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Identifying, assessing and managing the pest risk associated with the international movement of seed

The supply of healthy seeds is essential to help assure growers of a healthy crop. The seed industry uses preventive and hygiene measures, carries out disease inspections and pest control during seed production. The final decision on a seed shipment is often based on a diagnostic laboratory test.

Seed moving internationally, either for research or trade, are subject to phytosanitary regulations to minimise the risk of introducing or spreading pests worldwide. However, in some instances the phytosanitary measures imposed are unnecessary as seed is not a pathway for the entry, establishment or spread of the pest in question.

ISF REGULATED PEST LIST INITIATIVE


The Regulated Pest List Initiative, or RPLI, aims to facilitate the harmonization of phytosanitary requirements for seed by developing a database of information on regulated pests of internationally traded seed species, based on a scientific assessment of whether they are a pest risk and the experience of the seed industry in managing this risk. For those pests for which seed is a pathway or where the pathway is not yet conclusively proven, the database provides information on detection and risk mitigation.

The database is a work in progress and regulated pest lists for seed crops are added at regular intervals.

FEEDBACK


The database is a “living document” subject to periodic review and updates based on feedback from users and changes in national phytosanitary regulations for seed. Your feedback is invited. If you think some of the information related to a pest is incorrect or incomplete, use the means provided in the database (“Report an error”) to inform the ISF Secretariat. It will be used to update the database, if necessary.

ISF Regulated Pest list database

The database will be updated as and when more pest lists are completed or new information is available. It is not expected that changes will be notified.

Disclaimer

ISF and its members have done their best to provide information that is up-to-date. The information is based on refereed articles and journals. ISF and its members cannot accept any liability for the use of this information.