EUROPEAN COMMISSION HEALTH & CONSUMER PROTECTION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL
Directorate F - Food and Veterinary Office
DG(SANCO)/7338/2004 – MR Final
FINAL REPORT
ON A MISSION CARRIED OUT IN SLOVAKIA
FROM 8 TO 12 NOVEMBER 2004 IN ORDER TO
AUDIT THE PLANT HEALTH SYSTEM
IN THE POTATO SECTOR
Please note that factual errors in the draft report, identified by the Slovak Authorities, have been corrected in the text of this final report.
29/03/05 – 60081
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...... 5
1. INTRODUCTION...... 6
2. MISSION DETAILS...... 6
3. OBJECTIVES OF THE MISSION ...... 6
4. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE MISSION AND RELEVANT LEGISLATION...... 7
5. BACKGROUND...... 7 5.1. Previous missions to Slovakia concerning potatoes...... 7 5.2. Potato production in Slovakia ...... 7 5.3. Potato trade in Slovakia...... 8 6. MAIN FINDINGS...... 8 6.1. Plant health system...... 8 6.1.1. Structure of the plant health system ...... 8 6.1.2. Human and financial resources ...... 9 6.1.3. Work procedures and internal communication...... 10 6.1.4. Work planning and assessment of the institution's work...... 11 6.1.5. Communication with the public ...... 11 6.1.6. Legislation and enforcement of legislation ...... 11 6.2. Seed potatoes...... 12 6.2.1. Potato breeding and seed certification...... 12 6.2.2. Plant health in genetic material and seed production ...... 13 6.3. Potatoes other than seed ...... 16 6.3.1. Production methods of ware and other potatoes...... 16 6.3.2. General organisation of plant health surveys ...... 16 6.3.3. Situation regarding specific quarantine pests...... 17 6.3.4. Marketing and processing of potatoes other than seed...... 21 6.4. Inspection of potato imports...... 22 6.4.1. Imports from Third Countries ...... 22 6.4.2. Imports from other EU Countries...... 23 6.5. Laboratories...... 23
2 6.5.1. Bratislava - Department of General and Quarantine Diagnostics Laboratory for bacteriology...... 23 6.5.2. Department of Molecular Biology...... 24 6.5.3. Haniska/Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics of Pathogens and Laboratory for Virology and Bacteriology...... 25 6.5.4. TVO; Bratislava (Virological Institute of the Academy of Science) ...... 25 7. CONCLUSIONS...... 26 7.1. Plant health system...... 26 7.2. Seed potatoes...... 26 7.3. Potatoes other than seed ...... 27 7.3.1. Handling of outbreaks in ware potato production ...... 27 7.4. Laboratory analyses...... 28 8. OVERVIEW...... 28
9. CLOSING MEETING...... 29
10. RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 29
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE REPORT
Brown rot Ralstonia solanacearum CA Competent Authority C.m.s. Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus ELISA Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay EU European Union FVO Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission IF Immunofluorescence MASR Ministry of Agriculture of Slovak Republic- Department of Plant Commodities PCN Potato cyst nematode(s) PCR Polymerase chain reaction PSTVd Potato spindle tuber viroid PWD Potato wart disease (Synchitrium endobioticum) Ring rot Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus R.s. Ralstonia solanacearum Section of Diagnostics Section for Diagnostics of Harmful Agents, Molecular Biology of Plants and Plants Pathogens
3 SPP Section of Plant Protection UKSUP Central Control and Testing Institute of Agriculture
4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Slovakia is recognised by Commission Decision 2001/575/EC as being free from Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. Sepedonicus (C.m.s.); however, outbreaks of this organism and of Ralstonia solanacearum (R.s.) were reported in 2003 and 2004 in ware potatoes.
The plant health system in the potato sector is well-organised and the plant protection service also has adequate staff and equipment, except in the Bacteriology laboratory in Bratislava, where a shortage of staff affected diagnostic capacity, especially in peak periods.
The PPS laboratories in Bratislava and Haniska were visited. They generally follow the analytical procedures established in EU legislation. However, some technical in- adequacies were ascertained, which would affect the reliability of their results.
Several instances of non-compliances were found in the management of the outbreaks in both 2003 and 2004.
In most cases, there was a long delay before the results of the screening tests became available, which meant that all of the probably contaminated tubers and part of the infested tubers had been sold before precautionary measures could be imposed. This increases the risk of the two diseases being spread further.
The testing of breeding material for quarantine organisms appears to be systematic and comprehensive. All domestic seed originates from tissue culture, which gives added protection against exotic viruses. All material in the gene bank has been tested for potato spindle tuber viroid and other harmful organisms. There have been no imports for trials or scientific purposes in recent years.
During the certification process, each plot of pre-basic, basic and certified seed generations are tested for C.m.s. and R.s..
All fields used for the production of seed potatoes are tested, prior to planting, for the presence of potato cyst nematodes (PCN) and wart disease. In addition, the entire commercial potato production area (including ware) is tested every five years for the presence of both organisms. The PCN Globodera rostochiensis has a limited distribution; G. pallida does not occur in Slovakia (which is a protected zone for this pest). Potato wart disease was last found, in one location, in 2002. The relevant control directives for PCN and wart disease are being implemented.
All producers, packers and distributors of ware and seed potatoes are registered and are subject to the obligations under the relevant EU legislation. However, labels for ware potatoes do not bear the registration number of producers.
Although the Slovak authorities acted promptly and in structured way, the control measures and investigations were not fully adequate, and as a result there is a significant risk of both diseases spreading and becoming established. The risk to other Member States is low, due to the small number of ‘exports’.
5 1. INTRODUCTION
A pre-mission questionnaire was sent to the Slovak competent authority in advance of the mission. The answers to this questionnaire provided an overview of plant health systems in the potato sector, and of the general health status of potato production in Slovakia.
2. MISSION DETAILS
The mission in Slovakia took place from 8 to 12 November 2004. The mission team comprised of two inspectors from the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), and one Member State expert. The inspection team was accompanied throughout the mission by representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture (MASR) and the Central Control and Testing Institute of Agriculture (UKSUP).
The mission was undertaken as part of the FVO planned mission programme after the occurrence of outbreaks of Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus (C.m.s.) and Ralstonia solanacearum (R.s.) in 2003 and 2004.
An opening meeting was held on 8 November 2004 at the UKSUP headquarters in Bratislava with representatives from MASR and UKSUP. During this meeting, the mission team confirmed the objectives and itinerary for the mission.
The following sites were visited:
COMPETENT AUTHORITY VISITS Competent authority Central Bratislava 1 Regional Kosice 1
LABORATORY VISITS Official UKSUP laboratory in Bratislava 1 Official UKSUP laboratory in Košice 1
PLANT HEALTH CONTROL SITES Potato research and breeding institute 1 Potato varietal and testing station 1 Seed potato producer 1 Ware potato producers with an outbreak of R.s. 2 Ware potato producers with an outbreak of C.m.s. 3 Retailers of ware potatoes 2 Potato chips factory 1
3. OBJECTIVES OF THE MISSION
The objectives of the mission were to assess
(1) the performance of the various bodies involved in the national plant health system with reference to the potato sector;
(2) the control for Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus and Ralstonia solanacearum in accordance with the relevant EU legislation;
6 (3) the implementation of the relevant EU legislation in the potato sector.
4. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE MISSION AND RELEVANT LEGISLATION
The mission was carried out under the mandate of Article 21 of Council Directive 2000/29/EC1 and relevant technical provisions of this Directive. In addition, the following legislation was of particular relevance for this mission:
– Council Directive 69/464/EEC2 on the control of potato wart disease; – Council Directive 69/465/EEC3 on the control of potato cyst eelworm; – Council Directive 93/85/EEC4 on the control of potato ring rot; – Council Directive 98/57/EC5 on the control of potato brown rot; – Commission Directive 93/50/EEC6 on the registration of producers, warehouses and dispatching centres; – Commission Directive 97/46/EC7 amending Commission Directive 95/44/EC8 on "the conditions under which certain harmful organisms, plants, […] may be introduced into or moved in the Community for trial or scientific purposes and for work on varietal selections".
5. BACKGROUND
Unless otherwise stated, statistical data in this and following chapters were provided by the Slovak authorities on the pre-mission questionnaire, or during the mission.
5.1. Previous missions to Slovakia concerning potatoes
So far, the Commission has carried out two missions to Slovakia, namely in 1998 and 2000, in response to requests for recognition as being free from C.m.s.
As a result of these missions, Slovakia was recognised as free from C.m.s by Commission Decision 2001/575/EC.
5.2. Potato production in Slovakia
In 2003, Slovak potato production represented around 1.2 % of the total value of agricultural output, and 3.4 % of the value of crop production.
In 2003, Slovakia produced about 16,965 tonnes of certified seed on approximately 1,258 hectares of agricultural land, i.e. on average 13.5 t/ha. In 2004, the number of registered producers of certified seed potatoes was 14.
1 OJ No. L 169, 10.7.2000, p. 1 2 OJ No. L 323, 24.12.1969, p. 1 3 OJ No. L 323, 24.12.1969, p. 3 4 OJ No. L 259, 18.10.1993, p. 1 5 OJ No. L 235, 21.8.1998, p. 1 6 OJ No. L 205, 17.8.1993, p. 22 7 OJ No. 204, 31.7.1997, p. 43 8 OJ No. 184, 3.8.1995, p. 34
7 Production has been decreasing since 2001 (27,391 t) as a consequence of the reduction in the amount of cultivated land (2,218 ha in 2001).
In 2003, the total cultivated area in Slovakia for potatoes other than seed was about 22,130 ha of which more than 13,000 ha were cultivated for personal consumption in private gardens or communal fields, for example. 141,356 t of potatoes were grown for commercial purposes on 8,975 ha, i.e. the average yield was 15.7 t/ha. In 2004, the number of registered producers of ware potatoes was 303.
5.3. Potato trade in Slovakia
Seed potatoes
From 2001 to 2003, Slovakia exported between 100 t and 311 t of seed potatoes a year to third countries. Over the same period, it imported annually between 137 t and 526 t of seed potatoes from third countries and 2,705 t to 4,245 t of seed potatoes from EU Member States (mainly from the Netherlands and Germany).
Other potatoes
In 2003, Slovakia exported 1,113 t of potatoes other than seed to EU countries and 311 t to third countries, while 1,201 t were imported from Czech Republic and Slovenia and 21,424 t from other Member States (mainly Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands).
6. MAIN FINDINGS
6.1. Plant health system
6.1.1. Structure of the plant health system
The three bodies with responsibilities for plant health in the potato sector in Slovakia are the Ministry of Agriculture, the Central Control and Testing Institute of Agriculture (UKSUP), and the district and regional offices of the national administration, which are subject to the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic. The organisational structure and relationships of these bodies is shown in Figure 1.
The Ministry of Agriculture – Department of Plant Commodity- (MASR) has a coordinating role for all plant health matters, and is accountable for the transposition of the acquis communautaire in relevant fields and represents Slovakia at international level.
The UKSUP is a governmental body attached to the Ministry of Agriculture, and has been appointed as the single and central authority (CA) for plant health within the meaning of Article 1 of Council Directive 2000/29/EC. It implements and enforces the legislation and is also responsible for variety testing and approval and seed certification. The UKSUP consists of nine sections, three of which have responsibilities for the areas covered by this mission: the inspectors of the Section of Plant Protection (SPP) are responsible for the enforcement and the control activities, the laboratories of the Section for Diagnostics of Harmful Agents, Molecular Biology of Plants and Plant Pathogens (Section of Diagnostics) carry out 8 analysis of samples, and inspectors of the Section of Seeds and Planting Material are involved in the certification scheme for seed potatoes.
Regional and local offices of the SPP oversee potato production, marketing, import and export, plant passport issuance for seed potatoes, and monitoring for harmful organisms. The Section of Diagnostics has offices operating at regional level, while SPP offices operate at both regional and local level.
There are two UKSUP laboratories which are supervised by the Section of Diagnostics in Bratislava. These laboratories are specialised in the diagnosis of harmful organisms of potatoes, and are located in Haniska and Vígľaš.
Two outside private-sector laboratories are officially accredited by UKSUP: - the Ecological and Veterinary Laboratory in Spišská Nová Ves provides diagnostic on potato wart disease and potato cyst nematodes; - the Institute of Virology – Slovak Academy of Sciences, TVO, s.r.o. provides diagnostic on quarantine diseases of imported ware potatoes.
The District and Regional Offices of National Administration are part of the Ministry of the Interior. They have administrative competences in relation to plant health, such as imposing general quarantines or control measures in their respective districts following a proposal by UKSUP, imposing fines and taking receipt of notifications.
6.1.2. Human and financial resources
Human resources
Currently, the SPP employs 87 technical staff. At SPP headquarters there are 9 staff, and 3 staff are also present in each of the regional offices of Zvolen and Košice. 60 phytosanitary inspectors work on internal control in 35 districts. Following accession, only three border inspection posts are in place, one in Bratislava airport and two on the border with Ukraine; 12 inspectors are working there. The others
9 inspectors who worked at border inspection posts have been reassigned to the Ministry of Agriculture, or to departments of UKSUP, or have retired.
As far as the Section of Diagnostics is concerned, the Bratislava laboratory employe
All employees are civil servants, and are mostly university graduates in agricultural or biological science.
Technical staff attend, on a regular basis, training courses covering subjects such as plant health legislation, use of new codes of practice, diagnostics and sampling, monitoring for quarantine pests, laboratory training. In 2004, a considerable number of courses were provided on EU plant health legislation to prepare inspectors for accession within the framework of TAIEX (Technical Assistance Information Exchange). Study trips were organised during twinning projects for using and working with laboratory equipment in Slovakia, and in other MS.
The staff met during the mission appeared to be qualified, motivated and to have a good knowledge of national plant health legislation and procedures.
Financial resources
The UKSUP is financed from the state budget; fees are charged for certain services (i.e. import-export activities, registration of producers) and these go directly into the State budget.
At present, there is no system to compensate producers who have suffered financial losses owing to outbreaks of harmful organisms. In the case of eradication campaigns, the costs of phytosanitary measures must be met by the owner or person who works the land, as required by the Act on Plant Health Care.
6.1.3. Work procedures and internal communication
Regular meetings, at least twice a year, are held within the different services of the SPP at local, regional and national level, and with the Section of Diagnostics. Staff also attend workshops on specific issues. Regular contacts are held between UKSUP and the MASR. The central, regional and local offices of UKSUP communicate by telephone, fax, e-mail and via the internet, and intranet services. The extension of the availability of IT services to local offices is still on-going.
Records of inspections are kept by inspectors; copies of these are available at regional offices and at the Section of Diagnostics.
Contingency plans are present in the form of an ‘action plan’, which is provided to the farmers and the inspectors to implement more effectively the legislation on brown rot and ring rot in the event of an outbreak. It contains general provisions to trace back the source of infestation and prevent the spreading of the bacterial disease. The mission team noted that this ‘action plan’ does not explain clearly the concept of the ‘contaminated place of production’ and the ‘probable contamination’ related to tubers and field within the meaning of the two relevant Directives and, therefore, some control measures required by them, were not correctly implemented by the inspectors during the management of the outbreaks.
10 Inspectors have handbooks and detailed instructions for carrying out their normal duties, i.e. ‘Pest survey methodology 2004’ for ring rot and brown rot, including procedures for performing inspections, taking samples and recording data. Handbooks and instructions are updated as necessary. All inspectors also have access to technical books and legislation, personal computers and telephones.
6.1.4. Work planning and assessment of the institution's work
At the beginning of each year, the headquarters prepare annual work plans in consultation with regional offices, which are evaluated after six months. In the regions, there are a number of specific work plans for monitoring campaigns, e.g. for potato quarantine organisms, Erwinia amylovora and Pepino Mosaic Virus.
The team was informed that internal audits of UKSUP’s work are carried out by a specific service of the Ministry of Agriculture.
6.1.5. Communication with the public
The UKSUP and the MASR maintain close contacts with professional organisations and trade bodies that are consulted during the process of introducing updated or new legislation. Technical training courses and seminars are held with producers concerning new legislation, harmful organisms and plant protection products.
Where outbreaks of harmful organisms are reported, producers and interested parties are kept informed personally by the inspectors; meetings are organised to explain the situation and the control measures to be implemented.
If an instance of non-compliance is found during an inspection, or when a sample has been taken, the inspector leaves a copy of the report with the person responsible. In the event of an outbreak, a notice is issued by the CA to inform the producer and impose appropriate measures. The mission team noted that the official notice was not producer-targeted, because of its wording reporting exactly the relevant piece of legislation.
6.1.6. Legislation and enforcement of legislation
The Act on Plant Health Care No 285/1995 as amended by Act No 471/2001 is the primary legislation for plant health. Most EU Directives relating to plant health are transposed by means of ministerial decrees or Governmental ordinances. Council Directive 2000/29/EC has been transposed by the Governmental Ordinance No 75/2004.
All potato-related EU legislation has been transposed in Slovakia by means of Ordinances. Council Directive 93/85/EEC on the control of ring rot and Council Directive 98/57/EC on the control of potato brown rot have been transposed by means of Governmental Ordinances No.70/2004 and No.66/2004 respectively. Council Directives 69/465/EEC on the control of potato wart disease and 69/464/EEC on the control of potato cyst eelworm, have been transposed by means of Governmental Ordinance No 67/2004 on preventing the spread of potato wart disease and potato cyst eelworm. The directives contain measures to tackle both Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pallida.
11 6.2. Seed potatoes
6.2.1. Potato breeding and seed certification
Breeding
In Slovakia there is only one potato breeding station, the Potato Research and Breeding Institute located in Veľká Lomnica, which holds a potato gene bank. Established in 1946, it became a private cooperative in 2001 consisting of 50 producers. The main activities of the Institute are research work, breeding of new ware potato varieties and their maintenance in an in vitro gene bank. The main goals of the breeding programme are quality and quantity of ware potatoes, obtaining early variety and resistance to harmful organisms. All seed production derives from tissue cultures. In 2004, 4.5 ha were cultivated for SE1 seed production and 26 ha for E seed production.
The Institute holds about 1,000 genotypes at tetraploid level, diploid level, dihaploids from breeding programmes and wild Solanum species. All the collection is now maintained in vitro after thermotherapy and chemotherapy, and tested internally for quality and quarantine diseases.
The Institute has a laboratory which is working on quarantine and quality diseases and carries out soil analyses.
Seed potato certification
In Slovakia, the UKSUP is responsible for seed potato certification. The certification system for seed potatoes includes pre-basic seed, three classes of basic seed (Super Elite 1, Super Elite 2 and Elite) and two classes of certified seed (Certified 1 and Certified 2).
In Slovakia the production of high-grade seed material is allowed only in designated areas: the Žilina region and Prešov region, where the main production is, and also two cadastral territories in Banská Bystrica region. These areas are free from potato quarantine organisms (i.e. Synchitrium endobioticum and Globodera spp.) and no ware potato production is allowed near to multiplication plots for pre-basic and basic potato seeds.
Seed potato producers’ registration
In Slovakia, all seed potatoes producers are registered by the UKSUP. A quarantine store intended for the storage of tubers has to be available at the place of production. The registration process is based on the information provided on the application form, which must be completed by the responsible person within the company. A standard form is used for this purpose. The inspector visits the producer to check the conformity of declarations made on the application form prior to the registration. The producer has to pay a registration fee, is entered in an official register with a unique number and receives a certificate of registration. A national register is kept at the UKSUP headquarters. The validity of registration is not limited in time but is issued for an indefinite period. The registered person is required to inform the UKSUP of any change in their business.
12 6.2.2. Plant health in genetic material and seed production
6.2.2.1. Quarantine pests in breeding and nuclear stock material
In recent years, there have been no imports of potato materials from third countries for trials or scientific purposes, within the meaning of Commission Directive 97/46/EC. The mission team visited the Potato Research and Breeding Institute and met the person in charge who was aware of the provisions laid down by the above- mentioned Directive.
6.2.2.2. Quarantine pests in the multiplication of seed potatoes
All plant quarantine measures relating to seed potato farms are dealt with by the UKSUP services. During the certification process, post-harvest testing of each lot of seed potatoes is carried out by UKSUP laboratories at the end of each grade of cultivation (SE, E, and C).
The mission team visited the UKSUP testing station for ware potatoes. Here again, the phytosanitary inspectors take samples to be tested for quarantine diseases prior to trials.
Clavibacter michiganensis ssp sepedonicus and Ralstonia solanacearum
Commission Directive 575/2001/EC recognised Slovakia as being free from C.m.s., and no presence of R.s. was detected at that time. Neither ring rot nor brown rot has ever been found on seed potatoes produced in Slovakia.
Pre-basic material: all nuclear stock present in the gene bank was checked in 1997 and 1998 for the relevant potato quarantine organisms, including Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd), and tested negative.
The Institute tests all in vitro material and nuclear stock material for C.m.s. and R. s. and other harmful organisms (PSTVd included). Living cultures of these organisms are not present in the Institute. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is carry out for C.m.s. and R. s., and DNA extracts are used as positive controls for the PCR. The mission team found that the detection threshold for the PCR used in the laboratory could not be demonstrated (see also 6.5.2). A second test for C.m.s. and R. s. is carried out at the end of the first tuber generation produced in the green-house. All tests are carried out internally. Prior to commercial sale, samples are officially taken and tested by the UKSUP laboratory in accordance with the standard seed potato certification scheme.
For each grade of production (pre-elite, SE1) three inspections in the field are carried out to detect symptoms of diseases.
Basic and certified seed: all seed potato fields are inspected. The survey includes visual inspections during the growing season, inspections in stores and sampling for laboratory analyses. One inspection is carried out for each plot cultivated with the same variety, the same stage of multiplication and of the same origin; the inspector examines 100 plants per hectare (10 plants at 10 different spots). If there is any suspected infection, a sample of 100 tubers is taken and sent to the laboratory.
At least one inspection of stored tubers is carried out. Samples of 200 tubers, to be analysed by the UKSUP diagnostic laboratory in Haniska, are taken from all farms 13 producing seed, by phytosanitary inspectors and Seed and Planting Material Section’s inspectors. Sampling and testing of tubers are carried out from September to May. In general, the same seed potato samples are used for brown rot and ring rot surveys. Each sample is accompanied by a form containing relevant information. The results of the analysis are then sent to the inspector and UKSUP headquarters.
Tables 1 and 2 below give a summary of the 2003 monitoring data for the ring rot and brown rot surveys. In 2003, the sampling density (ha per sample) was 5.8 for ring rot and 3.5 for the brown rot survey. In 2004, the sampling was substantially increased due to the occurrence of outbreaks of both bacterial diseases in ware potatoes. For further information on the tomato and water surveys, see 6.3.3.1 below.
Table 1- Monitoring surveys for ring rot in seed potatoes in Slovakia in 2003
2003 2004 Region No. of No. of No. of No. of positive samples for positive samples for results (as at lab. testing results lab. testing November) Bratislava 6 0 9 0 Trnava 5 0 0 0 Trenčín 2 0 0 0 Nitra 0 0 0 0 Žilina 0 0 348 0 Banská Bystrica 22 0 31 0 Prešov 182 0 426 0 Košice 0 0 0 0 Total 217 0 814 0
Table 2- Monitoring surveys for brown rot in seed potatoes in Slovakia in 2003 2003 2004 Region No. of No. of No. of No. of positive samples for positive samples for results (as at lab. testing results lab. testing November) Bratislava 6 0 9 0 Trnava 6 0 0 0 Trenčín 2 0 0 0 Nitra 0 0 0 0 Žilina 127 0 348 0 Banská Bystrica 22 0 31 0 Prešov 192 0 426 0 Košice 0 0 0 0 Total 355 0 814 0
Potato cyst nematodes (Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida) 14 No occurrence of G. pallida has been detected in Slovakia, which has a protected zone status for this pest. Globodera rostochiensis Ro 1 pathotype is present in limited areas of Slovakia (29 sites). A survey is conducted every year to monitor its presence. All seed potato plots are sampled for PCN laboratory analyses before planting, in autumn or early spring. From each plot, one sample per 0.33 ha is taken, consisting of 60 sub-samples. Samples are taken by phytosanitary inspectors and are analysed by the UKSUP Quarantine Laboratory in Vígľaš and the external Ecological and Veterinary Laboratories, Ltd. in Spišská Nová Ves. The cost of the sampling and analysis is paid by the producers.
The aggressive and common pathotypes can be identified using the Potoček tube test. To distinguish the species Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pallida serological ELISA analyses are systematically carried out. Only fields with negative PCN tests are subsequently eligible for certification.
Table 3 gives a summary of the total number of samples taken in seed potato fields over the last three years.
Table 3- PCN test results in Slovakia from 2001-2003
Year Number of PCN tests Infected samples No. % 2001 3021 0 0 2002 2224 0 0 2003 1996 2 0.1
The mission team noted a decrease in the number of samples taken for the purposes of detection of Potato Cyst Nematodes, as well as Synchytrium endobioticum. The CA explained that this resulted from a reduction in the potato growing area.
Handling of PCN outbreaks
PCN and PWD eradication measures are regulated in Annex 1 to Governmental Ordinance No 67 of 21 January 2004. If PCN is found, the whole field is put under quarantine for at least 4 years. During this period, nematicides may be used.
As soon as any presence of PCN is detected a ‘detailed survey’ is launched on all infested plots and in the surrounding zone where potato or other host species of PCN are or were grown. After five years have elapsed following the infestation, the soil can be re- sampled and, if the result is negative, the plot can be delisted. If the official sample is positive, the entire quarantine procedure is repeated.
Potato wart disease
Potato wart disease pathotype D1 is present in Slovakia in only one plot. Sampling is the same as for PCN, as described above. The number of samples is also the same as in Table 3, since the sample taken is tested for both PCN and PWD. No infected samples have been found over the last three years. Samples are analysed in the UKSUP Quarantine Laboratory in Vígľaš and in outside accredited laboratories. The samples are subjected to the Jelenek test in order to determine the presence of viable resting sporangia. D1 pathotype identification is carried out using the Glynne-Lemmerzhalt method.
15 A plot is delisted 10 years after the last detection of infestation, provided that three soil samples per hectare have been taken and tested using the Pratt or Jelem method, and are found to be free from live sporangia, and provided that this is confirmed by the Potoček tube test. Three plots were delisted in 2001, two in 2002 and four in 2003. Farmers are recommended to alternate sensitive and resistant varieties to potato wart pathotype 1 when potatoes are grown at less than six year intervals on the same plot. Other harmful organisms
The root knot nematodes Meloidogyne chitwoodi and M. fallax have not been detected in Slovakia. No systematic surveys are carried out for Ditylenchus destructor, and no data are available on its distribution.
Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) and Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) have been detected (limited distribution), but not in potatoes. Colorado beetle is widespread.
Import of seed potatoes
In 2003, 4,384 t of seed potatoes were imported, for which 383 visual inspections and laboratory tests were carried out for C.m.s. and R.s. detection and 189 samples were tested for PCN; 19 samples were tested from the imported varietal selection material. All the results were negative.
The target of testing for imported seed potatoes originating in the EU is about 10%.
6.3. Potatoes other than seed
6.3.1. Production methods of ware and other potatoes
In 2003, Slovakia cultivated 141,356 t of ware and industrial potatoes for commercial purposes on approximately 8,975 ha of agricultural land. The total cultivated area for ware and industrial potatoes is estimated by the Statistical Office of Slovak Republic to be around 22,130 ha, but most of it is cultivated by non-registered producers for their own consumption. Ware potatoes for commercial purposes are grown all over the country; the average is 8.4 ha per farm, while about half of all farms have less than 1 ha with potatoes. Potatoes are harvested from August to November. Plots are planted with potatoes every 4 years at the most, and more often after 5-7 years. A typical crop rotation could be winter wheat, potato, oil rape, winter wheat, sugar beet, spring barley.
Approximately 10-15% of the potato area is irrigated with water from rivers, lakes and reservoirs (through open canals and pipelines) mainly for ware potato production, for which irrigation is regarded as necessary to ensure satisfactory yields. For seed potato production, irrigation is generally avoided.
Uncertified seed is estimated to account for around 35-40% of the total. Cutting of seed potatoes is not common practise in the commercial production. Use of contractors is not frequent in Slovakia because most farms use their own machinery.
6.3.2. General organisation of plant health surveys
The surveys for harmful organisms are organised and carried out by the UKSUP local offices. Each year, the headquarters draw up guidelines for sampling seed and ware potatoes while taking into account the perceived risk, statistical data on production and imports; quotas of samples to be taken in various categories are allocated to local offices.
16 However, the survey includes only the domestic production of ware and industrial potatoes for commercial sale and does not include the area used for cultivating potatoes for personal consumption, which represents the biggest area (i.e more than 13,000 ha).
Each sample consists of 200 potato tubers, which are sent to the laboratory. Sampling is targeted towards potatoes showing some symptoms of disease.
6.3.3. Situation regarding specific quarantine pests
Ring rot and brown rot
As indicated in section 6.2.2.2 Slovakia was recognised to be from C.m.s. by the EU in 2001, but outbreaks of C.m.s. and R.s. were reported in ware potatoes in 2003 and 2004.
The survey for R.s. includes sampling of ware potatoes, host plants, surface waters used for irrigation and liquid waste from industrial processing and packing premises. In 2003, 26 samples were taken from irrigation waters, 20 visual inspection and 7 tests were carried out on tomato plants for planting, and 12 tests on Solanum dulcamara: all with negative results. As for seed potatoes, the same samples are generally used for both C.m.s. and R.s. monitoring.
Table 6 gives a summary of the total number of ware potato samples tested for the two diseases in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
Table 6: Laboratory analyses for ring rot and brown rot in ware and industrial potatoes
Ring rot Brown rot Year Area (ha) total no. of sampling no. of total no. of Sampling no. of samples density positives samples density positives (ha/sample) (ha/sample) 2002 21,913 92 238 0 89 246 0 2003 21,332 246 86.7 9 246 86.7 29 2004 20,426 294 69.5 2* 393 52 6* * As at 12 November 2004
In 2003 and 2004, between 323 and 413 additional visual inspections were carried out in fields for the purpose of C.m.s. and R.s. monitoring.
The number of samples tested was increased in 2003 and again in 2004 after the occurrence of the outbreaks. The instructions were to take one sample for each 2 ha of affected farmers’ fields, one sample for every 200 t of potatoes in farms using or having used clonally related seed before marketing; and one sample for every 200 t of potatoes in Senec district, and on unaffected farms.
In 2003, 6 outbreaks of C.m.s. occurred in 5 districts of Slovakia; 2 outbreaks occurred in 2004, one of which in the same locality as in the previous year. In 2003, 9 outbreaks of R.s. occurred in 3 districts; 6 outbreaks occurred in 2004- all in the same district already affected in 2003. All cases occurred in ware potatoes and were detected during routine monitoring. None of the potatoes in the contaminated fields showed any symptoms for the diseases, and for this reason it was sometimes difficult to convince the producers of the presence of the diseases. After some investigations, the CA concluded that the cause
17 of the infestation was not clear, but was suspected of originating in some cases from uncertified seed.
The notification to the European Commission was given for both bacterial diseases in January 2004, despite the fact that the some outbreaks had been confirmed in the previous October. An update on the situation was communicated to the Commission in June.
Between November 2003 and February 2004, the Plant Protection Service of the Czech Republic communicated the presence of C.m.s. in 6 consignments of ware potatoes on the basis of the positive results of screening tests. As a result, any import of Slovak potatoes was prohibited by the Czech CA. The Slovak CA asked to the Czech CA to confirm the occurrence of C.m.s. on the basis of the confirmation tests required under Directive 93/85/EEC, but no such confirmation has yet been provided. The matter is still pending.
No other interception concerning C.m.s. or R.s. have been reported in Slovak potatoes by other countries.
Handling of outbreaks in ware potato production
The 2003 outbreaks were not subject to the control directives, but these became applicable upon accession to the EU on 1 May 2004.
The mission team visited two farmers affected by R.s. and three farmers affected by C.m.s., as well as the inspectors who dealt with these outbreaks.
Designation of contaminated lot from which the sample was taken, the machinery, store, fields and place of production The mission team visited a farm in Senec district with an outbreak in 2003 and in 2004. In 2003, three adjacent plots of the same field were planted with potatoes using the same seed. A sample was taken from each plot, in the context of the annual survey, and one tested positive. As a result, only the tubers harvested from this plot were declared to be contaminated and used for industrial processing. The tubers harvested on the other two plots were sold, as usual, as ware potatoes in 25 kg bags for final consumers with a label warning ‘not to be used as seed potatoes’. In the case of potatoes industrially processed, the inspector did not check the availability of waste treatment facilities or the disinfection of storage areas and departing vehicles.
In most outbreaks, when the result of the screening test was available, most of the potatoes were already harvested and sold as usual. In one case, the sample was taken in November 2003, the result of the confirmation test did not become available until late March 2004 and the official notice was served in April 2004. Only in one case did the result of the screening test arrive before all the potatoes had been sold; the tubers were kept in a quarantine store, treated with a germination inhibitor and, after a confirmation test, sent to an industrial processor.
Determination of the extent of the probable contamination
Potato tubers from ‘other fields’ belonging to the farm were not designated as ‘probably contaminated’; they had already been sold when C.m.s. or R.s. were detected and therefore could not be seized, or they had been sold in the usual way without testing or other restrictions.
18 Any machinery, transport vehicles, containers, storage areas and other objects coming into contact with the contaminated tubers were declared to be probably contaminated.
Samples from neighbouring potato fields had been taken and the fields within a 50 m radius (‘safety zone’) of the contaminated field were placed under restrictions as specified in the official notice (‘Decision’) served to farmers. The sampling also covered potato fields farther away belonging to the same producer which had some production link with the tubers designated as contaminated, including those sharing production equipment and facilities.
‘Other fields’ at the contaminated place of production were not declared probably contaminated and quarantined if they were more than 50 m away from contaminated fields.
The quarantine measures prescribed in the ‘safety zone’ are the same of those required for the ‘other fields’ under the relevant control directives (restriction of potato crop, control of volunteer potatoes and host plants, monitoring).
In Senec district the mission team visited 2 farms with brown rot outbreaks in 2003 and 2004. As part of the work to determine the extent of probable contamination, an investigation of the presence of R. solanacearum in water and in wild hosts at the river banks had been carried out because the contaminated field had been irrigated with surface water from the river Čierna Voda, a tributary of Danube. All samples tested negative. However, the samples had all been collected on the same day in October and not over the course of the year because the inspector thought the optimal period for sampling was when the water temperature was lower than 10°C. The CA explained that there was a misunderstanding concerning the suitable temperature for taking samples and for transporting them (4-10 °C).
Places using surface water for irrigation or spraying from any source in common with the place of production were also included in the survey. All results were negative.
All the farmers met said they used certified seeds. However, the CA assumes that in some cases the certified seed could have been mixed with the non-certified, because the farmers involved did not always keep the seed labels. One of the inspectors met by the mission team noted in his log-book that seed labels were not kept by farmers and recommended that they should do this.
Trace-back and trace-forward of the contamination
Attempts were made to source the origin of the infestation and determine the possible spread of contamination in ware potato production. In 2004, the UKSUP investigated, in all cases, clonally related seed potatoes (‘sister lots’). Since the most of the tubers had already been sold, samples were taken the following year on the farms that used seed from sister lots. All samples tested negative. However, the production of the initial seed producer was not investigated.
Control measures imposed The owner of the field had been informed of the suspected occurrence of the disease by the inspector after the positive result of the screening tests. The UKSUP headquarters issued an official notice to prohibit the movement of potatoes from which the positive sample was taken. The CA stated that co-operation and communication with inspectors was generally good. 19 After confirmation, the UKSUP served an official notice (‘Decision’) to each farmer, in which they were informed about the control measures to be taken. The mission team noted that in the ‘Decision’ there was no distinction between contaminated and probably contaminated tubers, and contaminated tubers were allowed to be sold as ware potatoes ready-packed for direct delivery. The measures for ‘other fields’ required under the Directive are applied to ‘other places within the 50 m safety zone’ (consisting of a ban on host plant cultivation or ware potato production using certified seed for at least three years following to the outbreak).
On the farms visited, fields containing infected potatoes were declared contaminated, and all quarantine measures required by the ordinances, such as the control of volunteer potatoes and host plants, official monitoring, and the placing of restrictions on the potato crop, were applied.
The machinery, transport vehicles, containers, storage areas and any other object, including packaging material, which had come into contact with the contaminated tubers, were designated as contaminated and were disinfected according to the official guidelines after the detection of the occurrence, in the year of the outbreak and in the following year.
The control of volunteer potatoes and host plants of C.m.s. and R.s. was implemented in the safety zone of the contaminated farms by means of herbicides or mechanical control.
Contaminated farms were closely monitored. The inspectors visited the farms during the season and checked on the implementation of the control measures.
6.3.3.1. Potato cyst nematodes (G. rostochiensis and G. pallida)
Some fields with ware and industrial potatoes are examined for PCN and PWD in the course of ‘pilot surveys’. Pilot surveys are conducted every five years in seed and ware potato growing areas and every 5-10 years in the remaining areas. A ‘detailed survey’ was carried out in the areas were outbreaks occurred (see section 6.2.2.2.) Table 7 gives the total number of samples taken in PCN monitoring over the last three years.
Table 7- 2001-2003 Sampling for PCN
2001 2001 2002 2002 2003 2003 positive positive positive samples samples samples Detailed survey 990 108 405 0 186 0 Pilot survey 821 46 824 0 428 3 Zones of ware potatoes 190 0 584 0 507 0 Multiplication of seed potatoes 3021 0 2224 0 1996 3 Nurseries 44 0 34 0 665 2 Total number of positive samples 154 0 8
20 6.3.3.2. Synchytrium endobioticum and other harmful organisms
In 2003, there was only one field listed as contaminated with Synchytrium endobioticum. Over the last three years, no occurrence of Synchytrium endobioticum has been recorded. For survey details, see the relevant part in 6.2.2.2. Table 4 gives a summary of the total number of samples taken in seed potato fields over the last three years.
Slovakia has not yet submitted an official list of potato varieties resistant to PCN or Synchytrium endobioticum to the Commission.
Table 8- 2001-2003 Sampling for Synchytrium endobioticum
Year 2001 2002 2003 Detailed survey 231 333 22 Pilot survey 694 482 113 Zone of ware potatoes 0 148 132 Multiplication of seed potatoes 3021 2224 1996 Nurseries 44 14 139 Total 3990 3201 2402 Number of positive samples 0 0 0
Potato stolbur phytoplasma has been detected (limited distribution) only in ware potatoes, and specific monitoring arrangements are in place throughout the country. Table 5 gives the total number of samples taken in seed potato fields over the last three years.
Table 5- 2001-2003 Sampling for Potato stolbur phytoplasma
Year Number of samples Number of positive samples 2002 14 3
2003 35 7
2004 8 4
6.3.4. Marketing and processing of potatoes other than seed
Slovakia markets about 175,000 t of ware potatoes a year, 152,000 of which are from domestic production, with the remainder being imported from other Member States. About 8.6% is used for processing, largely into chips. It is estimated that, within Slovakia, around 55% of the commercial fresh ware potatoes reach the retail market through supermarkets, while 45% are traded through traditional wholesale markets to smaller retailers.
Producers, warehouses and dispatching centres for ware and industrial potatoes are all registered by the UKSUP in accordance with Commission Directive 93/50/EEC. All packers and importers of ware and industrial potatoes are also registered. The same 21 obligations as are laid down in Article 2 of Commission Directive 92/90/EEC9 are applied. In 2004, there were 303 registered producers, 210 importers of ware potatoes and 16 importers of industrial potatoes.
Traceability
The mission team visited a wholesale market and a retailer of potatoes and checked the presence of the registration number of the producer, or collective storage, or dispatching centre, on the packaging of ware potatoes. All the retail bags inspected bore a label, which enabled the origin of the Slovak potatoes to be identified as the name and the address of the packer or the producer were indicated. However, the producer registration number was not given. The mission team noticed other bags of ware potatoes with labels indicating Austrian origin but also without the prescribed registration number.
Waste
In Slovakia there is no regulation for waste from potatoes, apart from what is required for environmental and public health reasons. The CA stated that phytosanitary inspectors usually visit the processors in their area at least once a year.
The mission team met two inspectors from different districts in which industrial processors are located; one of them confirmed that they had inspected premises in 2003 in order to check the waste management of potatoes, but the other had not. The mission team visited a potato chips factory and a producer, importer and distributor of seed potatoes. In the factory, the water from production process is used, after sedimentation, by farmers in fields with no potato crops. The solid waste is disposed of in the same way. In the case of the producer of seed potatoes the waste coming from processing one lot of potatoes is usually collected by the farmer who produced the potatoes and distributed on fields with crops other than potatoes.
6.4. Inspection of potato imports
In 2003, 4,384 t of seed potatoes were imported for which 383 visual inspections and laboratory tests were carried out for C.m.s. and R.s.. In 2003, 22,625 t of ware potatoes were imported for which 156 visual inspections and laboratory testing were carried out for C.m.s. and R.s. 19 samples were tested from the imported varietal selection material.
All tests conducted in 2003 were negative.
6.4.1. Imports from Third Countries
According to the CA, as from the day of accession to the EU, import of potatoes from third countries through points of entry in the Slovak Republic is improbable. In any event, the consignment would be subject to inspection for the presence of PCN and sampling of 200 tubers per 25 tons to detect C.m.s. and R.s., while it would be put into circulation only if laboratory analyses proved negative.
Slovakia has no point of entry for Egyptian potatoes.
9 O.J. No L 344, 26.11.1992, p. 38
22 6.4.2. Imports from other EU Countries
Following accession to the EU, Slovakia no longer has any systematic inspections or testing of potatoes from the EU internal market, but annual monitoring of about 10% of imports is carried out and targeted on the basis of phytosanitary risk.
6.5. Laboratories
The mission team visited two laboratory of the UKSUP Section of Diagnostics. Figure 2 shows the structure of the Section of Diagnostics with all the official laboratories.
Figure 2- Structure of the departments of the Section of Diagnostics
Head of the Section
Bratislava Secretariat
Department of Molecular Biology Department of General and Quarantine Department of General and Quarantine Bratislava Diagnostics Diagnostics Bratislava Haniska
Laboratory of Varietal, Seeds Laboratory of Regional Laboratory of Laboratory of Molecular and Planting Material Testing Bacteriology General Diagnostics: Diagnostics of Pathogens Bratislava Bratislava Specialization in Haniska Enthomology GMO and Plant Products Bratislava Testing Laboratory Laboratory of Laboratory of Virology and Bratislava Virology Regional Laboratory Bacteriology Bratislava of General Haniska Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics: Specialization in Quarantine Laboratory for Diagnostics of Pathogens Laboratory of Bratislava Mycology Potato Wart disease and Micology Zvolen Bratislava Cyst Nematode Cooperation with domestic Vígľaš and international Regional Laboratory organisations: Cooperation with of General JRC ISPRA – ENGL, ISTA, domestic and Diagnostics: Cooperation with domestic and UPOV, OECD, EPPO international Specialization in international organisations: organisations: Nematology EPPO EPPO Košice
Authorised Laboratories of External Phytodiagnostics
6.5.1. Bratislava - Department of General and Quarantine Diagnostics Laboratory for bacteriology
Activities comprise detection and identification of C.m.s and R.s. in domestic ware potato production and potatoes imported from other Member States or third countries and in weed hosts and surface water.
The laboratory is well equipped and the staff is well informed and capable to applying the required methodology. Only one person is working in the laboratory of bacteriology and, although during peak times this person is assisted by other colleagues, only 12 to 14 samples a day can be analysed.
Detailed protocols for the application of analytical methods are available. The laboratory is not accredited but has applied for accreditation.
Potato samples are taken by the inspectors in the regions and sent to the laboratory. All samples are registered and numbered accordingly; then those from domestic production are tested here and the imports are sent to the outside accredited laboratory (TVO). 23 Records of the tests are kept electronically and during testing samples are identified by means of an anonymous number. However, there is no comprehensive dossier concerning positive samples including their sample identity, the types of analysis carried out and the results.
Sample size is 200 tubers; all of them are cut and individually inspected. The heel end cores are taken out in a separate room, placed directly in sterile buffer in sterile plastic containers and incubated at 4°C over night. Bacteria are collected by centrifugation, re- suspended and diluted. Immuno-fluorescence-test (IF testing) is performed as the first screening test. In the event of a positive result, further testing is done in order to confirm or refute the result; plating onto several media and bioassay is done in this unit, but PCR is performed in the Department of Molecular Biology (see below). The methods used are based on Council Directives 93/85/EEC and 98/57/EC and the personnel already apply the revised methods set out in the relevant Annexes of the two directives.
Since there is no greenhouse the bioassays are done in climate chambers. Given that the number of growth chambers and the space is very limited, the bioassays for ring rot and brown rot are done in the same chamber with the same parameters for light time and temperature (12 hours of light, 24.7 °C). These are not the optimum conditions specified in the above-mentioned Directives, and the sensitivity of the test is thus impaired.
The continuity of the work depends on the availability of the necessary consumables, but administrative problems have been reported in receiving materials. Therefore there were delays in certain periods of the monitoring. Furthermore, priorities are assigned according to the order of arrival of the samples, and this resulted in late processing of samples coming from farms under supervision. In general, it took 3-5 weeks for the screening tests (IF + PCR tests) to be carried out, since the PCR was usually repeated. Consequently, when the result of the screening test was available, the most of the potatoes had already been placed on the market. Then the confirmation test (bioassay) took at least one month.
In case of a positive result, the tubers from the sample were not always conserved for at least one month, as required in Annex II of Council Directive 93/85/EEC and Annex III of Council Directive 98/57/EC.
6.5.2. Department of Molecular Biology
Besides other activities such as testing for viruses, phytoplasma, genetically modified organisms, this unit carries out the PCR test on potato samples which tested positive for C.m.s. or R.s. in the first screening test (IF-Test) conducted by the Department of General and Quarantine Diagnostics.
The laboratory is very well-equipped and the laboratory staff is well-informed about the relevant PCR-protocols. Each sample to be tested is registered under a specific lab- number. Records are kept in a lab-journal and on the computer.
For each positive PCR test, restriction enzyme analysis is carried out to verify the authenticity of the PCR amplification. Furthermore, the whole PCR procedure is repeated to exclude possible false positive owing to cross-contamination. As a result, the time required to perform PCR analysis is up two weeks.
The mission team noticed some inadequacies in the detection threshold for the PCR which was not proven. In fact, before using the PCR test in the detection scheme,
24 laboratories perform preliminary testing in order to prove the reproducible detection of 103 to 104 cells of C.m.s. or R.s. per ml added to sample extracts which have previously tested negative. Furthermore, appropriate negative and positive controls have to be used in each run of the tests as described in the relevant draft revised Annexes of the Directives.
6.5.3. Haniska/Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics of Pathogens and Laboratory for Virology and Bacteriology
The laboratory carries out C.m.s. and R.s. testing for domestic and imported seed potatoes and also for ware potatoes from Eastern Slovakian.
The laboratory is very well equipped, the number of laboratory staff is adequate, and personnel are well-informed about the relevant test-protocols.
Potato samples are taken by the inspectors in the regions and sent to the laboratory. The samples are packed in sealed bags in order to avoid any possible contamination between samples, and are labelled accordingly. The staff in the laboratory is informed in advance on the number of samples that will be received from each plot of land. After the samples arrive, they are checked for completeness, registered and numbered.
The procedures for preparing the heel ends of the potatoes and the methods used for the detection and identification are the same as in the Bratislava bacteriology laboratory with one exception: the PCR test is used as the first screening test; in the event of a positive result the IF test and further tests are carried out to confirm or to refute the suspicion.
During the visit the mission team found that positive and negative controls were not used according to the revised PCR protocols and, as in Bratislava, the detection threshold for the PCR used in the laboratory could not be proven
The bioassay tests are done in separate growth chambers for ring rot and brown rot but the light, time and temperature conditions are not in line with those required under the relevant procedures. The CA informed the mission team that a quarantine greenhouse was in the pipeline, funded by the State and PHARE programme.
Since the mission in 2002 the treatment of liquid waste had been sufficiently clarified and carried out as required by the relevant directives.
6.5.4. TVO; Bratislava (Virological Institute of the Academy of Science)
This laboratory is an independent external laboratory, accredited by the UKSUP for carrying out tests for the detection of C.m.s. and R.s., mainly on imported ware potatoes. The laboratory works on the basis of one-year contracts and is the under supervision of the UKSUP Department of General and Quarantine Diagnostics. This collaboration started in 2001. The mission team met the person in charge during a meeting in Bratislava.
The laboratory only performs IF-tests and the result is sent to the UKSUP Section of Diagnostics. In the event of positive or doubtful results, the IF-slides, the potato pellets and the 200 tubers are brought to the UKSUP the Section of Diagnostics for further testing.
25 7. CONCLUSIONS
7.1. Plant health system
The organisation and division of tasks within the different bodies involved in plant health is well-defined and the co-operation between them is good. The headquarters of UKSUP guide and target actions in an effective way, and good scientific and diagnostic support is provided by the laboratories.
In the services visited, there are staff and resources available to carry out substantial work in the potato sector. Staff appears motivated and has access to adequate training, both technical and on legislative issues.
The work is planned and evaluated regularly. The inspectors receive adequate guidance from the headquarters and work procedures are defined by means of written instructions. However, the ‘action plan’ for C.m.s. and R.s. outbreaks does not explain clearly the concept of the ‘contaminated place of production’ and ‘probable contamination’, as mentioned in Article 5 of both Directives, thus leading to incorrect implementation of the control measures.
In the same way, the ‘Decision’ served by the UKSUP headquarters to farmers affected by C.m.s. and R.s. outbreaks is not in line with the ring rot and brown rot Directives and nor is it ‘user-friendly’ since it does not make clear to the farmers the control measures to be implemented.
Internal and external communication appears to be satisfactory.
Adequate financial resources are available. No compensation scheme is in place; this could jeopardise farmers' willingness to cooperate in the handling of outbreaks.
7.2. Seed potatoes
The Potato Research and Breeding Institute has adequate facilities for testing quarantine organisms of incoming genetic material. All domestic seed material originates from tissue culture, which has been tested for brown rot and ring rot and other diseases as required. Testing for C.m.s and R.s is carried out using PCR; a technical deficiency was found concerning the detection threshold for the PCR used in the laboratory, which could cast doubt the reliability of the results.
The survey for C.m.s and R.s in the basic and certified seed potatoes is well-planned and allows effective monitoring of the phytosanitary status of Slovak seed potatoes. Each batch of seed potatoes is officially tested during the certification scheme by the UKSUP official laboratories. The density of sampling is at a reasonable level, compared with that of the other EU member states, and, after the occurrence of the outbreaks in ware potatoes, sampling was further increased.
Globodera rostochiensis and Synchytrium endobioticum are present in a limited area of Slovakia. The surveys are well-planned and the sampling rate is high. The control of PCN and Synchytrium endobioticum is in compliance with Council Directives 69/464/EEC and 69/465/EEC. Only seed fields which have been officially sampled and have tested negative can be entered for classification. Positive findings result in the listing of the field, with the restrictions as provided for in the Directives. In addition, there is a minimum number of years required after a positive finding before the field can be again be used for seed production. 26 7.3. Potatoes other than seed
Monitoring for quarantine organisms does not include areas used to grow potatoes for personal consumption, which means that the majority of potato cultivation area is never checked. As a consequence, the survey cannot be considered exhaustive enough to give an accurate picture of the ware potato health situation in Slovakia.
The monitoring programme for C.m.s. and R. s. in ware potatoes for marketing is well-planned, with an adequate sampling density. The sampling was substantially increased in 2004 after the outbreaks in the affected area.
7.3.1. Handling of outbreaks in ware potato production
The notification to the European Commission was given two months late, and not ‘immediately’ as required by Article 5(2) of the two relevant Directives.
The eradication measures applied to farms contaminated with C.m.s. or R.s. are not as comprehensive as required by the respective Directives; in fact:
- Contaminated tubers in one case, and probably contaminated tubers in all cases, were not correctly designated; consequently, they were not disposed of in accordance with the provisions of Annex IV of Council Directive 93/85/EEC and Annex VI of Council Directive 98/57/EC.
- The concept of ‘probable contamination’ was not included in the procedures and implemented by the inspectors. Official procedures require that only contaminated fields and fields in the ‘safety zone’ be put under quarantine, and not all fields (‘other fields’ according to the wording of the Directives) with a production link to the contaminated plot, as required by Council Directive 93/85/EEC and Council Directive 98/57/EC. ‘Other fields’ at the same place of production which were more than 50 m away were not declared to be probably contaminated and not put under quarantine. Potato fields at another location for which the same agricultural machinery were used, were not included either.
- Investigations concerning the source of infestation were conducted on potatoes with clonal relationships (sister lots), but not on representative samples of basic seed potatoes or earlier propagation, as required by Article 8 of the ring rot Directive and Article 7 of the brown rot Directive.
-Tracing of the origin of the contamination was in some case hampered by the fact that farmers did not keep the labels/plant passports of the purchased seed. This is not in compliance with the provision of the Article 12 (2) of Council Directive 2000/29/EC, which oblige the commercial purchaser to keep the plant passport for at least one year.
- The time and frequency of sampling of water were not appropriate due to a misunderstanding of the procedures, which meant the results did not provide any evidence of the absence of the organisms in the water sampled.
- The waste disposal of contaminated potatoes was not supervised, as required by Annex IV of the ring rot Directive and Annex VI of the brown rot Directive.
Cleaning and disinfecting of the machinery, transport vehicles, containers, storage areas and any other objects, including packaging material, coming into contact with 27 the contaminated tubers was carried out correctly in the year of the outbreak and in the following year.
The control of volunteer potatoes and host plants was carried out properly. However, it would be preferable to use systemic herbicide products rather than mechanical control in order to ensure better surveillance.
Checks on the implementation of the control measures were carried out.
In Slovakia, packers, dealers and importers of ware potatoes are registered which is in accordance with Council Directive 93/50/EEC. Although in the retailers visited all ware potato bags were affixed with a label allowing full traceability, this label was not completely in compliance with Point 18.5 of Annex IV Part A Section I of Council Directive 2000/29/EC, because the registration number was missing.
Waste management at potato packers/processors is not always monitored by the plant protection service.
7.4. Laboratory analyses
The laboratories visited are well-equipped, with a useful range of traditional and modern equipment and techniques. Staff is well-qualified, well-informed about the relevant methods and procedures and also well-trained. However, in Bratislava a lack of staff was noted in the bacteriology laboratory, which affected the speed of testing at peak periods. Furthermore, no quarantine greenhouse is available in the Bratislava laboratory, and only few growing chambers for C.m.s. and R.s. test are available. As a consequence, the growing conditions for the plants are less than optimum, and the results of the bioassay may not be fully reliable.
In general, the work is well-organised and the analytical procedures for C.m.s. and R.s. are in line with those required by the control directives. However, there are some deviations on crucial points, especially in the use of the PCR and the bioassay, which could affect the reliability of the test results.
In some cases delays in testing (due to repetitions of the PCR test), shortage of staff, and some administrative deficiencies in obtaining reagents and in setting of priorities for sample analysis, were noted. This resulted in a risk of the infestation spreading because, when the result became available, all tubers had already been placed on the market.
8. OVERVIEW
The mission gained an overall impression of a capable plant protection service, carrying out efficiently its work in the potato sector.
A standardised approach for the handling of ring rot and brown rot outbreaks has been emerging since the occurrence of the outbreaks, but the investigations and the control measures implemented were not fully in compliance with the Council Directives 93/85/EEC and 98/57/EC.
The risk to other Member States is low, due to the small number of ‘exports’, however considerable problems may arise if C.m.s. and R.s. spread further within the country.
28 9. CLOSING MEETING
A closing meeting was held in Košice on 12 November 2004 which was attended by representatives from MASR and UKSUP. The main findings and conclusions of the mission were presented by the inspection team and these were provisionally accepted by the CA. Slovakia appreciated the comprehensive feedback on the various areas covered and indicated its willingness, from the very next day, to deal with the instances of non- compliances identified during the mission.
10. RECOMMENDATIONS
The competent authorities in Slovakia are recommended:
(1) to allocate adequate resources, both human and material (i.e. testing reagents, climate chambers), in order to allow quick and reliable testing in the Bratislava bacteriology laboratory;
(2) to also include in the annual survey for C.m.s. and R.s. potatoes intended for personal consumption in order to reflect more comprehensively the phytosanitary situation of domestic ware potatoes;
(3) to give immediate notification of any C.m.s. and R.s. outbreak to the European Commission and other Member States, as required by Article 5(2) of Council Directives 93/85/EEC and 98/57/EC;
(4) to implement the control measures as indicated in Council Directives 93/85/EEC and 98/57/EC, in the event of a C.m.s. or R.s. outbreak. In particular:
a. Correctly designate ‘contaminated’ and ‘probably contaminated tubers’ and ‘contamination’ and ‘probable contamination’ within the meaning of Article 5 (1) of Council Directives 93/85/EEC and 98/57/EC. This means to designate as ‘probably contaminated tubers’: - the tubers produced at the contaminated place of production in the year of the outbreak; - the tubers produced at other places of production where there is production link; - the tubers of all clonally related lots, where the contamination is clonally related. b. Prescribe measures on all fields of the contaminated place of production as required by Article 5 of the two directives (and specified in detail in Annexes III and IV of the Council Directive 93/85/EEC and Annex V and VI of the Council Directive 98/57/EC). c. Prescribe to the entire contaminated place of production the use of certified seed for all potato production for at least at least the two years following the outbreak, as required by Annex IV of Council Directive 93/85/EEC and Annex VI of Council Directive 98/57/EC; d. In case of an R.s. outbreak, the sampling of surface waters mentioned in Article 5 of Council Directive 98/57/EC, should be carried out at
29 appropriate frequency and water temperature conditions (at least 15°C, and transport of the samples at 4-10 °C). e. Official approval and supervision of disposal facilities processing ‘contaminated’ and ‘probably contaminated’ tubers should be in accordance with the provisions set out in Article 6(2) of Council Directive 98/57/EC. (5) to review the action plan and notices served on farmers to include the designation of ‘probable contamination’ as laid down in Article 5 of Council Directives 93/85/EEC and 98/57/EC and issue clear guidelines for inspectors focused on the step-to-step implementation of the control measures;
(6) to give particular attention to the investigation of outbreaks along clonal links, especially parental lots, i.e. basic seed potatoes or earlier propagations, as required in Article 8 of Council Directive 93/85/EEC and Article 7 of Council Directive 98/57/EC, and to the subsequent designation of ‘contamination’ and ‘probable contamination’;
(7) to ensure that deviations in PCR and bioassay tests are corrected and in line with the provisions of Council Directives 93/85/EEC and 98/57/EC;
(8) to ensure that farmers keep the label of purchased seeds (plant passport) for at least one year, as required in Article 12 (2) of Council Directive 2000/29/EC;
(9) to ensure that the registration number of the producer, or collective storage or dispatching centres, is put on the packaging of commercial ware potatoes as required by point 18.5 of Annex IV Part A Section II of Council Directive 2000/29/EC.
Slovakia is requested to report to the Commission two months after receipt of the final report on the actions taken on the above points and to submit an action plan indicating the further steps envisaged and the period within which they are to be implemented.
Addendum
The Slovak Competent Authority made comments to the draft report, the full text of which is published separately. These comments did not include a direct response to the recommendations.
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