Pest categorisation of Pratylenchus loosi

Abstract

Following the EFSA commodity risk assessment of Malus domestica plants imported from Türkiye into the EU, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Pratylenchus loosi (Nematoda: Pratylenchidae) for the EU. Pratylenchus loosi belongs to the order Rhabditida, subfamily Pratylenchidae. This nematode is not known to be present in the EU. The species is not included in the EU Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/2072. The pest occurs primarily in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate areas. It is widely distributed in Asian countries, with tea plants (Camellia sinensis) as the main host. The pest was reported from more than 60 plant species, but reports from hosts other than C. sinensis, e.g. citrus (Citrus spp.) and banana (Musa spp.), are associated with high uncertainty due to doubtful pest identification. Morphological and molecular methods are available for the identification of the pest. Pathways of entry are host plants for planting except seeds, as well as soil attached to plants for planting, machinery or footwear. Soil import to the EU is prohibited from third countries. The climatic preferences of P. loosi are compatible with the microclimatic conditions occurring in the areas of the EU where tea is grown outside. The impact of the nematode is primarily known for Asian countries, where it is a devastating pathogen on tea plants, but there is a key uncertainty on impacts on hosts other than tea. Considering the strong pathogenicity of the pest, its establishment in tea producing areas would have negative consequences for tea producers. Therefore, the Panel concludes that P. loosi satisfies all the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for it to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest.

Keywords: geographic distribution; host range; intraspecific diversity; pest risk; plant pest; polyphagous nematodes; tea cultivation.