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**United States Department of Agriculture**

**Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service**

**Plant Protection and Quarantine**

**\
**

**Risk Management Document**

*Importation of*

*Fresh White Asparagus (*Asparagus officinalis*)*

*from Senegal into the continental United States*

**September 2007**

**Plant Health Programs (PHP)**

**Commodity Imports Analyses and Operations (CIAO)**

**Contact Person: *Shirley Wager-Pagé***

**Introduction:**

The pest risk assessment document, *Importation of Fresh Asparagus
(*Asparagus officinalis*) from Senegal into the Continental United
States* found nine quarantine pests may follow the pathway of commercial
consignments of fresh asparagus. Six pests were rated as high risk.
Three pests were rated as medium risk. The APHIS Plant Protection and
Quarantine Commodity Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) Guidelines states that
for pests rated medium or higher, specific phytosanitary measures may be
necessary. APHIS has determined that measures beyond a standard
port-of-entry inspection are required to mitigate the plant pest risk of
these nine pests.

The six pests with **high** risk potential:

*Helicoverpa armigera* (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

*Maconellicoccus hirsutus* (Green) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

*Nipaecoccus viridis* (Newstead) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

*Scirtothrips auranti* (Faure) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

*Scirtothrips dorsalis* (Hood) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

*Spodoptera littoralis* (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The three pests with **medium** risk potential:

*Icerya aegyptiaca* (Douglas) (Hemiptera: Margarodidae)

*Lagria villosa* ((F.) (Coleoptera: Lagriidae)

*Cochliobolus pallescens* (Tsuda & Ueyama) = *Curvularia pallescens*
(Boedijn) (Fungi)

The government of Senegal requested that APHIS allow importation of
asparagus, whether white or green, into the United States. This document
evaluates a risk management strategy for white asparagus only.
Production practices for white asparagus mitigate the risk posed by most
of the quarantine pests listed above.

**Pest risk management measures:**

To produce white asparagus, asparagus must be grown and harvested in
such a manner that the asparagus spear is not exposed to light. To grow
white (blanched) asparagus, dirt or straw is piled on top of the plants
to a height of approximately 8 to 10 inches (20-25 cm), before the
spears start growing. When the tip breaks the soil surface, the stalks
are cut. Since the spear is grown underground and does not reach the
sunlight, it is white. In addition, growing asparagus underground
ensures that the externally feeding pests are not able to feed on the
stalks. The external feeding pests are: *Helicoverpa armigera* (Hübner);
*Maconellicoccus hirsutus* (Green) ; *Nipaecoccus viridis* (Newstead);
*Scirtothrips auranti* (Faure); *Scirtothrips dorsalis* (Hood);
*Spodoptera littoralis* (Boisduval); *Icerya aegyptiaca* (Douglas); and
*Lagria villosa* ((F.).

Asparagus spears grown in this manner must arrive at the port of entry
white. If any green is visible, the asparagus spears will be refused
entry.

*Cochliobolus pallescens* (*Curvulaia pallescens*) is an aerially
dispersed fungal plant disease that infects leaves and stems of
asparagus in the fern stage. Covering asparagus before the spears emerge
from the ground protects the crop from external and internal pests
(USDA, 2006).

Symptoms produced by *Cochliobolus pallescens* (*Curvulaia pallescens*)
are brown spots that appear as water-soaked lesions which later develop
into brown spots with darker margins. Spots become dark brown and grow,
eventually girdling the stem (Salleh et al. 1996). After standard
industry post harvest practices, asparagus shall be inspected by the
Senegal NPPO for symptoms of the disease and should be found free of all
quarantine pests including *Cochliobolus pallescens* (*Curvulaia
pallescens*).

APHIS requires a phytosanitary certificate to be issued by Senegal NPPO
for each consignment to assure that the commodity has been inspected and
found free of quarantine pests. An Additional Declaration is also
required that reads, "The white asparagus in this consignment has been
inspected and found free of *Cochliobolus pallescens* (*Curvulaia
pallescens*)*.*"

The asparagus may be imported to the continental U.S. in commercial
consignments only.

The asparagus will be subject to standard port of entry inspection upon
arrival in the U.S. and must be free of quarantine pests.

**Summary:**

The PRA for asparagus from Senegal only addressed the risk associated
with the commodity being imported into the continental United States. As
such, importation and movement into areas outside the continental United
States would be prohibited by permit conditions, since the risk to areas
outside the continental United States was not addressed in the PRA.

Allowing importation of only white asparagus from Senegal mitigates the
risk of the identified quarantine pests following the pathway. Requiring
the asparagus to be grown under soil ensures that all externally feeding
pests listed under the "Pest Management Measures" section of this
document are not able to feed on the stalks. The external feeding pests
are: *Helicoverpa armigera* (Hübner); *Maconellicoccus hirsutus*
(Green) ; *Nipaecoccus viridis* (Newstead); *Scirtothrips auranti*
(Faure); *Scirtothrips dorsalis* (Hood); *Spodoptera littoralis*
(Boisduval); *Icerya aegyptiaca* (Douglas); and *Lagria villosa* ((F.).

Symptoms of the fungal plant pathogen, *Cochliobolus pallescens*
(*Curvulaia pallescens*), are clearly visible on white asparagus, and
inspections by the Senegal NPPO and at the port of entry will allow
detection and rejection of any infected consignments.

Allowing only commercial consignments into the United States ensures
that the vegetable has undergone industry standard post harvest
commercial handling such as culling, sanitation, and packing and ensures
shipment integrity.

The requirement of a phytosanitary certificate from the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food Security of Senegal provides proof that the import
is a product of Senegal. A phytosanitary certificate also provides
phytosanitary security by requiring Senegalese officials to conduct
inspections for pests in the consignment. The requirement for a
phytosanitary certificate with Additional Declaration provides
phytosanitary security by requiring Senegal officials to conduct
phytosanitary inspections for these eight pests. Specifically listing a
pest of concern on the phytosanitary certificate alerts the inspectors
at the port of entry to focus their inspections. Therefore, APHIS will
require each consignment to be accompanied by a phytosanitary
certificate bearing the following additional declaration, "The white
asparagus in this consignment has been inspected and found free of
*Cochliobolus pallescens* (*Curvulaia pallescens*)". This verifies that
the consignment has been inspected and is considered to be free of any
pests.

These inspections double the number of inspections the white asparagus
receives by requiring phytosanitary inspections in addition to the
normal packinghouse quality inspections. Imports of white asparagus from
Senegal would also be subject to inspection at the port of entry into
the United States.

Author:

Shaharra J. Usnick, Ph.D.

Senior Risk Manager

Shirley Wager-Pagé

Import Specialist

**References:**

Salleh B., Safinat A., Julia L. and Teo C.H. Brown spot caused by
Curvuaria spp., a new disease of asparagus. Biotropia 9:26-37.

USDA 2006 Importation of Fresh Asparagus (*Asparagus officinalis*)*,*
from Senegal into the continental United States. United States
Department of Agriculture, Center for Plant Health Science and
Technology, Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory, Raleigh,
North Carolina. 68 p.