United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Importation of Fresh Strawberry, Fragaria spp., 

Fruit with Flower Calyx and Short Stalk 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. West
May 24, 2010 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 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 calyces 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 measures 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 regulations.

The pest risk assessment (PERAL, 2010) estimated the risk associated with the 

unmitigated importation of fresh strawberry 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: Tetranychidae)

Monilinia fructigena Honey (Leotiomycetes: Helotiales)

Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Thrips major Uzel (Thysanoptera: 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, 2009), 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 calyces and short stalks 

(Matalka, 2004). Leaving the calyx on the fruit helps decrease perishability (PERAL, 

2010). 

Standard industry practices

In Jordan, strawberries are produced in 500 m2(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, integrated pest management (IPM) practices are used in strawberry production

in collaboration with GTZ (German Agency for Technical Cooperation)-Germany IPM 

projects, which entail mainly the use of predators and parasites of insect pests and 

restricted pesticide applications (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 by 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 by refrigerated trucks to warehouses.

 At the warehouse in the quality control room, the fruit are graded, and unwanted 

fruit are removed. 

 The fruit are then placed in “exportation boxes” of different sizes depending on 

the destination requirements, but generally in containers of 250-400 g holding one 

layer of fruit.

 The boxes are placed into perforated cardboard cases and then stored in the precooling room (0

oC) for 30-60 minutes.

 The boxes are then moved to cold rooms (0-5

oC), 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 would be shipped from Jordan to the 

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

Risk Management Measures

APHIS proposes 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 Phytosanitary

Certificate (PC) issued by Jordan’s NPPO bearing the following Additional 

Declaration (AD): “The strawberry fruit in this consignment were grown in Jordan 

and were inspected and found free of the quarantine pests.”

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

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 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; 

PERAL, 2010), PPQ has long permitted the entry of strawberry fruit for consumption

from many countries (e.g., Israel, 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). The

lack of interception suggests that, in general, commercial strawberry fruit for export are 

unlikely to contain the identified quarantine pests. 

The quarantine pests (PERAL, 2010) occur primarily externally on their hosts and the 

presence or symptoms can be readily 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 plant 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 calyx (Meijerman 

& Ulenberg, 2000); therefore, inspection for this insect should include inspection beneath 

the calyx, 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 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). 
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 

causes bronzing of the skin of the fruit (Easterbrook, 2000). Symptoms 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 

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). 

Infection by Monilinia fructigena can be easily observed, as this fungus produces visible 

rots on the fruits of its hosts. On ripe fruit, the first symptoms are small, superficial, 

circular brown spots that rapidly turn to rotting, and the entire fruit eventually turns 

brown and decays (CABI, 2007; Ioos et al., 2009). 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 highly unlikely that the pathogen would be spread to natural hosts. 

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 Jordan’s IPM 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 their obvious symptoms, the appropriate level of phytosanitary security will be 

attained by requiring a Phytosanitary Certificate issued by Jordan’s NPPO with an 

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

quarantine pests.

Summary

The pest risk assessment for strawberry fruit with calyces 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 Phytosanitary Certificate from Jordan’s NPPO will document that 

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

phytosanitary security by requiring Jordan’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 Jordan will also be subject to inspection at the port-ofentry 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. 

Authors

Leah C. Millar, Entomologist/Risk Analyst, USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Center for Plant 

Health Science and Technology

José R. Hernández, Ph.D., Plant Pathologist/Risk Manager, USDA, APHIS, PPQ, 

Regulations, Permits & Manuals

Reviewers

Devaiah A. Muruvanda, Ph.D., Entomologist/Senior Risk Manager, USDA, APHIS, 

PPQ, Regulations, Permits & Manuals

Donna L. West, Senior Import Specialist, USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Regulations, Permits & 

Manuals

Brendon Reardon, Assistant Trade Director, USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Phytosanitary Issues 

Management

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