Pest categorisation of Colletotrichum plurivorum

Abstract

Abstract The EFSA Plant Health Panel performed a pest categorisation of Colletotrichum plurivorum Damm, Alizadeh & Toy. Sato, a well‐defined fungus of the C. orchidearum species complex which has been reported from Africa, Asia and America to cause anthracnose and pre‐ and post‐harvest fruit rots on more than 30 plant genera. The pathogen has not been reported from the EU territory and is not included in EU Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/2072. Because of the very wide host range, this pest categorisation focused on Abelmoschus esculentus, Capsicum spp., Carica papaya, Glycine max, Manihot esculenta, Phaseolus lunatus, Pyrus bretschneideri and Vitis spp. for which there was robust evidence that C. plurivorum was formally identified by morphology and multilocus gene sequencing analysis. Host plants for planting and fresh fruits are the main pathways for the entry of the pathogen into the EU. The host availability and climate suitability factors occurring in some parts of the EU are favourable for the establishment of the pathogen. Economic impact on the production of the main hosts is expected if establishment occurs. Phytosanitary measures are available to prevent the introduction of the pathogen into the EU. Colletotrichum plurivorum satisfies the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for this species to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest. However, there is a high uncertainty on the status of C. plurivorum in the EU territory because of the lack of specific surveys following the re‐evaluation of the taxonomy of the genus Colletotrichum.

Keywords

• Anthracnose
• Colletotrichum cliviae
• Colletotrichum orchidearum complex
• pest risk
• plant health
• quarantine