New outbreak of Meloidogyne enterolobii in Italy
In Italy, Meloidogyne enterolobii (EPPO A2 List) had been first found in March 2023 in imported Ficus microcarpa plants in Toscana region and subsequently eradicated (EPPO RS 2023/085, RS 2023/139).
In May 2024, Ficus microcarpa plants infested by M. enterolobii were intercepted in the Netherlands. The plants were marketed by a nursery located in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia (Province of Catania, Sicilia). As a consequence, the NPPO of Italy carried out official inspections in that nursery in July 2024 on the plants from the same batch that remained unsold. The presence of M. enterolobii was confirmed in the samples taken. Phytosanitary measures were applied to eradicate the outbreak: they include the destruction of the entire batch of plants, and trace-back and -forward studies. In this nursery, all new lots of host plants of M. enterolobii will be subjected to phytosanitary inspections.
The pest status of Meloidogyne enterolobii in Italy is officially declared as: Present, in specific parts of the Member State, where host crop(s) are grown, at low prevalence, under eradication.
Sources
NPPO of Italy (2024-08).