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Amendments to the Nursery Stock Import Health Standard concerning Vitis plants

Update

17 October 2023 – Updated import health standards released

The following standards have been amended effective 16 October 2023:

There are 5 topics covered in these changes.

Topic 1 – Updating insects and mites treatment for plants for planting

Biosecurity New Zealand has updated treatment requirements for insects and mites on whole plants and cuttings in the following import health standards:

  • Actinidia Plants for Planting
  • Citrus Plants for Planting
  • Importation of Nursery Stock
  • Persea americana Plants for Planting
  • Prunus Plants for Planting
Summary of updated treatment requirements
  • more chemical treatment options for insects were added;
  • chemical treatment itself was slightly amended for mites i.e. changes of acaricides to be used by themselves or in mixture;
  • dicofol, chlorpyriphos and pirimiphos-methyl were removed as chemical treatment options;
  • methyl bromide fumigation option for mites was interpreted in simpler manner consistent to ABTRT;
  • methyl bromide fumigation option for insects was interpreted in a similar table format for mites without any changes for actual treatment combination has been made.

Topic 2 – Suspension of schedules in the Nursery Stock import health standard

Biosecurity New Zealand has suspended imports of the following plants for planting. We now know that the existing requirements in the standard might not manage all pests if these plants for planting were imported into New Zealand:

  • Banana (Musa)
  • Brazilian grapetree (Plinia cauliflora)
  • Currants/gooseberries (Ribes)
  • Durian (Durio zibethinus)
  • Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
  • Mango (Mangifera indica)
  • Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana)
  • Pear (Pyrus communis)
  • Pineapple (Ananas comosus) whole plants and cuttings only
  • Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum)

Topic 3 – Urgent amendment to pineapple tissue culture requirements

Biosecurity New Zealand has made the following changes to the import requirements for Ananas tissue culture:

  • Moved Ananas to be listed on the standard under its own schedule to make the requirements for Ananas clearer.
  • Added the requirement for imports to be accompanied by an import permit.
  • Added a mandatory growing period in Level 2 post-entry quarantine for 3 months minimum, with additional requirements, specified in the standard that are above the normal for Level 2.
  • Added 5 pests to the pest list which will be managed by either testing in post‑entry quarantine onshore or testing the mother plants offshore before export.
    • Dickeya zeae
    • Fusarium verticilliodes
    • Pantoea ananatis
    • Phytophthora cinnamomic
    • Phytophthora megakarya

Topic 4 – Amendment to grape (Vitis) import requirements

Biosecurity New Zealand has made the following changes to the import requirements for Vitis nursery stock:

  • Added 3 pests to the pest list which will be managed by growing season inspection and PCR testing in post-entry quarantine.
    • Grapevine fabavirus
    • Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 2 Redglobe
    • Grapevine virus E
  • Clarified requirements for Vitis imported from MPI-approved offshore facilities, by removing the option to import Vitis plants from open-ground mother plants. Thereby aligning requirements with the Standard for Offshore Facilities Holding and Testing Plants for Planting.

Topic 5 – Update to the list of plant genera with specific import requirements last imported into New Zealand before 2017

Biosecurity New Zealand has removed the genera listed below from the list of untraded nursery stock genera. We have removed these genera because we have reassessed the known emerging biosecurity risks and have determined that the requirements are currently fit for purpose.

  • Actinokentia
  • Alloschmidia
  • Anubias
  • Bacopa
  • Basselinia
  • Cercis
  • Chambeyronia
  • Codiaeum
  • Cryptocoryne
  • Cyphokentia
  • Cyphophoenix
  • Cyphosperma
  • Durio
  • Dypsis
  • Echinodorus
  • Ensente
  • Geonoma
  • Heliotropium
  • Heterospathe
  • Hydriastele
  • Hygrophila
  • Kentiopsis
  • Pritchardia
  • Licuala
  • Lilaeopsis
  • Ludwigia
  • Marojejya
  • Moratia
  • Nephelium
  • Pinanga
  • Plinia
  • Pyrus
  • Rhododendron
  • Ribes
  • Solidago

Consultation background

From 16 June to 13 July 2023, Biosecurity New Zealand invited comments on proposed changes to the Nursery Stock Import Health Standard (IHS) 155.02.06.

We proposed to:

  • add 3 pests to the regulated pest list for Vitis imports, to be regulated by PCR during post-entry quarantine
  • remove the option to import Vitis plants sourced from mother plants grown in open-field plantations when Vitis is sourced from an offshore MPI-approved facility.

Consultation documents

Risk Management Proposal: Amendments to the import requirements for Vitis nursery stock [PDF, 399 KB]

Draft IHS: 155.02.06 Importation of Nursery Stock [PDF, 6.7 MB]

Next steps

After we have considered all submissions, there is a 10-day period which provides submitters with the opportunity to examine any changes to the IHS which have resulted from consultation. An independent review (under section 24 of the Biosecurity Act 1993) may be requested in this period if a submitter considers scientific evidence, they raised during their submission has not received sufficient consideration. If there is no review, the IHS becomes final after 10 days.

Find out more about the process

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