SAFER TRADE
This month’s quiz has been prepared by Katherine Ross and Sam Hill, who are Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) for the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). APHA are responsible for implementing and enforcing Great Britain’s plant health policy, on behalf of the UK Government, in England and Wales.
The quiz is split into three sections that follow the plant health journey – pre-border intelligence, border inspections and post-border surveillance.
If you are interested protecting the biosecurity of Great Britain by safeguarding plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy, we have various exciting opportunities to join a large team of Plant Health Inspectors, either at Border Control Points where inspectors inspect imported plants and produce or Inland where inspectors inspect plants during the growing season either in the field or at nurseries are free from pest and diseases and also certifying plants, planting material and equipment before they can be exported.
You should have a minimum of an ND or equivalent qualification in Agriculture/Horticulture/Biological Science or a minimum of 2 years relevant industry experience. If not there are some apprentice opportunities in both roles.
All vacancies are always listed on Civil Service Jobs. You can receive notifications of various job types that you are interested in if you have an account.
#1.Pre-border – intelligence Q1
Under Plant Health legislation, a number of plant pests and diseases are classified as quarantine organisms and are therefore subject to statutory control. Inspectors are required to become familiar with the range of quarantine organisms and their known hosts through formal training and regular updates. Select the information sites below that provide information on the UK’s quarantine plant pests and diseases
Correct answer:
All of the above.
We use a wide range of scientifically relevant sources, trade intelligence, feedback from our clients. Early identification is important to help combat quarantine pests and diseases. If you find a quarantine organism or suspect one may be present, you should contact your local PHSI immediately to alert them. In England and Wales: To report suspicion of a quarantine plant pest or disease, or for other plant health queries not specified above, telephone 0300 1000 313 or email planthealth.info@apha.gov.uk
#2.Pre-border – intelligence Q2
The UK Plant Health Risk Register is a useful screening tool for assessing the threat pests and diseases pose, both before and after mitigation measures are put in place. Using the tool (link below), what is the unmitigated UK Relative Risk Rating posed by the Emerald Ash Borer Agrilus planipennis? UK Plant Health Risk Register
Correct answer:
125
This is the highest possible score for risk. With mitigation the score drops to 75, which is still very high. Agrilus planipennis represents one of the most significant plant health threats to the UK, with the likelihood of an outbreak increasing as the beetle spreads across mainland Europe.
The UK government’s 2023 National Risk Register (p. 175) includes possible scenarios, along with proposed responses.
2023_NATIONAL_RISK_REGISTER_NRR.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)
EPPO entry for Emerald Ash Borer:
https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/AGRLPL/datasheet
#3.Pre-border – intelligence Q3
The UK has a robust biosecurity regime, the importance and value of which is highlighted by the example of the Asian longhorn beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis.
The UK has had a single, small outbreak which occurred in 2012. We surveyed, undertook winter tree inspections and summer pheromone tracking, for a further seven years, to cover three life cycles, with eradication being declared in 2019.
Further information on the UK outbreak available at https://cabiagbio.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s43170-021-00034-x
How much did the UK eradication cost?
Correct answer:
Around £2 million.
Asian longhorn beetle is a highly destructive insect pest which poses a serious threat to a wide range of broadleaf trees, including species grown commercially for timber and fruit production.
For more information on ALB:
#4.Pre-border – intelligence Q4
The main pathway by which pests enter England and Wales is in association with living plants and plant products. To minimise the risk of pests being introduced, restrictions and requirements apply to the import of such material. Material presents a different risk level depending on the country of origin and how it arrived in the country.
Which of these is potentially the highest risk pathway?
Correct answer:
Bringing Orchid cuttings back from Asia in rucksack (no declaration)
All plant movements pose a risk, but the greatest would be the orchids in a rucksack. With the other options there is a degree of inspection / regulation. Plants for planting pose significant phytosanitary risk to the recipient country as they may be present for several years and will usually be planted in the wider environment.
Further information
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-urged-not-to-bring-plant-pests-and-disease-into-the-uk
#5.Border – inspections Q1
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) are standards aiming to harmonise phytosanitary measures for the purpose of facilitating international trade. One of these, ISPM 12, is the use of Phytosanitary Certificates, which are official documents attesting that a consignment meets import requirements
Which of the following should not be included on a valid phytosanitary certificate?
Correct answer:
Value of plants should not be included.
Phytosanitary certificates should only contain information related to phytosanitary matters. They should not include statements related to non-phytosanitary requirements such as animal or human health matters, pesticide residues, radioactivity, commercial information (e.g. letters of credit), or quality.
Link to ISPMs:
https://www.ippc.int/en/core-activities/standards-setting/ispms/
More info on UK Phytosanitary Certificates:
#6.Border – inspections Q2
An Inspector working at a UK Border Control Point notices brown to black lesions on the leaves and flowers of a Viburnum tinus (Laurustinus or cramp-bark). They suspect they are caused by a particular quarantine pest or disease, so a sample is taken for diagnosis.
What do you suspect is wrong with the plant?
Correct answer:
Phytophthora ramorum
Samples are taken whenever the presence of a quarantine pest or disease is suspected, and sent to a laboratory for an official diagnosis, as plant health inspectors are not trained diagnosticians. Even in cases where the inspector is confident of the diagnosis samples are still sent to a laboratory for confirmation.
For further information on FERA’s activities:
Sample packaging:
https://www.fera.co.uk/crop-health/sample-shipping-information
#7.Border – inspections Q3
Inspectors are sometimes required to inspect used farm machinery, such as tractors, before it is exported to a different country.
For more information https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/trade/exports/exports-to-the-eu/special-export-requirements/exporting-used-agricultural-machinery-to-ni-and-eu/
What do you think the purpose of this type of inspection is? Select one or more
Correct answer:
To check the machinery is free from soil and/or plant debris
The consignments should meet the requirements of the importing country. For used farm / forestry machinery this is usually that the equipment is free from soil and plant parts and, in some instances, has been treated with an approved disinfectant.
#8. Post-border – surveillance Q1
A UK Plant Passport system is in place for the internal movements of plants. Plant Passports ensure that plants and plant products are traced throughout the supply chain and declare compliance with plant health requirements such as freedom from pests, which is essential for maintaining biosecurity. For more information on Plant Passports, their format and function https://www.gov.uk/guidance/issuing-plant-passports-to-trade-plants-in-great-britain
What information should be included under Part D of a Plant Passport?
Correct answer:
Country of Origin of the plant
You must include the country of origin of the consignment
a. is the botanical name, b. is the seller’s registration number and c. is the traceability code.
If you deal with plants professionally you need to be registered with the UK plant health service. Some operators may also need to be authorised to issue plant passports. For more information https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/trade/plant-passports/registration-and-plant-passports/
#9. Post-border – surveillance Q2
Inspectors conduct surveys at a range of sites, including propagators, nurseries, distribution centres, wholesalers, landscapers, aquatic plant retailers, vineyards, community orchards, heritage gardens, managed parks and gardens. The number of visits depends on the potential to facilitate the spread of diseases further through the supply chain. Businesses are rated as either low, medium, high, or very high.
Choose the medium risk site from below:
Correct answer:
A nursery that imports cuttings from non-EU countries for growing on and sells these plants to garden centres.
Low risks sites trade in UK origin plants and sell to the end user (e.g. garden centre customers). High risk sites buy in from third country outside of the EU, propagate plants (as opposed to growing them on), and sell plants on to other distributers.
Surveys are not undertaken randomly, they are done on a risk-related basis taking account of business activity, hosts traded, origin of plants, volume and trade and level of distribution.
#10. Post-border – surveillance Q3
An Inspector is asked to visit a member of the public on a sunny Friday morning. They have found two large live larvae on a palm in their garden. They have put them in a plastic tub with some airholes and cabbage leaves.
The inspector collects the larvae and sends them to an independent laboratory for formal identification. For the most accurate identification the larvae should arrive promptly, undamaged, and alive.
Which three are correct procedure when sending these larvae to the lab?
Correct answers:
Use a clear plastic tube, so the diagnosticians can view the contents before opening it.
Keep them in the fridge over the weekend, then send it next-day delivery
Ensure they are packed with sufficient host material with slightly moistened soft paper to secure against movement and damage.
For an unknown pest it is important for the diagnostician to be able to see the pest before opening the container, particularly if it is alive and active.
The larvae will be in better condition if they are kept alive in the fridge over the weekend, rather than being left in a post room at the lab.
Pests should also be packaged to protect them from damage while in transit, to protect their identifying features and be grown on, if they are still alive.
For further information on the Red Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus):
Sample packaging information:
https://www.fera.co.uk/crop-health/sample-shipping-information
Results
We hope you enjoyed the quiz and learned something!
See how your score matches up…
1-3: You need to do a few more of these quizzes to become a safer trade expert.
3-5: You have made a start in your safer trade knoweldge but there is some way to go…
5-7: You are getting more right than wrong so keep on learning!
7-9: Impressive you are getting pretty experienced!
10: Well done! You are a safer trade expert!
We hope you enjoyed the quiz and learned something!
See how your score matches up…
1-3: You need to do a few more of these quizzes to become a safer trade expert.
3-5: You have made a start in your safer trade knoweldge but there is some way to go…
5-7: You are getting more right than wrong so keep on learning!
7-9: Impressive you are getting pretty experienced!
10: Well done! You are a safer trade expert!
