Bio cover - BioNET

Taxonomic review saves Buttercup Squashmarket from pest fearscase study31Each year some consignments ofbuttercup squash from NewZealand, worth about US$600,000per year to growers, were beingdestroyed or reshipped by SouthKorea because of a fungus thatwas believed to threaten theirdomestic rice crop. Potatoes fromUSA have also been destroyedwhen the same fungus wasdetected. The Korean NationalPlant Quarantine Service had listedVerticillium tenerum in theirControlled Pathogen List as aCategory 2 organism - “commodityallowed into country with propertreatment, or otherwisecontaminated material to bedestroyed or otherwise disposed.”New Zealand authorities had alsolisted this fungus as a quarantinepest on Pinus seed imports intoNew Zealand.SectorsAgriculture; trade; pests; invasive alien species.LocationNew Zealand; South Korea.MethodsA thorough literature review and consultationwith colleagues on the naming, biology,distribution, and pathogenicity of V. tenerumwas undertaken to convince Korean authoritiesthat this fungus is neither a parasite of rice nora legitimate quarantine pest.Outcomes and ImpactsThere has been extensive confusion over thenaming of the fungus known as V. tenerum anddebate over whether or not it is the anamorphof Nectria inventa. The correct name for thefungus is V. luteo-album, and it is not related toN. inventa. Molecular and morphologicalstudies (communicated by Dr W. Gams,Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures,Netherlands) have shown that V. luteo-albumpossibly belongs in a separate genus from thewell-known plant pathogenic species, V.albo-atrum and V. dahliae. V. luteo-album is acosmopolitan saprobe with no damaging effectson rice.Both the Korean and New Zealand authoritieshave now removed V. luteo-album from theirpest lists after accepting the results of researchthat showed it was not a threat. New Zealandbuttercup squash growers now have anassured market and Koreans have access tooff-season, high quality squash.LessonsA thorough taxonomy review of Verticilliumluteo-album provided the evidence thatquarantine authorities required to remove anon-tariff trade barrier.Reference: McKenzie, E.H.C. 2003: Verticillium luteo-album(syn. V. tenerum), Biology, Distribution, Pathogenicity. LandcareResearch Contract Report: LC0304/022.Contributed by: Eric H.C. McKenzie, email:mckenziee@LandcareResearch.co.nz. Landcare Research,Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand; phone +64 9 5744173, fax +64 9 574 4101.taxonomytargetinginvasives