Phytosanitary status of organisms harmfull to plants and plant products (HARMSTAT)

Plant diseases and pests present in nearby or further afield do not stop at our borders. Eight potentially new threats are being studied in the HARMSTAT project, with the aim of determining their status for Belgium while gathering knowledge about their characteristics (which host plants, which reproductive preferences, etc) so that the authorities can issue measures if necessary.  Specifically it concerns the Gram-positive bacterium Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. poinsettiae, the root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne ethiopica and Meloidogyne luci, the jewel beetles Agrilus fleischeri and Agrilus bilineatus, the tiger longicorn beetle Xylotrechus chinensis, the spider mite Tetranychus mexicanus, the fungus Sirococcus tsugae and the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus.

A monitoring study covering two growing seasons should make it possible to determine the appropriate phytosanitary status of each of the investigated pest or plant disease in Belgium. In addition, a literature review will provide additional information on their biology, geographical distribution, host plant range and potential for introduction and establishment in our country.

The obtained data on the status and potential threats of the organisms in question will allow the Federal Government to carry out strategic actions, if necessary, such as an expansion of the list of regulated host plants.