29 October 2010
Draft review of policy for the importation of hops (Humulus species) propagative material into Australia
This Biosecurity Australia Advice (BAA) invites stakeholders to provide comments on the Draft review of policy: importation of hops (Humulus species) propagative material into Australia by 28 November 2010.
The draft report recommends risk management measures for the importation of Humulus species propagative material which meet Australia’s appropriate level of protection (ALOP).
Australia’s policy for the importation of hops propagative material was suspended in 2004 due to disease concerns, pending the outcome of a pest risk analysis (PRA).
Subsequently, the Australian industry requested Biosecurity Services Group (BSG) to develop import conditions for propagative material of Humulus species and their cultivars.
Biosecurity Australia has now reviewed the policy for the importation of hops propagative material, and prepared a draft PRA report which is available for comment until 28 November 2010.
This review has identified insect pests and pathogens of quarantine concern associated with hops propagative material (soil free dormant rhizome, foliage free dormant cuttings, tissue culture and seed for sowing) and proposed quarantine measures to manage the risks.
Biosecurity Australia considers that the risk management measures proposed in this draft PRA report will achieve Australia’s ALOP against identified pests. Specifically, the proposed risk management measures for the different propagative materials are:
Soil free dormant rhizomes and foliage free dormant cuttings
- Hot water treatment (50 °C for 30 minutes), surface sterilisation (1% NaOCl for 10 minutes), growth in closed government quarantine facilities of mother plants at 15–25 °C for a minimum period of six months for visual observation; and
- Molecular testing techniques including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for fungal pathogens, herbaceous indexing and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and/or PCR for viruses and viroids and generic nested primer PCR for phytoplasma.
Seed for sowing
- Hot water treatment (50 ºC for 30 minutes), surface sterilisation (1% NaOCl for 10 minutes); fungicidal treatment and growth in closed government quarantine facilities at 15–25 °C for a minimum period of six months; and
- Molecular testing techniques including PCR test for fungal pathogens, herbaceous indexing and ELISA and/or PCR for viruses.
Tissue culture
- Growth in closed government quarantine facilities at 15–25 °C for a minimum period of six months for visual observation; and
- Herbaceous indexing and molecular testing techniques including ELISA and/or PCR test for viruses and viroids and generic nested primer PCR for phytoplasma.
Comments on the draft report should be submitted by 28 November 2010 to:
Plant Biosecurity (Grains and Forestry)
Biosecurity Australia
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Telephone: +61 2 6272 5094
Facsimile: +61 2 6272 3307
E-mail: Plant Biosecurity
The draft report is available.
All submissions received on the draft report will be carefully considered by Biosecurity Australia in finalising the review of existing policy.
Please pass this notice to other interested parties. If those parties wish to be included in future communications on this matter they should contact Biosecurity Australia.
Confidentiality
Stakeholders are advised that, subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and the Privacy Act 1988, all submissions received in response to Biosecurity Australia Advices will be publicly available and may be listed or referred to in any papers or reports prepared on the subject matter.
The Commonwealth of Australia reserves the right to reveal the identity of a respondent unless a request for anonymity accompanies the submission. Where a request for anonymity does not accompany the submission the respondent will be taken to have consented to the disclosure of his or her identity for the purposes of Information Privacy Principle 11 of the Privacy Act. The contents of the submission will only be treated as confidential if they are marked ‘confidential’ and they can be classified as such in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.
Dr Colin J Grant
Chief Executive