being conducted in the Yucatan Peninsula to prevent the introduction of cactus moth was evaluated August 4-7, 2009.

The general assessment of the situation in Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy, Quintana Roo, Mexico, is as follows: 1) The cactus moth free status on both islands has been maintained. The last detection on Isla Mujeres occurred in March 2007 and on Isla Contoy in February 2008, 2) Surveillance activities on both islands and the country-wide awareness campaign are appropriate for early detection in case of an incursion.

The evaluation team fully recognizes the excellent work conducted by the program staff in Mexico for the eradication of Cactoblastis cactorum on Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy and maintenance of these sites in a pest free status.

A number of recommendations were drawn including:

1) Continued surveillance activities should be maintained in the islands and should be strengthened at high risk areas along the Yucatan Peninsula. The islands and Yucatan Peninsula are a high-risk gateway of cactus moth introductions from nearby infested Caribbean countries;

2) Evaluate the trapping and visual survey network in Louisiana and Texas.

Expand and improve detection survey if needed. Identify highest risk areas to focus detection survey;

3) Evaluate the trapping network between Tamaulipas, Mexico and Texas, USA, to ensure that no gaps in surveillance are occurring. The USA and Mexico should coordinate efforts to close the gap;

4) Remove infested cactus in Louisiana as soon as possible and through mid-September (end of 3^rd flight). Mechanical removal of infested host plant material should occur in mid-October or afterward but before cactus moth larvae pupate next spring;

5) Increase quality of sterile insects

The recent cactus moth outbreak in Louisiana was discussed. Although the rate of spread in the USA has slowed significantly as a result of program actions, the containment barrier in the USA has failed to prevent recurrent cactus moth outbreaks, including the most recent one detected in Louisiana in May 2009. Due to the presence of the pest in Louisiana, this could be the last opportunity to prevent the spread of this insect into western USA and Mexico and avoid a major economic and ecological disaster.

Source: Walther Enkerlin

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Walther Enkerlin has accepted a new position

I would like to inform all my NAPPO colleagues that I had accepted a position as Co-Director of the Mexico-USA-Guatemala Moscamed Commission based in Guatemala City. Leaving NAPPO and beautiful Canada has been a very difficult decision for the whole family. Having had the opportunity of working and knowing NAPPO from the inside has been both an enjoyable and a learning experience. The work as Technical Director has been interesting, dynamic and challenging and the experience gathered will be of great benefit for my future plant protection activities. After two years in the organization, I have been able to clearly appreciate NAPPO’s strategic position and unique role in preventing the introduction and spread of regulated plant pests. I have also appreciated NAPPO’s important contributions and leadership at the international level. Therefore, strengthening NAPPO should be in the best interest of its member countries.

Since joining NAPPO in July 2007, I have received from Ian McDonell all the support that anyone could expect both at a professional and personal level. My recognition and deep appreciation for Ian’s leadership as well as for Alba’s and Nedelka’s superb and highly professional work. I am very grateful to the NAPPO’s Executive Committee for the opportunity of being part of this great organization and to all panel members for sharing interesting information and for

their very important and productive work in the development of regional standards, organization of workshops, etc. Although my future work will focus on a specific phytosanitary issue, I hope to continue being involved in regulatory work at both, the regional and international levels.

I will be starting my new job in early November and look forward to having the opportunity of collaborating with you again in the near future.

With my best wishes, Walther

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In this Issue	Reflections on NAPPO	Faces of NAPPO	Meetings	SAMs
	RSPM No. 33	Citrus Workshop	Irradiation of Plant Products	Job Vacancy
	Announcements	Cactus Moth Program	Walther Enkerlin
NAPPO Smile	"I think," said the sweet potato, "therefore, I yam"

October 2009
Annual Meeting October 19-23 Chicago, Illinois, US	Annual Meeting Panel October 18 Chicago, Illinois, US		Executive Committee October 19 Chicago, Illinois, US
Invasive Species October 19 - (a.m.) Chicago, Illinois, US	Invasive Species & Pest Risk Analysis October 19 - (p.m.) Chicago, Illinois, US		Forestry October Chicago, Illinois, US
Other Meetings
Seed Association of the Americas September 28-30, 2009 São Paulo, Brasil		21^stTechnical Consultation of RPPOs November 30 - December 4, 2009 Entebbe, Uganda
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21st Technical Consultation of RPPOs November 30 - December 4, 2009 Entebbe, Uganda

21^stTechnical Consultation of RPPOs
November 30 - December 4, 2009
Entebbe, Uganda