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


## Administrative action **to add new heat treatment for plant pathogen**  **ic bacteria and fungi on dried plant parts**  **including**

**wood and art icles made with wood**  **Treatment Evaluation Document**
**Date** : December 6, 20 12 **Treatments, Pests, Commodities and Countries New Treatment/**  **Revision/Deletion Treatment** 

**Type Target Pests**  **Commodity Applicable Country(ies)**  **of origin** New Treatment Heat Plant pathogen ic bacteria and fungi Dried plant parts

including wood and articles made with wood All

**Objective :**  To provide a heat treatment for plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi on dried plant parts including wood
. Currently for lack of a treatment , drie d plant parts , including wood and articles made with wood, infested with plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi are destroyed or sent back to country of origin. **Overview:** Dried plant parts , including wood and articles made with wood, are allowed entry into the United S tates from many countries with an import permit and appropriate inspection. If a quarantine pest is found, the appropriate treatment must be conducted or the shipment will be destroyed or returned to the country of origin. Wood or articles made with wood are sub

ject to some additional requirements as described in regulations 7CFR319.40. Currently , except for certain T303 treatments used as dry heat (at 82.2 C or above for 2 hours) or moist heat (at 121 C or above for 15

- 20 min) specifically fo r articles made from rice straw, there are no broad spectrum heat treatments for plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi on dried plant parts . Dried plant parts , including wood and articles made with wood, infested with plant pathogen ic bacteria and fungi are currentl y destroyed or sent back to country of origin. The PPQ P lant Inspection S tation (PI S) at Linden, NJ has been requesting availability of treatments for plant pathogen ic bacteria and fungi on a regular basis. There are treatment facilities in Linden, NJ that can perform2

the suggested heat treatment. This treatment was requested from PPQ in response to the interest expressed b y importers of dried plant materials
. **Evaluation :**  APHI S’ Treatment Q uality A ssurance Unit evaluated the published data (Agri os, 2005, Pullman et al., 1981) and has reco mmend ed using heat treatment for plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi on dried plant parts including wood and articles made wirh wood . According to G. N. Agrios (2005) , all plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi are killed at 80 C for 30 minutes. The exposure time for the moist heat treatment schedule given below has been increased to account for variations in handling the treatment
. The dry heat exposure time has been further increased over moist heat since dry heat is known to take longer to kill bacteria and fungi than the moist heat , especiall y when used in large scale applications (Agrios, 2005, Pullman et al., 1981)
. **Addition of heat**  **treatment s**  **for plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi**  **on dried plant part**  **s, wood a nd articles made with wood**  **.** In order to facilitate safe trade of dried plant parts , including wood and articles made with wood , w e are propos ing the following treatment schedule s to heat treat dried plant materials infested with plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi : **T500 series**
- Dried plant parts including and articles made with wood infested with plant pathogen ic bacteria or fungi Pest: Plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi Treatment: T5 XX: Moist heat at 80 C or 176 F for 1 hour Treatment: T5XY: Dry heat at 80 C or 176 F for 2 hours Treatment time does not start until the entire commodity has reached treatment temperature a s measured at different locations
. Possible heat damage to the commodity must be determined before treatment. The commodity must not come in contact with heating elements or open flame. Treatment facility must be certified by APHI S and have a Compliance Agreement with PPQ. **Decision :**  Add the new heat treatments as explained above to the PPQ Treatment Manual for plant pathogenic bact eria and fungi on dried plant part s including wood and articles made with wood
. **Originator s**  **:** Josie Cooley, Team Leader/Writer

– Regulations, Permits and Manuals

– Manuals Unit
. Dean Komm, PPQ
- CPHST
- TQAU, Treatment Specialist **References:**3

Agrios, G.N. 2005. Plant Pathology 5 th edition. Elsevier Academic Press. Page 310. IS BN 0
- 12
- 044565
- 4 Pullman, G.S., J.E. DeVay and R. H. Garber. 1981. Soil Solarization and Thermal Death: A L ogarithmic Relationship Between Time and Temperature for Four Soilborne Plant Pathogens. Ph yt opathology 71:959
- 964.