The Dutch food safety authority NVWA has detected the Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) in samples of seedless pepper plants at three different companies in the Netherlands. The first cull occurred on April 4th, the second on April 5th. Other culls will follow soon.
In the meantime, the NVWA discovered PSTVd at a 4th company. Here also, the starting material originated from Israel, most likely the source of the infection. The companies are from the Peel and Maas region (1) and Westland (3). The infections have been found in vegetatively bred seedless pepper plants. All stem from the same starting material.
The contamination came to light thanks to an alert from the breeder. The plants were not showing any symptoms yet. The infection was identified at four sites of three companies: in respectively 8 plants at a nursery, in 590 plants at another, in 100 plants in a demo-greenhouse and in 1616 plants at a production company.
Potato spindle tuber viroid
The Potato spindle tuber viroid, known in The Netherlands as ‘aardappelspindelknolviroïde’, is a harmful organism (quarantine organism) included in Annex IAI of Directive 2000/29/EU (the Phyto Directive). The viroid may not be introduced into or distributed in the European Union. This applies to all products and crops infected with the viroid. In the past the viroid has been found in dahlias, potatos and incidentally in tomatoes in the Netherlands. It was never found in peppers before.
Destroyed
Plants infected with the viroid must be destroyed according to the Phyto Directive. The NVWA has drawn up a so-called elimination scenario hereto. It shows how this viroid must be eliminated. Besides supervised destruction of plant material greenhouses must be disinfected. The agent suitable for this is Hyper Clean X (active ingredient sodium hypochlorite). In the meantime exemption was granted for this. The contaminated plants have been burned and destroyed.
The Dutch NVWA is informing phytosanitary authorities of other countries about PSTVd findings in the Netherlands through so-called plague reports. The organization is also investigating any further spread.