6^th Meeting of the EPPO Panel on Diagnostics in Mycology

Maisons-Alfort, FR, 2023-11-07/09

The EPPO Panel on Diagnostics in Mycology was hosted by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) in Maisons-Alfort, France. Twenty-one Panel members and 2 observers attended the meeting.

Revised EPPO Diagnostic Protocols reviewed during the meeting

The Panel reviewed 6 revised Diagnostic Protocols.

Three of the revised Diagnostic Protocols had been sent for the first stage of country consultation in 2023 and the Panel reviewed the changes proposed by the drafting teams to answer the comments. New versions of the diagnostic protocols that take into account the discussion of the Panel will be prepared by the drafting teams and the EPPO Secretariat. These will be reviewed by the Panel before they are sent for the final approval stage of country consultation.

PM 7/045 Cryphonectria parasitica
A revised version of the Diagnostic Protocol was prepared by a drafting team composed of experts from the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (BE), WSL (CH), INRAE (FR), UNITUS (IT), CREA (IT), and Fera (GB). During the discussion, the Panel raised a potential risk of confusion with Cryphonectria radicalis when morphological identification is used which will be further considered by the drafting team.
PM 7/066 Phytophthora ramorum
A revised version of the Diagnostic Protocol prepared by a drafting team composed of experts from the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (BE) and Fera (GB). The Panel discussed the sampling requirements for conifers, the need for disinfection, the media to be used for isolation and the molecular tests to include in the diagnostic protocol.
PM 7/90 Anisogramma anomala
A revised version of the Diagnostic Protocol was prepared by an expert from ILVO (BE) and reviewed by an expert of the disease in the USA who also provided new pictures. The Panel discussed some uncertainties related to the description of the media that can be used to culture the pest. Further contact will be made to try to raise those uncertainties.

The other three Diagnostic Protocol revisions were reviewed for the first time by the Panel. New versions that take into account the discussion of the Panel will be prepared by the drafting teams and the EPPO Secretariat and will be reviewed by the Panel before they are sent for the first stage of country consultation.

PM 7/026 Phytophthora cinnamomi
A revised protocol was prepared by a drafting team composed of experts from MOAG (IL), Forest research (GB) / INVIA (ES), CREA (IT) and Mendel University (CZ). Additional pictures of damage on P. juglans in nurseries will be added. An additional molecular test was suggested for inclusion in the diagnostic protocol.
PM 7/016 Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis
A revised protocol was prepared by a drafting team composed of experts from MOAG (IL) and Lab2A (MA). The Panel suggested to add more details on how to perform the isolation from soil and extensively discussed the use of the Fernandez et al. (1998) tests for the identification of the pests. The need for the pathogenicity test was also discussed. Further experts will be contacted to gather more information on these points.
PM 7/046 Lecanosticta acicola, Dothistroma septosporum and Dothistroma pini
A revised protocol was prepared by a drafting team composed of experts from the Slovenian Forestry Institute (SI) and BFW (Austria). Among other things, the Panel decided to remove the comparisons with Mycosphaerella and Lophodermella species and to add, if possible, descriptions of recently described Lecanosticta species.

The progress made on the two following protocols were also discussed:

PM 7/17 Phyllosticta citricarpa
The results of the Euphresco project Sampling and analysis of asymptomatic citrus fruits and leaf litter to detect the infection of Phyllosticta citricarpa (CBS-DETECT) were presented by Ms Aragona, CREA (IT) and Ms Kogovsek, NIB (SI). In addition, information on the taxonomy of Phyllosticta citricarpa and Phyllosticta paracitricarpa were presented by Mr Aguayo, EURL (FR) and Ms Buijs, NIVIP (NL). Based on the recent data, Phyllosticta citricarpa and Phyllosticta paracitricarpa are the same species. Based on the discussion it was agreed to start the revision of the diagnostic protocol in 2024.
PM 7/028 Synchytrium endobioticum
Recent results from NIVIP (NL) showing that the Spieckermann method is suitable for pathotype identification were presented. Based on the discussion it was agreed to start the revision of the diagnostic protocol in 2024.

New EPPO Diagnostic Protocols reviewed during the meeting

The Panel reviewed two new Diagnostic Protocols. Updated versions of the diagnostic protocols that take into account the discussion of the Panel will be prepared by the drafting teams and the EPPO Secretariat and will be reviewed by the Panel before they are sent for the first stage of country consultation.

Stagonosporopsis chrysanthemi
A revised version of the Diagnostic Protocol was prepared by an expert from JKI (DE) taking into account the discussions from the Panel meeting in 2022. Pictures of the cultures will be added and the document finalized.
Phytophthora fragariae var. fragariae and Phytophthora fragariae var. rubi
A draft Diagnostic Protocol was prepared by experts from VNIIRK (RU). The addition of a baiting test was proposed and it was noted that the morphological description of the species should be carefully checked.

Plans for future diagnostic protocols

The revision of 3 Diagnostic Protocols (PM 7/14 Ceratocystis platani, PM 7/48 Plenodomus tracheiphilus (formerly Phoma tracheiphila) and PM 7/92 Gremmeniella abietina) will start in 2024. A new Diagnostic Protocol will be prepared on Neocosmospora euwallaceae in 2024 or 2025.

Next Panel meeting

The next meeting of the Panel on Diagnostics in Mycology will be held in spring 2025 back-to-back with the EMN meeting in Portugal.

Participants: The composition of the EPPO Panel on Diagnostics in Mycology can be found on the EPPO website.