Update on the situation of Fusarium foetens in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, Fusarium foetens (EPPO A2 List) was first found in 2000 in a breeding/propagation company of begonias (Begonia x hiemalis). In the early 2000s, as incidental findings of F. foetens were made in nurseries of begonia, phytosanitary measures were implemented to eradicate this fungus. In 2011, a PRA was conducted by the Dutch NPPO and it was concluded that the disease was essentially spread by infected propagation material, and that the implementation of voluntary certification schemes by growers was more effective than phytosanitary measures to stop disease spread. Therefore, F. foetens is no longer submitted to official phytosanitary measures but is controlled within the framework of certification schemes for the production of healthy planting material. The NPPO stressed that the major Dutch producer of begonia cuttings (80%) is registered with the Naktuinbouw quality certification system ‘Elite’, and that other propagation companies apply similar quality systems to ensure pest freedom of their planting material.
The pest status of Fusarium foetens in the Netherlands is officially declared as: Present, few occurrences.
Sources
NPPO of the Netherlands (2013-11).
PRA Fusarium foetens, April 2010, Plant Protection Service, the Netherlands. http://www.nvwa.nl/onderwerpen/english/dossier/pest-risk-analysis/evaluation-of-pest-risks
Naktuinbouw quality certification system ‘Elite’. http://www.naktuinbouw.nl/en/topic/naktuinbouw-elite