United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Risk Management Document

Importation of Fresh Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), Shelled 

or in Pods, from Jordan into the Continental United States

December 14, 2011

Plant Health Programs (PHP)

Regulations, Permits and Manuals (RPM)
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Introduction

This document describes the risk management measures for the importation of fresh beans 

(Phaseolus vulgaris L.), in pods (French, green, snap, and string beans) or shelled, from the 

Kingdom of Jordan into the continental United States. Jordan expects to export annually 200 

tons (400,000 pounds) of beans to the continental United States (EHKJ, 2004). 

United States Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR 319.56) authorizes importation of fruits and 

vegetables from foreign countries into the United States. 

The pest risk assessment (PRA), “Importation of Fresh Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), Shelled or 

in Pods, from Jordan into the Continental United States” (USDA, 2011), was developed in 

support of a request by the Kingdom of Jordan (EHKJ, 2004) to USDA to authorize the 

importation of Fresh Beans, in pods or shelled, into the continental United States. Entry of this

commodity into the United States presents a risk of introduction of exotic plant pests. The PRA 

(USDA, 2011) found seven quarantine pests that may follow the pathway of commercial 

shipments of fresh beans. Five of these pests were rated high risk, and two were rated medium 

risk. These pests are:

High risk pests:

Arthropods

Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esper) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard) (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Medium risk pests:

Arthropods

Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Fungus

Phoma exigua var. diversispora (Bubák) Boerema (Ascomycete: Mitosporic fungi)

(Syn,: Boeremia diversispora (Bubák) Aveskamp, Gruyter & Verkley)

According to the USDA guidelines for pathway initiated pest risk assessments (USDA, 2000), 

specific phytosanitary measures, supplemental to port of arrival inspection, are strongly 

recommended for pests given a ‘High’ pest risk potential and specific phytosanitary measures 

may be necessary for pests given a ‘Medium’ pest risk potential.

Four of the quarantine pests listed in the PRA (USDA, 2011) are caterpillar pests in the Order 

Lepidoptera. Jordan proposes to prepare the beans under postharvest processing steps such as 

washing, cutting, shredding or splitting each bean pod, which also contributes to pest risk 

mitigation, and which provides an additional opportunity for visual inspection. Specific 
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postharvest processing steps, together with additional pest mitigation measures as required by 

APHIS, will ensure that quarantine pests are mitigated. 

Risk Management Measures

APHIS proposes that fresh beans (shelled or in pods) from Jordan may be imported into the 

United States only under the following conditions: 

1. The beans must be produced and packed in facilities that are registered with and 

approved by the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of Jordan, Ministry of 

Agriculture (MoA).

2. The beans must be washed in potable water, which will assist in removing any insects 

feeding on individual beans.

3. Each bean pod must be either cut into chevrons or pieces that do not exceed 2 centimeters 

in length, or shredded or split the length of the bean pod in pieces not exceeding 8 

centimeters in length and 8.5 millimeters in diameter.

4. Each consignment of fresh beans must be accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate 

(PC) issued by the NPPO of Jordan attesting that all APHIS phytosanitary requirements 

have been met and that the consignment was inspected and found free of Chrysodeixis 

chalcites, Helicoverpa armígera, Liriomyza huidobrensis, Maconellicoccus hirsutus, 

Spodoptera littoralis, Lampides boeticus, and Phoma exigua var. diversispora.

5. Each consignment box must be marked with the identity of the packing facility to ensure 

trace back.

6. Beans must be imported as commercial consignments only.

7. Consignments of fresh beans are subject to port of entry inspections.

Efficacy of Risk Management Measures:

The six arthropod pests cause obvious damage to beans and are easily detectable. Damage from 

Chrysodeixis chalcites, Helicoverpa armigera, Lampides boeticus, Liriomyza huidobrensis, 

Maconellicoccus hirsutus, and Spodoptera littoralis are all readily apparent. Liriomyza 

huidobrensis is a leafminer and the mines are easily seen on bean leaves and pods and therefore 

can be culled during the packing process. Maconellicoccus hirsutus is the pink hibiscus mealy 

bug whose grayish-pink bodies are covered with mealy white wax and with white wax filaments 

projecting from body and thus easily seen (CABI, 2006). The other four pests, Chrysodeixis 

chalcites, Helicoverpa armigera, Lampides boeticus and Spodoptera littoralis are relatively 

large and the feeding damage and frass are easily detected so damaged beans can be eliminated 

during the packing house procedures. To ensure that early instars of caterpillars are not present 
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internally in the bean pods and missed during the visual inspection, Jordan proposes cutting each 

bean pod.

Cutting or splitting the beans allows for the detection of larvae of lepidopterous pests. Beans may 

also be shredded, as this will both expose and destroy any internal feeding insects. Cutting the 

beans to 8 cm length and exposing the interior will reveal the presence of quarantine pests during 

inspection.

Phoma exigua var. diversispora produces grayish to brownish, concentric spots, 1-3 cm

diameter, which may later show concentric rings of small black pycnidia. On pods the lesions 

may be at the ends showing black discoloration and shriveling (Boerema et al., 1981). These 

dark to black lesions also may appear on the peduncle, petiole, node and pod, and can cause stem 

girdle and plant death (EHKJ, 2004). The fungus may also infect seeds. Infected seed nearly 

always fail to germinate or result in post-emergence killing of the plants by the fungus (Boerema

et al., 1981). Since the intended use of the imported commodity is consumption and they will be 

exported as fresh beans, immature seeds will have no germination capacity, which eliminates the 

seed transmission risk. Based on the conspicuous symptoms described above, Phoma exigua var.

diversispora will be easy to recognize when subject to inspection by MoA before exportation and 

also by CBP (Customs and Border Protection) at the first port of arrival in the United States. 

Additionally, the PC will ensure inspection and freedom of quarantine pests.

Summary

The requirement for each consignment to undergo specific mitigation measures diminishes the 

likelihood of quarantine pests following the pathway. Shredding or splitting each bean pod will 

further aid in the detection and exposing of internal feeders.

The importation of fresh beans from Jordan will be restricted to commercial shipments only.

The requirements of a phytosanitary certificate from the NPPO of Jordan will document that the 

importation is a product of Jordan. A phytosanitary certificate also provides phytosanitary 

security by requiring the NPPO to conduct inspections for pests.

APHIS has determined that the listed risk management measures, along with the requirement of 

a phytosanitary certificate, and the port of entry inspection, will mitigate the risk of pest 

introduction on fresh beans from Jordan.

Authors:

Devaiah A. Muruvanda, Ph.D. 

Senior Risk Manager-Entomology

José R. Hernández, Ph.D.

Senior Risk Manager- Plant Pathology
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References:

7 CFR § 319 2008. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 7, Part 319 (7 CFR § 319 Foreign 

Quarantine Notices) Subpart 56 (Fruits and Vegetables). United States Government.

Boerema G.H., Cruger G., Gerlagh M. and Nirenberg H. 1981. Phoma exigua var. diversispora 

and related fungi on Phaseolus beans. J. Pl. Dis. Protect. 88:597-607. 

CABI. 2006. Crop Protection Compendium, 2006 Edition. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.

EHKJ. 2004. Phaseolus vulgaris Pest List. Initiate event letter. Embassy of the Hashemite

Kingdom of Jordan in Washington (EHKJ).

SGRP. 2011. Fungi – common bean. 

http://cropgenebank.sgrp.cgiar.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=413&Item

id=598. Last access Dec. 8, 2011.

USDA. 2000. Guidelines for Pathway-Initiated Pest Risk Assessments, Version 5.02. 

Plant Protection and Quarantine, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United 

States Department of Agriculture.

USDA, 2011. Importation of Fresh Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), Shelled or in Pods, from 

Jordan into the Continental United States, A Pathway-Initiated risk Assessment.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Center for Plant Health Science and 

Technology, Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory, Raleigh, NC. 72 pp.