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



# Importation of Fresh Strawberry, Fragaria spp., Fruit with F lower C alyx and S hort S talk from Jordan into the Continental United States Risk Management Document

May 24 , 2010

Plant Health Programs (PHP) Regulations, Permits and Manuals (RPM) Contact Person: Donna L. WestMay

24 , 2010 2 

## Introduction The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) , Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHI S) conducted a pest risk assessment in response to a request by Jordan’s Ministry of Agriculture , also referred to as Jordan’s National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO), to allow imports of fresh, field

- grown strawberry ( Fragaria spp.) fruit with cal yces and short stalks from Jordan into the continental United States ( PERAL , 2010 ). Six 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 measur es for these quarantine pests. The movement of fruits and vegetables from foreign countries into the United States is regulated in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations ( 7 CFR § 319.56, 2010 ). Currently , the entry of fresh strawberry

fruit from Jordan is not authorized under these regu lations. T he pest risk assessment ( PERAL , 2010 ) estimated the risk associated with the unmitigated importation of fresh strawber ry fruit from Jordan and identified the following six quarantine pests of concern for strawberry fruit from Jordan : Cacoecimorpha pronubana Hübner (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esper) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Eutetranychus orientalis (Klein) (Acari: Tetran yc hidae) Monilinia fructigena Honey (Leotiom ycet es: Helotiales) Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Thrips major Uzel (Thy sanoptera: Thripidae) All pests were identified as having a High risk potential. The volume of strawberries to be shipped from Jordan to the United States is estimated to be just under 30 , 40

- foot long maritime containers per year ( PERAL, 20 09 ) , and shipment to the United States would be during the months of December through May ( Matalka, 2004 ). Jordan intends to export the strawberry fruit with flower cal yc es and short stalks ( Matalka, 2004 ). Leaving the cal yxon the fruit helps decrease perishability ( PERAL, 2010 ). 

## Standard industry practices In Jordan, strawberries are produced in 500 m 2 (0.124 acre) plastic tunnels and are under irrigation using drip irrigation ( Abu

- El Samen Hiasat, 2008 ). There are no open field plantations, but multi

- span plastic tunnels are used on a few farms ( Abu

- El Samen Hiasat, 2008 ).May

24 , 2010 3 In Jordan, i ntegrated pest management (IPM) practices are used in strawberry production in collaboration with GTZ (German Agency for Technical Cooperation)

- German y IPM projects , which entail mainly the use of predators and parasites of insect pests and restricted pesticide applicati ons ( Abu

- El Samen Hiasat, 2008 )

. Other pest management measures implemented in Jordan for export strawberries include exclusionary screening, crop scouting and trapping, and good ventilation ( Matalka, 2004 ). The strawberry fruit for export to the continental United States would undergo the following harvest and post

- harvest practices, as described b y Abu

- El Samen Hiasat ( 2008 ):

 At harvest, the fruit are collected in “field boxes” and undergo an initial grading in the field.  Within one hour, the fruit are transported b y refrigerated trucks to warehouses.  At the warehouse in the quality control room, the fruit are graded, and unwanted fruit ar e removed.  The fruit are then placed in “exportation boxes” of different sizes depending on the destination requirements, but generall y in containers of 250

- 400 g holding one layer of fruit.  The boxes are placed into perforated cardboard cases and then sto red in the pre

cooling room ( 0 o C) for 30

- 60 minutes.  The boxes are then moved to cold rooms (0

- 5 o C), where they are stored for 24

- 48 hours.  The fruit are then transported in refrigerated trucks to the airport and are air shipped to their destination. The fruit w ould be shipped from Jordan to the United States on 12

- 14 hour, non

- stop flights

. 

## Risk Managem ent Measures APHI S propose s that fresh strawberry fruit grown in Jordan may be imported into the continental United States only under the following conditions: A) Each consignment of strawberry fruit must be accompanied by a P hy tosanitary C ertificate (PC) issued by Jordan’s NPPO bearing the following Additional Declaration (AD) : “ The strawberry fruit in this consignment w ere grown in Jordan and w ere inspected and found free of the quarantine pests

. ” B) Strawberry

fruit must be imported as commercial consignments onl y. C) Port of entry

inspection.May

24 , 2010 4 

## Rationale for Risk Management Measures According to the USDA guidelines for pathway initiated pest risk assessments ( USDA, 2000 ), specific ph yt osanitary measures, supplemental to port

- of

- entry inspection, are strongl y recommended for pests given a ‘High’ pest risk potential. According to PPQ regulations and import decision history documents ( APHIS, 2009; PERAL , 2010 ), PPQ has long permitted the entry of strawberry

fruit for consumption from man y countries (e.g., I srael, 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 some countries

. Despite this import history , the quarantine pests of concern have never been intercepted at U.S. ports

- of

- entry in commercial strawberry fruit ( PestID, 2009 )

. Th e lack of interception suggests that, in general, commerc ial strawberry fruit for export are unlikely to contain the identified quarantine pests. T he quarantine pests (PERAL , 2010) occur primarily externally on their hosts and the presence or s ymptoms can be readil y detected with visual inspection. The larvae of the tortricid insect Cacoecimorpha pronubana grow up to 19 or 20 mm in length ( CABI, 2007; Hill, 1987 ). The eggs, larvae, and pupae occur externally on leaves, where they

are visible to the naked eye ( CABI, 2007 ). The larvae feed externally on their hosts, mainly on the leaves and flowers, making numerous holes , rolling leaves, and forming a dense silken mass around the attacked p lant parts ( CABI, 2007; Hill, 1983, 1987; Meijerman & Ulenberg, 2000; Van Der Geest & Evenhuis, 1991 ). On strawberries, the larvae may attack the fruit beneath the shelter of the cal yx ( Meijerman & Ulenberg, 2000 ); therefore, inspection for this insect should include inspection beneath the cal yx , looking for larvae , feeding damage , webbing and frass

. 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 ey e ( CABI, 2007 ) ; sy mptoms 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 eas y 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 occur s in the soil ( CABI, 2007 ), so they would not be associated with fruit and associated cal yx es. The larvae mainly feed externally

on the leaves of its hosts, creating obvious s ymptoms (large holes of irregular shape, leaf shredding, skeletonization, and frass) ( Avidov & Har paz, 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 )

.May

24 , 2010 5 Although Thrips major can attack fruit, it mainly attacks flowers ( Buxton & Easterbrook, 1988; Dyadechko, 1977; Easterbrook, 1991, 2000; Hill, 1987; Lewis, 1997 ) ; this feeding behavior decreases the likelihood of T. major being in the pathway of commercial fruit

. Indeed, agricultural inspectors have never intercepted this thrips species with any commercial fruit at U.S. ports

- of

- entry ( PestID, 2009 ). When it does attack fruit, it caus e s bronzing of the skin of the fruit ( Easterbrook, 2000 )

. S ymptoms associated with thrips on strawberry

fruit include bronzing and distortion of the fruit ( Steiner & Goodwin, 2005 ) , which can be detected during fruit inspection. Eutetranychus orientalis is primarily a leaf feeder ( Avidov & Harpaz, 1969; CABI, 2007; Hill, 1987; PPQ, 2002 ). It also attacks fruit if infestations levels are high ( Avidov & Harpaz, 1969 ). On both leaves and fruit, damage by this mite results in obvious sy mptoms: chlorotic appearance on leaves and fruit, pale yellow str eaks, les ions, abnormal colors, webbing, honeydew, and soot y mold ( Avidov & Har paz, 1969; CABI, 2007; Hill, 1987; PPQ, 2002; van den Berg et al. , 2001 )

. Infection by Monilinia fructigena can be easil y observed, as this fungus produces visible rots on the fruits of its hosts. On ripe fruit, the first sy mptoms are small, superficial, circular brown spots that rapidly turn to rotting, and the entire fruit eve ntually turns brown and decay s ( CABI, 2007; I oos et al. , 20 09 ). Often the sprouting tufts of mycelium and conidia are arranged in concentric rings on the fruit surface ( Ioos et al. , 2009 )

. Green fruit may have latent infections of the disease, but these often become active just before or after harvest ( Ioos et al. , 2009 ) , therefore, would likely be detected during post

- harvest processing and inspection and/or during port

- of

- entry inspection. If infection is not apparent at port
- of

- entry , the fact that the fruit is for consumption (not propagation ) makes it highl y unlikely that the pathogen would be spread to natural hosts. Additionally , g ood agricultural p ractices can effectively suppress or eliminate pests from fields or prevent infestation. Successful control programs ty pically include monitoring, cultural, biological , and chemical components. As described above, all these components are used as part of Jordan’s IP M practices for the production of export strawberries

. Based on the above evidence and lack of interceptions of pests of concern (PestID, 2009) as well as the ir obvious sy mptoms, the appropriate level of ph yt osanitary securit y will be attained b y requiring a Phytosanitary Certificate issued by Jordan’s NPPO with an Additional Declaration stating that the consignment ha s been inspected and found free of quarantine pests. 

## Summary The pest risk assessment for strawberry fruit with cal yces and short stalks from Jordan only addressed the pest risk associated with the commodity being imported into the continental United States. As such, importation and movement into areas outside the continental United States would be prohibited by permit conditions.May

24 , 2010 6 The requirement of a P hytosanitary C ertificate from Jordan’s NPPO will document that the importation is a product of Jordan , an d the Additional Declaration provides phy t osanitary securit y b y requiring Jordan’s NPPO to conduct inspections for the quarantine pests of concern

. These inspections double the number of inspections each strawberry

consignment receives b y requiring ph yt osanitary inspections in addition to the nor mal packing house quality inspections. Importations of strawberries from Jordan 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 th e risk management measures needed to attain the appropriate level of ph yt osanitary security may

occur . 

## Author s Leah C. Millar, Entomologist/Risk Analy st, USDA, APHI S, PPQ, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology José R. Hernández , Ph.D. , Plant Pathologist/Risk Manager, USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Regulations, Permits & Manuals 

## Reviewer s Devaiah A. Muruvanda, Ph.D., Entomologist/Senior Risk Manager, USDA, APHI S, PPQ, Regulations, Permits & Manuals Donna L. West, Senior Import Specialist, USDA, APHI S, PPQ, Regulations, Permits & Manuals Brendon Reardon, Assistant Trade Director, USDA, APHI S, PPQ, Phy tosanitary I ssues Management 

## References 7 CFR § 319.56. 2010. U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 7, Part 319 (7 CFR § 319.56

- Fo reign Quarantine Notices), Subpart 56 (7 CFR § 319.56

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