Malus 
 
Note:  These entry conditions only apply to species in the Plants Biosecurity Index listed under Import Specifications for Seed as “see 155.02.05 under Malus ”. 
  
 GENERAL CONDITIONS:  
Countries:  All 
 
Quarantine Pests:  Tomato bushy stunt virus; Apple scar skin viroid  
 Entry Conditions:  Basic , PLUS  
 Import permit: an import permit is required.  
  
Phytosanitary Certificate Additional D eclarations : A completed phytosanitary 
certificate issued by the NPPO of the  exporting country must accompany all 
consignm ents of Malus  seed for sowing imported into New  Zealand.  
 
Before a phytosanitary certificate is issued, the NPPO of the exporting country must be satisfied that the following activities required by MPI have been undertaken.  
 The Malu s seeds for sowing hav e been:  
- inspected in accordance with appropriate official procedures and found to be free of any visually detectable regulated pests.  
 
 
Post-entry Q uarantine  
All Malus  seeds must be imported under permit into a Level 2 Post -Entry Q uarantine 
facility , accredited to the MPI  standard PBC -NZ-TRA -PQCON Specification for the 
registration of a plant quarantine or containment facility, and operator .  
 
Quarantine Period:  The quarantine period will begin once the plants have entered a 
period of active growth and have  two fully expanded leaves , and be a minimum 
period of three months . Seedlings will be inspected and tested for regulated pests at 
the expense of the importer. Once molecular and herbaceous indexing has been 
completed, seedlings may be transferred to a Lev el 1 PEQ facility for woody 
indexing. Two years  is an indicative minimum quarantine period and this period may 
be extended if material is slow growing, pests are detected, or further testing is  
required.  
   
Malus 
 
 
Inspection, Testing and Treatment Requir ements for Malus  
 
ORGANISM TYPES  NZ MPI  ACCEPTABLE METHODS  
(See notes below)  
Tomato bushy stunt virus  PCR  and Herbaceous Indexing  
Apple scar skin viroid  PCR  and Woody Indexing  
 Notes:  
1. Tests are to be carried out on plants germinated from the imported se eds.  
2. Unit for testing
 is an individual seedling. Bulking of  leaf material samples from  
up to 5 seedlings for PCR testing  is acceptable.  
3. The quarantine period  will begin once the plants have entered  a period of active 
growth and have two fully expanded le aves.  
4. Virus  testing is to be conducted on new spring growth. Viroid testing  is to be 
done during the summer period. For each Malus plant, at least two fully -
expanded leaves must be sampled from different branches of the main stem, one a younger leaf and one an older leaf.  
5. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests . All PCR tests must be validated using 
positive and negative controls prior to use in quar antine testing. Positive and 
template -free controls must  be used in all tests. I nternal control primers to check 
the PCR competency of the samples and a negative plant control should also be used in PCR tests.  
6. Herbaceous indexing  will use the indicators Chenopodium quinoa and 
Chenopodium amaranticolor .  
7. Woody Indexing will use the indicator s Malus  x domestica ‘Gold en Delicious’ 
and ‘Red Delicious’ , and may be completed in Level 1 PEQ facility once PCR 
testing is negative for ASSVd.  
8. Inspection of the Malus  plants by the Operator of the PEQ facility for signs of 
pest and disease must be at least twice per week for the  first 3 months of active 
growth, and during spring and autumn. All other times of active growth (summer), plants should be inspected once per week. A record of inspections carried out by the Operator is to be kept and made available to the MPI  Inspector 
on request.  
9. Other internationally recognised testing methods may be accepted by MPI 
with prior notification.