International Plant Protection Convention Expert Working Group Soil and Growing Media

Mrs Barbara Hall, South Australian Research and Development Institute, travelled to Ottawa, Canada, to participate in the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Expert Working Group (EWG) on Specification 43 Movement of soil and growing media in association with plants in international trade.

Mrs Hall was selected as a member of the group following a call for nominations in August 2008. The meeting commenced with a presentation by Brent Larson introducing the IPPC and outlining the process for development of the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM). The scope and tasks outlined in Specification 43 were developed by the Standards Committee, and it was the responsibility of the EWG to confirm the title and scope of the specification and develop the draft ISPM. This will be presented to the Standards Committee for review and the final draft forwarded to the member countries for comment. This process can potentially take several years to complete.

In addition to the draft ISPM, a report of the meeting is submitted to the Standards Committee. This outlines the discussions during the meeting, in particular why certain topics were included or excluded from the draft.

A visit to the Fallowfield soil laboratories in Ottawa provided an insight into soil related interception issues. The laboratory manages analysis of soil and soil related fauna, as well as all the potato cyst nematode (PCN) and Phytophthora ramorum market access soil testing. Any samples intercepted at the border that contain growing media are examined microscopically to determine whether there is any soil content in the growing media and what potential pests may be present. The laboratory has an extensive reference collection of growing media.

This meeting provided Mrs Hall with international exposure and opportunities to develop interactions and collaborations with international experts in quarantine, plant health and soilborne diseases. The technical expertise of the EWG participants was considerable and provided significant insight into management of potential risks from soil borne pests. In particular discussions about the Canadian growing media program and how movement of soil and growing media is managed in the various countries were beneficial to both the development of the ISPM and understanding of options used in international trade.

The expected outcomes and benefits for the Australian plant biosecurity system include improvement of the capability to assist with development and review of ISPMs and standards to ensure they take into account Australia’s issues and processes. Meetings such as this provide the opportunity for developing collaborative links with relevant technical experts in overseas countries.

Photo caption above: Growing media reference collection

Expert Working Group Specification 43: L-R. Barbara Hall (Aust.), Carissa Marasas (USA), Barbara Peterson (Canada), Marie-Claude Forest (IPPC – Canada), Rebecca Lee (NAPPO), Brent Larson (IPPC), Eliana Bobadilla (Chile), Dominique Pelletier (CFIA), Stephanie Dubon (IPPC), Bjoern Niere (Germany) and Mohammed Reza Asghari (Iran).