United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Importation of Fresh Strawberry, Fragaria spp., 

Fruit with Calyx and Short Stalk from Egypt into 

the Continental United States.

Risk Management Document

November 29, 2011

Plant Health Programs (PHP)

Regulations, Permits and Manuals (RPM)
November 29, 2011 2

Introduction

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS) conducted a pest risk assessment in response to a request by Egypt’s 

Ministry of Agriculture, Central Administration for Plant Quarantine (CAPQ), also 

referred to as Egypt’s National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO), to allow imports 

of fresh, field-grown strawberry (Fragaria spp.) fruit with calyces and short stalks from 

Egypt into the continental United States (USDA, 2011). Three pests of quarantine 

significance were identified as likely to be introduced into the continental United States 

via the fresh strawberry fruit. This document evaluates and describes the appropriate pest 

risk management measures for these quarantine pests.

The movement of fruits and vegetables from foreign countries into the United States is 

regulated in Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR § 319.56, 2011). Currently, the 

entry of fresh strawberry fruit from Egypt is not authorized under these regulations.

The pest risk assessment (USDA, 2011) estimated the risk associated with the 

unmitigated importation of fresh strawberry fruit from Egypt and identified the following 

three quarantine pests of concern for strawberry fruit from Egypt:

Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esper) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Eutetranychus orientalis (Klein) (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

All pests were identified as having a High risk potential.

The volume of strawberries to be shipped from Egypt to the United States is estimated to 

be 24 tons (USDA, 2011), and shipment to the United States would be during the months 

of November through April.

Egypt intends to export the strawberry fruit with flower calyces and short stalks. Leaving 

the calyx on the fruit helps decrease perishability (USDA, 2011) . 

Standard industry practices

In Egypt, strawberries are produced under plasticulture and plastic tunnels; crops are 

located at the governorates of Ismailia, Kalyoubia, Nobarya, and Sharkia (CAPQ, 2006). 

Drip irrigation and soil mulching are used (CAPQ, 2006). Strawberries are planted at the 

end of the year; the major varieties are Sweet Charlie, Early bright, Festival, Rosalinda, 

Camarosa, and Gaviota (CAPQ, 2006). Commercial cultivars produce individual fruits 

weighing as much as 30-50g, although 10-20g is typical (CABI, 2007).

Strawberry production in Egypt includes the use of disease-free planting stock and 

biological and cultural control practices as solarization, crop rotation, avoidance of 

excess nitrogen, leaf removal, dead organic matter removal, weed control, good air 
November 29, 2011 3

circulation, temperature control, avoidance of free water on plants, and proper soil 

drainage (CAPQ, 2006). Some of the chemical compounds used in Egypt are Abamectin, 

Etoxazole, and Mibelmertin (acaricides); micronized sulphur and/or cuprous compounds, 

potassium thiosulfate, and calcium chloride (fungicides) (CAPQ, 2006). Only chemicals 

approved by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture can be used for fumigation, including soil 

(CAPQ, 2006).

The strawberry fruit for export to the continental United States would undergo the 

following harvest and post-harvest practices, as described by CAPQ (CAPQ, 2006):

 At harvest, the fruit are collected in “punnets” and undergo an initial grading in 

the field. 

 In less than two hours, the harvested fruit is brought into the packinghouse, 

weighed and forced air cooled to (1-2

oC), and stored. 

 The fruit are then transported in refrigerated trucks to the airport and are air 

shipped to their destination. The fruit would be shipped from Egypt to the United 

States on 12 to 14-hour, non-stop flights.

Risk Management Measures

APHIS proposes that fresh strawberry fruit grown in Egypt may be imported into the

continental United States only under the following conditions: 

A) Each consignment of strawberry fruit must be accompanied by a Phytosanitary

Certificate (PC) issued by Egypt’s NPPO stating that the strawberries were grown in 

Egypt and bearing the following Additional Declaration (AD): “The strawberry fruit

in this consignment were inspected and found free of Chrysodeixis chalcites, 

Eutetranychus orientalis, and Spodoptera littoralis.”

B) Strawberry fruit must be imported as commercial consignments only.

C) Port of entry inspection in accordance with 7 CFR 319.56-3.

Rationale for Risk Management Measures

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

2000), specific phytosanitary measures, supplemental to port-of-entry inspection, are 

strongly recommended for pests given a ‘High’ pest risk potential.

According to PPQ regulations and import decision history documents (APHIS, 2009; 

USDA, 2011)), PPQ has long permitted the entry of strawberry fruit for consumption

from many countries (e.g., Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Spain, France, Austria, etc.) where the 

above pests of concern occur (Bolland et al., 1998; CABI, 2007; CABI/EPPO, 1997; 

Fauna Europaea Web Service, 2009; Zhang, 1994), as early as the 1940’s or 50’s for 
November 29, 2011 4

some countries. Despite this import history, the quarantine pests of concern have been 

intercepted only once at U.S. ports of entry in commercial strawberry fruit (PestID, 

2010).

The quarantine pests (USDA, 2011) occur primarily externally on their hosts and the 

presence of symptoms can be readily detected with visual inspection. 

The larvae of the noctuid insect Chrysodeixis chalcites can grow up to 34 to 38 mm in 

length, and the pupae are 20 mm long (CABI, 2007). The eggs, larvae, and pupae occur 

externally on fruit and leaves of their hosts and are visible to the naked eye (CABI, 

2007); symptoms of larval feeding include leaf rolling, defoliation, skeletonized leaves, 

webbing, and frass (CABI, 2007; Hill, 1983). At the prepupal stage, the larva makes a 

cocoon in which it pupates (CABI, 2007), which should be easy to detect during 

inspection. 

The larvae of the noctuid, Spodoptera littoralis grow up to 40 to 50 mm in length (CABI, 

2007; PPQ, 2002). Pupation occurs in the soil (CABI, 2007), so they would not be 

associated with fruit and associated calyxes. The larvae mainly feed externally on the 

leaves of its hosts, creating obvious symptoms (large holes of irregular shape, leaf 

shredding, skeletonization, and frass) (Avidov & Harpaz, 1969; CABI, 2007; PPQ, 

2002). The larvae may bore into the fruit of some hosts, but this feeding behavior makes 

the fruit unmarketable (Avidov & Harpaz, 1969; CABI, 2007). 

Eutetranychus orientalis is primarily a leaf feeder (Avidov & Harpaz, 1969; CABI, 2007; 

Hill, 1987; PPQ, 2002). It also attacks fruit if infestation levels are high (Avidov & 

Harpaz, 1969). On both leaves and fruit, damage by this mite results in obvious 

symptoms: chlorotic appearance on leaves and fruit, pale yellow streaks, lesions, 

abnormal colors, webbing, honeydew, and sooty mold (Avidov & Harpaz, 1969; CABI, 

2007; Hill, 1987; PPQ, 2002; van den Berg et al., 2001). 

Additionally, good agricultural practices can effectively suppress or eliminate pests from 

fields or prevent infestation. Successful control programs typically include monitoring, 

cultural, biological, and chemical components. As described above, all these components 

are used as part of Egypt’s IPM practices for the production of export strawberries. 

Based on the above evidence and only one interception of pests of concern (PestID, 

2010) as well as their obvious symptoms, the appropriate level of phytosanitary security 

will be attained by requiring a Phytosanitary Certificate issued by Egypt’s NPPO with an 

Additional Declaration stating that the consignment has been inspected and found free of

the listed quarantine pests.

Summary

The pest risk assessment for strawberry fruit with calyces and short stalks from Egypt

only addressed the pest risk associated with the commodity being imported into the 
November 29, 2011 5

continental United States. As such, importation and movement into areas outside the 

continental United States would be prohibited by permit conditions. 

The requirement of a Phytosanitary Certificate from Egypt’s NPPO will document that 

the importation is a product of Egypt, and the Additional Declaration provides 

phytosanitary security by requiring Egypt’s NPPO to conduct inspections for the 

quarantine pests of concern. These inspections double the number of inspections each 

strawberry consignment receives by requiring phytosanitary inspections in addition to the 

normal packing house quality inspections. 

Importations of strawberries from Egypt will also be subject to inspection at the port of

entry in the continental United States. Depending on the interception levels of the pests 

of concern, a reevaluation of the risk management measures needed to attain the 

appropriate level of phytosanitary security may occur. 

Author:

Devaiah A. Muruvanda, Ph.D.

Entomologist/Senior Risk Manager, 

USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Regulations, Permits & Manuals

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