Pathogen Testing Requirements for Raspberry Material Entering the EU Certification Scheme

Abstract

Soft fruit production represents a valuable sector within the agricultural/horticultural landscape, and raspberries play a major part in this industry. As a perennial crop, raspberries require considerable initial and ongoing investment, and establishing a plantation with pest and pathogen free plants is the first step to a productive and profitable crop. Over successive seasons field-grown raspberry plants become increasingly infected with a variety of pests and pathogens, and this reduces their productivity and lifespan. It is therefore essential that growers re-stock their plantations and stock new plantations with certified, pathogen-free planting material, to maximise yields and keep crop losses due to infection as low as possible. To enable the raspberry industry to thrive, the availability of pathogen-free planting material, regulated through the Plant Health Certification Scheme, has been recognised as a significant contributor to the success of the industry. The scheme was based on a legislative framework that started with the introduction of inspections and certification of raspberry plants in the UK in the 1940’s. The development of the scheme provided growers with raspberry material, and subsequently blackberry, loganberry and other Rubus hybrid berries, descended from plants proven in terms of varietal identity, health status and vigour.