**United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service**  **Plant Protection and Quarantine**


## Risk Management Document 

## Importation of Fresh Fruit of Highbush Blueberry **( Vaccinium**  **corymbosum L**  **. ) and its hybrid varieties**  **Southern Highbush Blueberry [ V.**  **corymbosum x**  **angustifolium (**  **V**

**. x atlanticum**  **) and**  **V. corymbosum x**  **virgatum ] into the Continental United States from Morocco** 

**April 12, 2013**

**Plant Health Programs (PHP) Regulations, Permits and Manuals**  **( RPM** **) Contact Person:**  **Dorothy C. Wayson**2



### Introduction The national plant protection organization (NPPO) o f Morocco requested to export f resh f ruit of h ighbush b lueberry

( Vaccinium corymbosum L . ) and its hy brid varieties s outhern h ighbush b lueberry [ V. corymbosum x angustifolium ( V . x atlanticum ) and V. corymbosum x virgatum ] to the continental United States. APHI S developed a Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) using the pest list provided by

the NPPO of Morocco, available scientific literature , and APHI S pest interception records (USDA, 2012 a) . The PRA identified two quarantine pe sts that are likely to follow the pathway of fresh blueberries imported into the continental United States from Morocco : Ceratitis capitata (Wiedeman) (Diptera: Tephritidae) Mediterranean fruit fly Mon i linia fructigena Honey ex Whetzel (Ascomycetes, Heliotales) The PRA considered the like lihood and consequences of introducing th ese two pest s and indicated that both pose a **High** pest risk potential. Pests with high pest risk potential generally require measures in addition to inspection at the port of entry to mitigate risk (USDA, 2000) . S ubsequent to implementation of a public notice, APHI S proposes to allow export of fresh fruit of highbush blueberry

( Vaccinium corymbosum L . ) and its hy brid varieties southern highbush blueberry [ V. corymbosum x angustifolium ( V . x atlanticum ) and V. corym bosum x virgatum ] from Morocco into the continental United States only with the following risk management measures . 

### R **isk management measures for importation of blueberries from Morocco**  **into the Continental United States**  The following measures must be in place for blueberries to be shipped to the continental United States from Morocco: 1. Only commercial consignments of blueberries may be imported. 2. Blueb erries must be grown in places of production registered with the NPPO of Morocco. 3. During the growing s eason , blueberries must be field inspected for signs of Moni linia fructigena infestation 30 days prior to harvest . Upon detection of the fungal disease, the NPPO of Morocco must notify APHI S. APHI S may

prohibit the importation into the United States of b lueberries from the place of production for the season. The exportation to the United States of blueberries from the rejected place of production may resume in the next growing season if an investigation is conducted and APHI S and the NPPO of Mo rocco agree that appropriate remedial actions have been taken.3

4. Postharvest treatments. All fruit must be treated with one of two APHI S approved postharvest treatments: a. C old treatment T107 - a . b. Methyl Bromide treatment T10 1 - i - 1 - 1 . 5. Each consignment of blueberries must be accompanied by a Phy tosanitary Certificate (PC) issued by

the NPPO of Mo rocco stating that conditions of this section have been met, and that the consignment has been inspected and found free of Moni linia fructigena . 6. The blueberry

consignments are subject to further inspection at the port of entry into the continental United States. 

### Efficacy **of Risk Management Measures**  There are two measures discussed in this document for mitigating risk of Mediterranean fruit fly from fresh blueberries from M orocco . Both Methyl Bromide and cold treatment are approved APHI S treatments for Mediterranean fruit fly in b lueberries (USDA, 2012 b ). Both treatments are considered to have very

high mortality, in the range of 99.9968% mortality for target insects . Arg entina and Uruguay use these two treatments for Mediterranean fruit fly and have shipped a combined total of 7 to 12 thousand metric tonnes of blueberries to the United States each year over the last 5 years. This totals over 55 thousand metric tonnes of blueberries, and during this period there have only

been two pest interceptions ; one weed seed and the other a true bug, Nysius sp . (AQAS, 2012). There has never been a Mediterranean fruit fly interception in blueberries treated with one of these two quarantine treatments. **Cold Treatment :**  consignment of blueberries may be imported into the continental United States if the fruit is treated either in Morocco, in transit, or at the port of first arrival in the United States with cold in accordanc e with T107 - a for Ceratitis capitata . APHI S will monitor the treatment program and will prescribe such safeguards as may be necessary

for unloading, handling, and transportation preparatory to cold treatment . The final release of the fruit for entry into the United States will be conditioned upon compliance with prescribed safeguards and required treatment. **MB Treatment :**  consignment of blueberries may be imported into the continental United States if the fruit is treated in Morocco or at the port of first arrival in the United States with Methyl Bromide in accordanc e with T101 - i - 1 - 1 for Ceratitis capitata . APHI S will monitor the treatment program and will prescribe such safeguards as may be necessary

for unloading, handling, and transportation preparatory to Methyl Bromide treatment . The final release of the fruit for entry

into the United States will be conditioned upon compliance with prescribed safeguards and required treatment. Monilinia fructigena is the most common cause of fruit rot in fruit orchards in Europe and Asia , causing characteristic brown rot sy mptoms with conidial pustules often i n concentric circles (CABI , 2012 ). Field inspections, packinghouse inspections, and the Phy tosanitary Certificate4

stating disease freedom are considered sufficient mitigation measures for the fungal disease . Similar mitigation measures have been used successfully to mitigate Monilinia fructigena on China pears (7 CFR §319.56) and Japanese apples . Registration of places of production will allow trace back and auditing. Any place of production found infested with Monilinia fructigena will be removed from the export program. Culling at the packing house, while not required in this risk management document , is a standard industry practice which removes all obviously blemish ed, diseased and insect - infested fruits from the pathway . 

### Summary APHI S concludes that commercial consignments of blueberries that originate from Morocco may safely be imported into the continental United States without the risk of introducing Ceratitis capitata and Monilinia fructigena using the mitigations listed above. Field inspections , packinghouse inspections, and the Phy tosanitary C ertificate stating freedom of pests of concern are considered sufficient mitigation measures for the fungal diseas e . Either of the two quarantine treatments, fumigation with Methyl Bromide or cold treatment is effective to mitigate for Mediterranean fruit fly . Blueberries are furthermore subject to standard port of entry i nspection upon arrival into the continental United States . 

### Au **thor s**  Walter Gould Ph.D. Senior Risk Manager - Entomology José R. Hernández Ph.D. Senior Risk Manager

– Plant Pathology 

### References AQAS . 2012 . Agricultural Quarantine Activity System Pest Interception Database. USDA APHI S - PPQ. Last access ed Feb. 20 12 . CABI , 2012. Crop Protection Compendium (http://www.cabicompendium.org). L ast visit: March 2012. USDA. 2000. Guidelines for Pathway- In itiated Pest Risk Assessments. Version 5.02. U SDA, APHI S, PPQ. Riverdale, MD. 30 pp. USDA. 20 1 2 a . Importation of Fresh Fruit of Highbush Blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum Linnaeus) and its hy

brid varieties Southern Highbush Blueberry [ V. corymbosum x angustifolium ( V

. x atlanticum ) and V. corymbosum x virgatum ] into the Continental United States from Morocco . A Qualitative, Pathway- In itiated Pest Risk Assessment .5

USDA, APHI S, PPQ, Riverdale, MD. 2 5 pp. USDA. 20 12 b . Treatment Manual. USDA - APHI S, PPQ; http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/manuals/port/Treatment_Chapters.htm [accessed Feb . 20 12 ].