Seed potato import requirements

The phytosanitary quality of seed potatoes is based on the production of pest-free tubers (bacteria, fungi, nematodes, oomycetes, viruses, viroids, insects, invasive plants...) initially originating from axenic (sterilized) material. Tuber contamination is a constant risk. The pest can be located superficially, on the lenticels, in the eyes or inside the tuber. Therefore, it is important to detect and eliminate batches with latent infection early in the seed tuber multiplication process.

The tuber is considered, botanically, to be a bulky stem, which arises from the modification (radial expansion) of the stolon – also considered an underground stem. When placed in the ground, it does not emit roots, but axillary buds - shoots. A stem has nodes and internodes. Nodes are the places where leaves emerge. Internodes are located between nodes. Therefore, the “eyes” of the tuber are nodes on a modified stem. The tuber has a characteristic stem structure: lenticels, which allow air to enter, but which also house pathogens, particularly bacteria. Another important location is the connection region of the tubercle to the stolon (umbilical cord). This region is rich in vessels, where various pathogens can be located. The term “seed tuber” is related to its use in vegetative propagation, as true seeds are produced by flowers, in the aerial part.

Legislation

To prevent the spread of pests between countries, the international transit of plants is regulated based on international agreements, such as the International Convention for the Protection of Plants (CIPV/FAO), the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the Organization World Trade Organization (SPS/WTO), determinations of regional phytosanitary protection organizations, as well as bilateral agreements. Considering that Brazil is heavily dependent on the import of seed potatoes, particularly due to its climatic conditions, predisposing to the proliferation of pests throughout the year, which limits the production of basic material for multiplication in sufficient quantity and quality to supply the market nationally, the regulation of production and commercialization must establish phytosanitary and physiological quality standards.

In the last ten years, nine normative instructions (IN) regulating the national market for the production and commercialization of seed potatoes from national and imported material were published: IN 04 of 2003, IN 05, IN 18 and IN 27 of 2004, IN 12 of 2005, IN 06 of 2006, IN 48 of 2006, IN 36 of 2007, IN 32 of 2012 and IN 01 of 2013.

The first approves the requirements according to the country of destination and origin within the scope of Mercosur, and was revoked by IN 18 of 2004; IN 05 of 2004 considers the need to update the tolerance limits for regulated non-quarantine pests, damages and mixtures of seed potatoes to be produced, imported and marketed in the country, taking into account the deliberations of the Technical Commission. IN 27 of 2004 deals with requirements for imports from Bolivia, IN 12 of 2005 revokes IN 05, considering adjustments in national parameters, IN 06 of 2006 deliberates on the import of seed potatoes from the United States. IN 48 of 2006 deliberates on storage conditions, IN 36 of 2007 complements IN 12 of 2005, IN 32 of 2012 establishes the standards for the production and commercialization of potato propagation material of national or imported origin and the its standards, which is changed at specific points by IN 01 of 2013.

Import from Mercosur

IN nº 18 of 2004 establishes the phytosanitary requirements for potatoes according to the country of destination and origin for the states that are part of Mercosur. Brazil and Paraguay require that seed potatoes coming from Argentina be free of weevils Premnotrypes latithorax and nematodes Nacobbus aberrans e Meloidogyne chitwoodi. Paraguay demands from Brazil that the material is free from insects Thrips palmi and Andean potato mottle virus. Argentina demands from Brazil that the material is free of insects Thrips palmi, Andean potato mottle virus, nematodes Pratylenchus coffeae e Rotylenchulus reniformis. Paraguay demands from Brazil that the material is free from insects Thrips palmi and Andean potato mottle virus. Uruguay demands from Argentina that the material is free from Premnotrypes latithorax, Spongospora subterranea, Ralstonia solanacearum race 1, Nacobbus aberrans e Meloidogyne chitwoodi.

Table 1 - Pests that, according to the phytosanitary certificate, cannot be present for the import of potato tubers according to country of destination and origin for the States parties to Mercosur (IN 18/2004)

Source	Destination
	Argentina	Brazil	Paraguay	Uruguay
Argentina		Premnotrypes latithorax, Nacobbus aberrans e Meloidogyne chitwoodi	Premnotrypes latithorax, Nacobbus aberrans e Meloidogyne chitwoodi	Premnotrypes latithorax, Spongospora subterranea, Ralstonia solanacearum race 1, Nacobbus aberrans e Meloidogyne chitwoodi
Brazil	Premnotrypes latithorax, Nacobbus aberrans e Meloidogyne chitwoodi		Thrips palmi e Andean potato mottle virus	Thrips palmi, Spongospora subterranea, Ralstonia solanacearum race 1, and Andean potato mottle virus, Pratylenchus coffeae
Paraguay	Premnotrypeslatithorax, Nacobbus aberrans e Meloidogyne chitwoodi			Spongospora subterranea e Ralstonia solanacearum race 1
Uruguay

Source

Destination

Argentina

Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

Argentina

Premnotrypes latithorax, Nacobbus aberrans e Meloidogyne chitwoodi

Premnotrypes latithorax, Nacobbus aberrans e Meloidogyne chitwoodi

Premnotrypes latithorax, Spongospora subterranea, Ralstonia solanacearum race 1, Nacobbus aberrans e Meloidogyne chitwoodi

Brazil

Premnotrypes latithorax, Nacobbus aberrans e Meloidogyne chitwoodi

Thrips palmi e Andean potato mottle virus

Thrips palmi, Spongospora subterranea, Ralstonia solanacearum race 1, and Andean potato mottle virus, Pratylenchus coffeae

Paraguay

Premnotrypeslatithorax, Nacobbus aberrans e Meloidogyne chitwoodi

Spongospora subterranea e Ralstonia solanacearum race 1

Uruguay

Import from Bolivia

IN nº 27 of 2004 establishes the phytosanitary requirements for the import of materials intended for the plant multiplication of seed potato minitubers produced specifically by the Sepa-SAM Company of Bolivia, with the following pests being listed: Phoma andigena (fungus) and Synchytrium endobioticum (fungus, causative agent of warts); Andean potato latent virus (APLV), Arracacha virus B (AVB), Beet curly top virus (BCTV), Potato mop-top virus (PMTV), Potato virus T (PVT) and Potato yellow ingvirus (PYV); Pale Globodera, G.rosochiensise Nacobbus aberrans (nematodes).

US import

IN nº 6, of February 3, 2006, establishes that only seed potatoes certified by the US certification system may be imported from that country, accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with the following additional declarations, that is, considered free of PVA ( Potato virus A), from the “fungus” (oomycete) Phytophthora erythro septica there. septica erythro, the bacteria Clavibactermi chiganensissub sp. sepedonicus, nematodes Belonolaimus longicaudatus, Ditylenchus destructor, Globodera Roschiensis, Meloidogyne chitwoodi, Nacobbus aberrans, Nacobbus dorsalis, Pratylenchus scribneri e Ditylenchus dipsaci (only alfalfa (lucerne), beet (beet), thistle (teasel), phlox (Phlox), strawberry (strawberry), hyacinth (Hyacinthus), daffodil (Narcissus), white clover (whiteclover) and red clover (redclover) ), seeds of invasive plants, as well as brushed and freed from soil and substrates. Imported shipments will receive phytosanitary inspection at the point of entry and will be subject to the collection of samples for phytosanitary diagnosis in official or accredited laboratories, such as Agronomia, with the remainder of the shipment under post-entry quarantine and deposited with the interested party, and cannot be planted until the completion of the exams.

Standards for production and marketing, aiming to guarantee its identity and quality. IN 32 of 2012 is the most important legislation pertaining to potato propagation material, as it establishes norms for the production and commercialization of seed potatoes and their standards valid throughout the national territory, aiming to guarantee their identity and quality. In terms of pests expected for national production, the following are listed:

● Bacteria: Pectobacterium spp. (spp. = several species) and Dickey spp., associated with soft rot, blackleg and stem rot; Ralstonia solanacearum, bacterial wilt agent; Streptomyces spp., filamentous bacteria associated with common scabies.

● Chromist: Phytophthora infestans, causal agent of tuber blight.

● Fungi: Alternaria Solani e A. alternata, causal agents of black spot; Cladium cylinder spp., causal agent of brown eye; Fusarium solani f.sp. eumartii, causal agent of black eye; Helminthosporium solani, agent of silver scab; Rhizoctonia solani, causal agent of rhizoctoniosis/black crust.

● Insects: aphids (aphids) and Phthorimae aoperculella (moth).

● Nematodes: Meloydogine spp., root-knot nematodes; Pratylenchus spp., lesion nematodes.

● “Protozoario" Spongospora subterranea, associated with powdery scabies.

● Virus: PVX, PVY, PLRV, PVS.

In addition to pests, physiological problems, that is, problems not associated with pests (biotic), are also evaluated.

The pests planned for analysis from internationalized samples are those described in Normative Instruction No. 41 of 2008 (A1 quarantine pests) according to the country of origin:

Prague	Species	Germany	Canada	France	The Netherlands
Bacterium	Clavibacter michiganensis sub sp.sepedonicus	x	x	x	x
Mushroom	Phoma foveata	x		x	x
Mushroom	Phytophthora erythroseptica		x	x	x
Mushroom	Polyscytalum pustulans	x	x
Mushroom	Synchytrium endobioticum	x	x
Nematode	Ditylenchus destructor	x	x	x	x
Nematode	Ditylenchus dipsaci	x	x	x	x
Nematode	Globodera paliida	x	x	x	x
Nematode	Globodera Roschiensis	x	x	x	x
Nematode	Melodogyne chitwoodi	x
Nematode	Melodogyne scribneri		x
Nematode	Melodogyne fallax	x	x	x	x
Virus	Andean potato latent virus - APLV			x	x
Virus	Beet curly top virus - BCTV		x
Virus	Potato mop-top virus – PMTV	x	x		x
Viroid	Potato spindle tuber viroid - PSTVd	x	x		x
Virus	Potato virus A - PVA		x		x
Virus	Tobacco Black ring virus - TBRV	x		x	x
Virus	Tobaccorattle virus - TRV	x	x	x	x

Prague

Species

Germany

Canada

France

The Netherlands

Bacterium

Clavibacter michiganensis sub sp.sepedonicus

x

x

x

x

Mushroom

Phoma foveata

x

x

x

Mushroom

Phytophthora erythroseptica

x

x

x

Mushroom

Polyscytalum pustulans

x

x

Mushroom

Synchytrium endobioticum

x

x

Nematode

Ditylenchus destructor

x

x

x

x

Nematode

Ditylenchus dipsaci

x

x

x

x

Nematode

Globodera paliida

x

x

x

x

Nematode

Globodera Roschiensis

x

x

x

x

Nematode

Melodogyne chitwoodi

x

Nematode

Melodogyne scribneri

x

Nematode

Melodogyne fallax

x

x

x

x

Virus

Andean potato latent virus - APLV

x

x

Virus

Beet curly top virus - BCTV

x

Virus

Potato mop-top virus –

PMTV

x

x

x

Viroid

Potato spindle tuber viroid - PSTVd

x

x

x

Virus

Potato virus A - PVA

x

x

Virus

Tobacco Black ring virus - TBRV

x

x

x

Virus

Tobaccorattle virus - TRV

x

x

x

x

Sample size

Article 28 of IN 32 of 2012 establishes that sampling of potato propagation material will be carried out in production, certification, inspection of production and national and international trade. The size of the potato sample will vary depending on the location (Brazil or abroad) and growing environment (protected or field). The type of analysis will also include field and laboratory inspections.

Regarding laboratory analysis for internalization of imported material, 300 tubers are required, of which: 100 for virus analysis, 100 for nematodes and 100 for other qualitative pests and physiological defects per batch of origin or part thereof. It is worth noting that the percentage of tubers infected, for example, individually by virus must be reported. This means that tubers must be tested individually. Thus, labor and the amount of consumable material (antisera and/or primers, etc.) increase.

Final observation

Agronômica (www.agronomicabr.com.br), one of the laboratories accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), uses serological and molecular kits that guarantee high performance in the detection of target pests, following internationally accepted protocols, and is qualified to comply with what the legislation prescribes.

Those interested in more details about the legislation can also access the texts of the legislation (http://sistemasweb.agricultura.gov.br//sislegis/loginAction.do?method=exibirTela) on the Mapa website. To do this, you need to click on the icon on the right where it says “Citizen Module, Free Access”. After this procedure, enter the IN number, year and indicate that it is a normative instruction.

Click here to read the article in Revista Cultivar Hortaliças e Frutas, issue 79.