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



## Importation of Fresh **Fruit of Litchi ( Litchi chinensis** **), Longan (**  **Dimocarpus longan ), and Rambutan**  **( Nephelium lappaceum**  **) from**  **Philippines into the** 

**c ontinental United States**  **Risk Managem ent Document** 

**December 13 , 2011** 

**Plant Health Programs (PHP) Regulations, Permits & Manuals**  **Contact Person: Claudia.Ferguson@aphis.usda.gov** 2

**A. Introduction** The National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of Philippines requested permission to export fresh fruit of l itchi , ( Litchi chinensis Sonn. ), l ongan , ( Dimocarpus longan Lo ur. ), and rambutan (

Nephelium lappaceum L. ) into the continental United States. Fr esh fruit of l itchi, l ongan and rambutan have not been imported from Philippines before. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prepared a pest risk assessment (PRA) that examined plant pest risks associated with the importation of fresh fruit of litchi, longan and rambutan from eight countries that together comprise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (USDA, 2011)

. These countries are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malay sia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The pest risk assessment titled Importation of Fresh Fruit of Litchi ( Li tchi chinensis

), Longan ( Dimocarpus longan

), and Rambutan (

Nephelium lappaceum

) into the Continental United States from ASEAN Countries (USDA, 2011) , identified the following pests of quarantine concern on litchi, longan and rambutan as occurring in the Philippines. There are 12 arthropods listed as quarantine pests on **Litchi** from Philippines. These are: Bactrocera cucurbitae (

Coquillett) (Tephritidae: Diptera) Ceroplastes rubens Maskell (Coccidae: Hemiptera) Coccus viridis (Green) (Coccidae: Hemiptera) Dysmicoccus neobrevipes Beardsley (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Paracoccus interceptus Lit (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Planococcus lilacinus (Cockerell) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Planococcus litchi Cox (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Planococcus minor (Maskell) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Pseudococcus cryptus Hempel (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée) (Py ralidae: Lepidoptera) Cryptophlebia ombrodelta (L ower) (Totricidae; Lepidoptera) There are 16 arthropods listed as quarantine pests on **L ongan**  from Philippines. These are: Ceroplastes rubens Maskell (Coccidae: Hemiptera) Coccus viridis (Green) (Coccidae: Hemiptera) Taiwansaissetia formicarii (Green) (Coccidae: Hemiptera) Kerria greeni (Chamberlin) (Kerridae: Hemiptera) Dysmicoccus neobrevipes Beardsley (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Exallomochlus hispidus (Morrison) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Exallmochlus philippinensis Williams (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Paracoccus interceptus Lit (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Planococcus lilacinus (Cockerell) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Planococcus litchi Cox (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera)3

Planococcus minor (Maskell) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Pseudococcus cryptus Hempel (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée) (Py ralidae: Lepidoptera) Cryptophlebia ombrodelta (L ower) (Totricidae; Lepidoptera) There are 19 arthropods and one pathogen (fungus, Ascomycetes) listed as quarantine pests on **Rambutan** from Phil ippines. These are: Ceroplastes rubens Maskell ( Coccidae: Hemiptera) Coccus viridis (Green) (Coccidae: Hemiptera) Crisicoccus theobromae Williams & Watson (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Dysmicoccus neobrevipes Beardsley (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Exallomochlus hispidus (Morrison) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Exallmochlus philippinensis Williams (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Maconellicoccus multipori (Takahashi) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead) (Pseudococcidae: Hemip tera) Paracoccus interceptus Lit (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Planococcus lilacinus (Cockerell) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Planococcus litchi Cox (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Planococcus minor (Maskell) (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Pseudococcus cryptus Hempel (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Rastrococcus jabadiu Williams (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Rastrococcus tropicasiaticus Williams (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) Conopomorpha cramerella Snellen (Gracillaridae: Lepidoptera) Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée) ( Py ralidae: Lepidoptera) Cryptophlebia ombrodelta (L ower) (Totricidae; Lepidoptera) Oidium nephelii Hadiw

. (Erisiphales: Ascomyc etes)

The Philippines has proposed use of an APHI S approved irradiation treatment to mitigate risks from the arthropod pests. This risk management document outlines the phy tosanitary measures that APHI S will require , including irradiation, if the proposed importation s of fresh fruit of litchi, longan and rambutan from Philippines are approved , and documents the evidence used by APHIS to conclude that these measures will effectivel y prevent the introduction of quarantine pests.4

**B. Risk Management Measures**
APHI S proposes to allow the importation of fresh fruit of litchi, longan and rambutan from Philippines into the continental United States under the following conditions:
1

- The fresh fruit of litchi, longan and rambutan must be irradiated with a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy and follow requirements of 7 CFR parts 305.9 and 319.56.
2

- Prior to irradiation the fresh fruit of litchi, longan and rambutan must undergo packinghouse procedures , such as culling , to eliminate surface pests and damaged fruits.
3

- Prior to departure from the Philippines , e ach rambutan consignment must be ins pected by the NPPO using a sampling procedure mutually agree d upon by

APHIS and the Philippines NPPO. A representative sample of fruit must be drawn from each lot, inspected and found free from the fungus Oidium nephelii.
4

- Prior to shipment, each consignment must be inspected jointly by APHIS and the NPPO of Philippines and be accompanied by a P hy tosanitary Certificate (PC) issued by the Philippines NPPO stating that the consignment received irradiation treatment with 400 Gy as the minimum absorbed dose

. For rambutan, the PC must also include an A dditional D eclaration (AD) stating that the consignment was inspected and found free from Oidium nephelii

. 5

- Consignments of fresh fruit of litchi, longan and rambutan are subject to inspection at the United S tates ports of entry

. 6

- Fresh fruit of litchi, longan , and rambutan from Philippines must be commerciall y produced and be part of a commercial consignment as defined in Section 319.56

- 2.
**C. Historical Performance of Imp orting Irradiated Fruits**  Current regulations 7 CFR 305. 9 allow the use of irradiation to treat fruit for importation into the United States. Beginning April 2007, India has shipped mangoes to the United States irradiated with a minimum absorbed dose of 4 00 Gy for insect pests and with a sy stems approach for fungal pathogens. To date, over 130 irradiated mango consignments have been received from India and no pests have been reported. Also, from over 100 consignments of longans, mangoes, mangosteens, and rambutans irradiated with 400 Gy dose as the minimum absorbed dose in Thailand and imported into the United States during 2007 and 2008, no pests of quarantine significance have been reported (USDA, 2008).5

APHI S regulations 7 CFR 3 05.9 allow s interstate movement of regulated articles as different fruits and vegetables from Hawaii treated with irradiation at a minimum absorbed dose of 150 Gy

to 400 Gy

for fruit flies and other quarantine pests. No live pests of quarantine significance have be en intercepted in irradiated Hawaiian fruits or vegetables shipped to the mainland United States (Uyeda, 2005). In addition, consignments of Australian mangoes irradiated with 150 Gy dose and allowed into New Zealand since 2004 resulted in no pests of con cern being intercepted (Edwards, 2005).

**D. Evidence for the Effective Removal of Pests of Concern from the Pathway**  Th e pests of concern likely to follow the pathway

of fresh fruit of litchi, longan and rambutan from the Philippines consist mainly of arthropods with one disease organism being listed on rambutan . Irradiation of fruits and vegetables with a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy is an approved treatment b y APHI S for mitigating risks from all insect pests except adults and pupae of the order Lepid optera (USDA, 2006). There are three pests of the order Lepidoptera, Conopomorpha cramerella, Conogethes punctiferalis and Cryptophlebia ombrodelta that are listed as pests of quarantine concern

. The larvae of these three pests cause fruits to drop off th e trees earl y or create entry holes on fruits that are filled with frass , which is easily

noticed during inspections , and they also pupate outside the fruit. (CABI, 2011). Irradiation with a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy is considered adequate to mitigate risks from all pests. Powdery mildew caused by Oidium nephelii is the most serious disease of rambutan in the field. It is often found infecting the young, actively growing portions of the plant, although all stages of growth can be infected. The dise ase is found in Southeastern Asian countries such as Brunei, Thailand (Peregrine, 1982), Indonesia, Malay sia, Philippines, and Singapore (Farr et al. , n.d.). Signs of infection typicall y occur on young fruit that are usually stunted, but all stages of gro wth can be infected. White powdery areas of mycelial growth can be seen with the naked eye on the fruit spinterns (the spiney , hair

- like, protuberances on the pericarp) and on the skin between the spinterns (Ploetz et al. , 1994).
APHI S has determined that Oidium nephelii is a quarantine pest that follows the rambutan fruit import pathway

(USDA, 2009). However, m ost infected fruit will likely be culled because trained harvesters, packinghouse personnel, and plant quarantine inspectors can easily detect the distinctive, conspicuous signs of this disease on fruits. Therefore, packinghouse measures such as culling of the diseased fruit coupled with predeparture inspections by

the NPPO, and an additional declaration on a phy tosanitary certificate stating the consignment to be free from the disease, and allowing onl y the commercially produced consignments are considered adequate to mitigate the pest risk. As part of the United States requirements (7 CFR 305.9) governing the use of irradiation as a phy tosanitary treatment, APHI S and the NPPO of the Philippines must jointly develop a written agreement; e.g., an operational work plan (OWP). The agreement shall include details of activities including inspection of articles that the Phi lippines NPPO must perform before the treatment or departure. Inspection of the fruit and freedom from pests not targeted6

by irradiation , as declared on the PC , will ensure that all pests of concern are removed from the pathway

. The requirement for a PC ensures phy tosanitary quality control and rigor by requiring Philippine s to conduct phy tosanitary inspections. This effectivel y enforces the inspection the fruit receives.
APHI S regulations on the use of irradiation require that the treatment be monitored where applied , and that the consignment be examined for pests of concern by APHI S and the NPPO of the Philippines prior to its shipment as part of preclearance activities. Although the 400 Gy dose is effective for all pests as described above, pest monitoring in the field and inspections by

the NPPO should ensure that the pest populations would not reach level s that might potentially

overwhelm the effectiveness of the treatment.

**E. Conclusion** The phy tosanitary requirements described above include treatment of fresh fruit of litchi, longan and rambutan from Philippines with irradiation using a minimum absorbed dose of 400 Gy and inspections for the pests of concern , including inspection of e ach rambutan consignment and determination that it is found f ree from the fungus Oidium nepheli i.
APHI S concludes that , based on the evaluation of effectiveness of these mitigation measures directed against the quarantine pests, safeguards of 7 CFR 319.56 and the additional mitigations described in this risk management document will result in the effective removal from th e pathway s of the quarantine pests identified by the PRA for the importation of fresh fruit of litchi, longan and rambutan from Philippines

.

**F. Author s**  **:** Devaiah A. Muruvanda, Ph.D. Senior Risk Manager

- Entomology José R. Hernández , Ph

. D

. Senior Ris k Manager

- Plant Pathology7

**G. Literature Cited:** CABI, 201 1

. Pest Datasheet. CAB International, Wallingford, U.K. Edwards, G. 2005. Personal Communication from G. Edwards of NZ Department of Agriculture & Fisheries to Karen Ackerman of USDA, APHI S, PPQ, Phy tosanitary I ssues Management, Riverdale, MD. Farr, D. F., Rossman, A. Y., Palm, M. E., and McCray , E. B. n.d. Fungal Databases, Sy stematic Botany & Mycology L aboratory , Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Last visit, Dec. 2010. Peregri ne, W. T. H. , and A., K.B. 1982. Brunei: A first annotated list of plant dis eases and associated organisms. Phy topathological Paper 27 : 1

- 87. Ploetz, R. C., Zentmyer, G. A., Nishijima, W. T., Rohrbach, K. G., and Ohr, H. D. 1994. Compendium of Tropical Fruit Diseases. St. Paul, Minnesota, American Phy topathological Society

. USDA, 201 1

. Importation of Fresh Fruit of Litchi ( Litchi chinensis ), L ongan ( Dimocarpus longan ), and Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum ) into the Continental United States from ASEAN Countries. USDA, APHI S, PPQ, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology

. August 201 1 . 1 0 6 pp. USDA, 2008. Pest Interception Data. USDA APHIS PPQ Plant Health Programs. USDA. 2006. Treatments for Fruits and Vegetables. January 27, 2006 issue of Federal Register 71(18): 4451

- 4464 USDA. 2006. Treatments for Fruits and Vegetables. January 27, 2006 issue of Federal Register 71(18): 4451

- 4464 Uyeda, E. 2005. Personal communication from E. Uyeda, Port Director, US Department of Agriculture, USDA, APHI S, PPQ, Hilo, HI.