Mating type and microsatellite genotyping indicate that the Tunisian population of Phyllosticta citricarpa is clonal and thrives only asexually.

Citrus black spot (CBS) caused by Phyllosticta citricarpa was reported for the first time in Tunisia in 2019. This was also the first reported occurrence of the disease in a Mediterranean climate. In Tunisia, CBS is mainly found in lemon (Citrus limon) orchards, and is seldom observed on sweet orange (Citrus × sinensis).

Performance of Outbreak Management Plans for Emerging Plant Diseases: The Case of Almond Leaf Scorch Caused by in Mainland Spain.

Outbreak response to quarantine pathogens and pests in the European Union (EU) is regulated by the EU Plant Health Law, but the performance of outbreak management plans in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency has been quantified only to a limited extent. As a case study, the disease dynamics of almond leaf scorch, caused by , in the affected area of Alicante, Spain, were approximated using an individual-based spatial epidemiological model. The emergence of this outbreak was dated based on phylogenetic studies, and official surveys were used to delimit the current extent of the disease.

Risk-based regionalization approach for area-wide management of HLB vectors in the Mediterranean Basin.

Huanglongbing (HLB) is one of the most devastating citrus diseases worldwide. It is associated with the non-culture bacteria Liberibacter spp., which can be transmitted by grafting and/or the psyllid vectors (ACP) and (AfCP).

A spatio-temporal dataset of plant pests' first introductions across the EU and potential entry pathways.

World trade has greatly increased in recent decades, together with a higher risk of introducing non-indigenous pests. Introduction trends show no sign of saturation, and it seems likely that many more species will enter and establish in new territories in the future. A key challenge in analysing pest invasion patterns is the paucity of historical data on pest introductions.

Modeling the Airborne Inoculum of to Optimize Fungicide Programs Against Almond Red Leaf Blotch.

Red leaf blotch (RLB) of almond, caused by the ascomycete , is a severe foliar disease endemic in the Mediterranean Basin and Middle East. Airborne ascospores of were monitored from 2019 to 2021 in two almond orchards in Lleida, Spain, and a Bayesian beta regression was used to model its seasonal dynamics. The selected model incorporated accumulated degree-days (ADD), ADD considering both vapor pressure deficit and rainfall as fixed effects, and a random effect for the year and location.

A Global Assessment of the State of Plant Health.

The Global Plant Health Assessment (GPHA) is a collective, volunteer-based effort to assemble expert opinions on plant health and disease impacts on ecosystem services based on published scientific evidence. The GPHA considers a range of forest, agricultural, and urban systems worldwide. These are referred to as (Ecoregion × Plant System), i.

Efficacy of a postharvest treatment aiming at eradication of all developmental stages of in ware potatoes.

The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to prepare and deliver a scientific opinion on the efficacy of a postharvest treatment aiming to eradicate all developmental stages of Guatemalan potato tuber moth (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in ware potatoes. The Panel evaluated the scientific publication describing the elevated CO treatment, which was defined as: 10-day exposure to 30% CO, 20% O and 50% N in controlled atmosphere at 17°C on the variety Negra Yema de Huevo (Papas Antiguas de Canarias, PDO potatoes, ). In the scientific publication, the treatment was applied under semi-commercial and commercial conditions on artificially and field-infested tubers.

Climate suitability of the Mediterranean Basin for citrus black spot disease (Phyllosticta citricarpa) based on a generic infection model.

Citrus black spot (CBS), caused by the fungus Phyllosticta citricarpa, is associated with serious yield and quality losses. The climate suitability of the Mediterranean Basin for CBS development has been long debated. However, CBS has been described in Tunisia.

Commodity risk assessment of plants from Ukraine.

The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to prepare and deliver risk assessments for commodities listed in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 as 'High risk plants, plant products and other objects'. This Scientific Opinion covers plant health risks posed by plants of grafted on imported from Ukraine, taking into account the available scientific information, including the technical information provided by Ukraine. All pests associated with the commodity were evaluated against specific criteria for their relevance for this opinion.

Modeling the Spatial Distribution of : A Nonstationary Approach with Dispersal Barriers.

Spatial species distribution models often assume isotropy and stationarity, implying that spatial dependence is direction-invariant and uniform throughout the study area. However, these assumptions are violated when dispersal barriers are present. Despite this, the issue of nonstationarity has been little explored in the context of plant health.

Modeling Inoculum Availability of in Persimmon Leaf Litter with Bayesian Beta Regression.

Circular leaf spot (CLS), caused by , is a serious disease affecting persimmon () that is characterized by necrotic lesions on leaves, defoliation, and fruit drop. Under Mediterranean conditions, forms pseudothecia in the leaf litter in winter, and ascospores are released in spring, infecting susceptible leaves. Persimmon growers are advised to apply fungicides for CLS control during the period of inoculum availability, which was previously defined based on ascospore counts under the microscope.

Spatial Bayesian Modeling Applied to the Surveys of in Alicante (Spain) and Apulia (Italy).

The plant-pathogenic bacterium was first reported in Europe in 2013, in the province of Lecce, Italy, where extensive areas were affected by the olive quick decline syndrome, caused by the subsp. . In Alicante, Spain, almond leaf scorch, caused by subsp.

A Decision Support System Based on Degree-Days to Initiate Fungicide Spray Programs for Peach Powdery Mildew in Catalonia, Spain.

The incidence of peach powdery mildew (PPM) on fruit was monitored in commercial peach orchards to i) describe the disease progress in relation to several environmental parameters and ii) establish an operating threshold to initiate a fungicide spray program based on accumulated degree-day (ADD) data. A beta-regression model for disease incidence showed a substantial contribution of the random effects orchard and year, whereas relevant fixed effects corresponded to ADD, wetness duration, and ADD considering vapor pressure deficit and rain. When beta-regression models were fitted for each orchard and year considering only ADD, disease onset was observed at 242 ± 13 ADD and symptoms did not develop further after 484 ± 42 ADD.

Impact of subspecies in European olives.

is the causal agent of plant diseases that cause massive economic damage. In 2013, a strain of the bacterium was, for the first time, detected in the European territory (Italy), causing the Olive Quick Decline Syndrome. We simulate future spread of the disease based on climatic-suitability modeling and radial expansion of the invaded territory.

Pest categorisation of spp. (non-EU).

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of spp. (non-EU), a well-defined and distinguishable group of fungal pathogens of the family Cronartiaceae. There are at least 40 species described within the genus, of which two are considered native to the EU ( and ) and one has been introduced in the 19th century () and is now widespread in the EU - these three species are thus not part of this pest categorisation.

Pest categorisation of and .

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of and , which are well-defined and distinguishable tree fungal pathogens of the family Cronartiaceae. In 2018, these species were moved from the genus to the genus . These pathogens are not known to be present in the EU and are regulated in Council Directive 2000/29/EC (Annex IAI) (as non-European spp.

Pest categorisation of .

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of , a well-defined and distinguishable fungus of the family Melampsoraceae. .  is the causal agent of a leaf and twig rust of hemlocks ( spp.

Pest categorisation of spp. (non-EU).

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of spp. (non-EU), a well-defined and distinguishable group of parasitic plant species of the family Viscaceae, also known as dwarf mistletoes. These are flowering plants parasitising a wide range of conifers of the families Pinaceae and Cupressaceae.

Engineering d-limonene synthase down-regulation in orange fruit induces resistance against the fungus Phyllosticta citricarpa through enhanced accumulation of monoterpene alcohols and activation of defence.

Terpene volatiles play an important role in the interactions between specialized pathogens and fruits. Citrus black spot (CBS), caused by the fungus Phyllosticta citricarpa, is associated with crop losses in different citrus-growing areas worldwide. The pathogen may infect the fruit for 20-24 weeks after petal fall, but the typical hard spot symptoms appear when the fruit have almost reached maturity, caused by fungal colonization and the induction of cell lysis around essential oil cavities.

Evaluation of a paper by Guarnaccia et al. (2017) on the first report of in Europe.

The Plant Health Panel reviewed the paper by Guarnaccia et al. (2017) and compared their findings with previous predictions on the establishment of . Four species of were found by Guarnaccia et al.

Pest categorisation of and .

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of and , the causal agents of citrus scab diseases, for the EU. The identities of the pests are well-established and reliable methods exist for their detection/identification. The pests are listed in Annex IIAI of Directive 2000/29/EC as spp.

Pest categorisation of small-spored carrying the genes for the AM- or AK-toxin biosynthesis.

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of small-spored carrying the genes for the AM- or AK-toxin biosynthesis, for the EU. The identity of the pests is clearly defined and reliable methods exist for their detection/identification. They are listed in Annex IIAI of Directive 2000/29/EC as (non-European pathogenic isolates).

Characterization of Mycosphaerellaceae species associated with citrus greasy spot in Panama and Spain.

Greasy spot of citrus, caused by Zasmidium citri-griseum (= Mycosphaerella citri), is widely distributed in the Caribbean Basin, inducing leaf spots, premature defoliation, and yield loss. Greasy spot-like symptoms were frequently observed in humid citrus-growing regions in Panama as well as in semi-arid areas in Spain, but disease aetiology was unknown. Citrus-growing areas in Panama and Spain were surveyed and isolates of Mycosphaerellaceae were obtained from citrus greasy spot lesions.

Pest categorisation of .

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the causal agent of Asian pear scab, for the European Union (EU). The pathogen is a well-defined, distinguishable fungal species affecting var. and in Asian countries.

Pest categorisation of .

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the fungus responsible for fruit and leaf spot of citrus, for all territories except of the Union territories defined in Article 1 point 3 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031. is listed in Annex IIAI of Directive 2000/29/EC and is not known to be present in the EU. The pathogen, which has recently been reclassified as , is a well-defined, distinguishable fungal species affecting all cultivated spp.