EuroReference

French procedure for the formalisation of analytical methods in the area of plant health
Vincent Hérau (vincent.herau@anses.fr), Géraldine Anthoine
ANSES, Plant Health Laboratory, Methods and Analysis Development Unit, Angers, France

The purpose of this article is to present the procedure followed in France to develop and validate official methods in the area of plant health. It was established jointly by the supervisory ministry (Agriculture) and the National Reference Laboratory (ANSES Plant Health Laboratory) in order to take into account each partner's constraints and objectives. While the procedure remains open to change, specifically so that new method characterization approaches and new techniques can be integrated, it is now organised around several major phases, each of hich is presented below. One of the unique features of this procedure, specific to the field of plant health, is its transparency, which is ensured by external consultation.

TESTA (Treatment methods, Evidence for Seed Transmission and Assessment of seed health): a European project to study the mode of seed transmission of pathogens and to develop pathogen-detection methods and alternative seed treatments
Aurélia Luciani (aurelia.luciani@geves.fr)(1), Geoffrey Orgeur(2), Valérie Grimault(2), Jean-François Guimbaud (3), Marie-Agnès Jacques(3)
(1) GEVES, Beaucouzé, France
(2) GEVES, Station Nationale d'Essai de Semences (SNES), Beaucouzé, France
(3) INRA, UMR 1325, Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences, Beaucouzé, France

Since 2012, GEVES (French Public Interest Group for the Study and Inspection of Varieties and Seeds) and INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research)-Angers have been participating in the European project TESTA. This project aims to develop and validate faster, more generic and more accurate methods for assessing seed health. This 40-month project, funded by a €3m grant from the European Union, federates 13 partners (see Box) and seeks to better understand the mechanisms of seed transmission of pathogens, improve sampling and detection methods and assess the efficacy of alternative seed treatments.

Methods for characterising resistance to carbamates, pyrethroids and neonicotinoids in Myzus Persicae
Séverine Fontaine (severine.fontaine@anses.fr), Laetitia Caddoux, Annie Micoud
ANSES, Lyon Laboratory, Resistance to plant protection products unit, France

The peach-potato aphid is a pest of several plant species. The use of plant protection products to limit the spread of this aphid in various crops can result in the selection of resistant individuals. Modification of the protein targeted by the insecticide is one of the most easily detected resistance mechanisms using tests relying on molecular biology methods. This article presents three methods of detecting various mutations that cause resistance to three insecticides very commonly used against the aphid: carbamates, pyrethroids and neonicotinoids.

Organisation of Inter-Laboratory Proficiency Tests: feedback from the Plant Health Laboratory's Nematology Unit after almost 10 years
Elsa Rulliat (elsa.rulliat@anses.fr) (1), Renaud Ioos (renaud.ioos@anses.fr) (2), Laurent Folcher (laurent.folcher@anses.fr) (1)
(1) ANSES, Plant Health Laboratory, National Reference Laboratory, Nematology Unit, Rennes Le Rheu, France.
(2) ANSES, Plant Health Laboratory, National Reference Laboratory, Mycology Unit, Malzéville, France.

This article describes the organisation of Inter-Laboratory Proficiency Tests (ILPTs) in the area of plant health through the example of ILPTs for the detection and identification of the potato cyst nematodes Globodera pallid (Stones) Behrens and G. rostochiensis (Wollenweber) Behrens. It first presents how participation in the network in France and Europe has changed, then describes the procedures for organising such tests. The main lessons learned by the organising unit are then given. Lastly, the issue of Inter-Laboratory Proficiency Tests in the area of plant health is broadened through other disciplines.

This first issue of EuroReference for 2013 is devoted entirely to the area of plants. As we mentioned before, three issues of EuroReference will now be published each year: two biannual issues, plus one special edition focusing on a specific area, like Issue No. 7 in 2012 which discussed the area of safety and security. A wide range of subjects are addressed in this new issue, including regulatory considerations and presentations of networks, joint initiatives and European research projects.
Changes to plant health regulations are driven by National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPOs) to better take into account the European plant health context. Several hundred pests affecting a large number of plant species are regulated in Europe, and given the increasing number of harmful organisms introduced in recent years, classifying pests that are harmful to plant health by priority, using a multi-criteria analysis tool, should enable identification of those that require priority research efforts and development of specific methods, as well as priority management measures in order to optimize plant health. In this issue, you will find an overview of the changes that should be made to the European Union plant health regime, from the point of view of the French Directorate General for Food, and a discussion of the proposed prioritisation methodology for pests in the area of plant health.
Communication between public and private stakeholders is essential to ensure a rapid response in the event of an emerging threat. This is also a good way of optimising resources in view of the challenges facing plant protection. The newly-created French network for plant health (RFSV) and the existing networks (e.g. the European Network of GMO Laboratories - ENGL) should together fulfil this need for communication. This issue of EuroReference puts the spotlight on the Q-bacco-net initiative undertaken by the main holders of microorganism collections in Europe, with the aim of facilitating access to biological resources. This is because biological resources underpin all health control processes.
A number of aspects depend on reliability of analytical methods: the quality of health controls, the quality of pest surveillance, monitoring of changes in resistance to plant protection products, and the verification of compliance with regulations that govern import and cultivation of plants, including genetically modified plants. The French procedure for the formalisation of analytical methods in the area of plant health is presented in this issue, in the Methods section.
Reliability is controlled collectively via inter-laboratory proficiency testing. A summary of the tests organised by the laboratories in the region managed by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) is given in the Agenda section. The lessons learned from nearly 10 years of work in the area are discussed in the Networks section.
Plant protection is an issue that is addressed at the European level. The EPPO (see Focus) is a driving force in this area, and its scope extends beyond the European Union, which remains nonetheless its core region. Finally, improving plant health management requires enhanced knowledge of the biology of harmful organisms and techniques to identify and detect them. Research is coordinated at the EU level. The EUPHRESCO project is one of the actions intended to support the research efforts in the Member States. The project is presented in this issue. The Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy (KBBE) programme is one of the European Commission's support schemes to reinforce research. The programme's TESTA project, discussed under Research, is an example of an initiative that aims to provide reference laboratories in the area of seed health with new methods and knowledge.
We trust that this issue will be useful to you in your reference activities. We hope you enjoy reading further.

The Editorial Board

Developing a methodology for the prioritisation of pests in plant health
Bénédicte Moignot (1) (benedicte.moignot@anses.fr), Philippe Reynaud (2)
(1) French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety. Plant Health Laboratory, Expertise and Biological Risk Unit, Angers, France
(2) Entomology and Invasive Plant Unit, Center for Biology and Management of Populations, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France

With the aim of optimising resource allocation for the prevention, surveillance and control of pests, the authorities in France have chosen to develop a tool to classify pests by priority. This tool has been developed by the ANSES Plant Health Laboratory. The method involves evaluation of the invasiveness of pests that are absent or of limited distribution in mainland France. To this end, multiple criteria are used in an evaluation method based on the principles of pest risk analysis. Using a semi-quantitative model rapidly provides a classification of pests. The tool is available via an intuitive IT interface, facilitating use and interpretation of results. For most of the top-ranked pests in the current classification, the Plant Health Laboratory has suitable analytical methods for their detection. However, the classification also singles out pests that deserve specific attention. The aim of this article is to present the regulatory framework of the study in more detail, and to describe the principles underlying the prioritization methodology.

The European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization, one of our objectives: serving the needs of plant pest diagnostic laboratories
Françoise Petter (petter@eppo.int), Muriel Suffert, Anne-Sophie Roy, Damien Griessinger, Madeleine McMullen
European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization, Paris, France

EPPO is an intergovernmental organization responsible for European cooperation in plant health. The objectives of the organization are to protect plant health in agriculture, forestry and the uncultivated environment, to develop international strategies against the introduction and spread of dangerous pests, to encourage harmonization of phytosanitary regulations and all other areas of official plant protection action and to promote safe and effective control methods. The different activities conducted in this framework are presented.

Interlaboratory comparisons organised by laboratories in the EPPO region
Françoise Petter (petter@eppo.int), Madeleine McMullen, Jean Perchet
EPPO Secretariat, Paris, France

Since 1998, the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) has established a work programme in the area of plant health diagnostics to harmonize procedures across the region. The work is conducted by the Panel on Diagnostics and Quality Assurance in collaboration with specialized Panels (Diagnostics in Bacteriology, Entomology, Nematology, Virology and Phytoplasmology and the European Mycological Network). The EPPO Panel on Diagnostics and Quality Assurance is preparing a Standard to provide guidance for the organization of interlaboratory comparisons by plant pest diagnostic laboratories.

ENGL, the European Network of GMO Laboratories
Joachim Kreysa (1) (Joachim.Kreysa@ec.europa.eu), Guy Van Den Eede (2), Marco Mazzara (1)
(1) European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Unit for Molecular Biology and Genomics/European Reference Laboratory for GM-Food and Feed, Ispra, Italy
(2) European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Advisor for Bio-economy, Brussels, Belgium

When the current EU policy on Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) was designed, GMO-specific detection methods were not generally available. Under the leadership of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC), a European Network of GMO Laboratories was formed, the ENGL.
ENGL brings together the GMO control laboratories (including national reference laboratories - NRL) of the EU to establish standards, spread good practices, and discuss problems. Its standards are today used throughout the EU and beyond.
ENGL shows how an EU-wide network supports the level playing field that is essential for un-disturbed trade, and how it benefits its members in their daily work.

Q-bacco-net: An initiative to ensure availability of high quality reference material of plant quarantine bacteria in support of research and European plant protection
Perrine Portier (perrine.portier@angers.inra.fr) (1), Danielle Janssens (2), Paul De Vos (3), John Elphinstone (4), Andrew Aspin (4),
Françoise Petter (5), Martine Maes (6)
1) CIRM-CFBP, International Center for Microbial Resources - French Collection for Plant-associated Bacteria, IRHS UMR 1345 INRA-ACO-UA. Beaucouzé, France. http://www.angers-nantes.inra.fr/cfbp/
(2) BCCM/LMG, Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms/LMG Bacteria Collection, Gent, Belgium. http://bccm.belspo.be/
(3) LM-UGent, Laboratory of Microbiology, Gent, Belgium. http://www.lm.ugent.be
(4) NCPPB, National Collection of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria, Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera), UK. http://www.ncppb.com/
(5) EPPO, European Plant Protection Organisation, Paris, France. http://www.eppo.int/
(6) ILVO, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research-Unit Plant, Crop Protection, Merelbeke, Belgium. http://www.ilvo.vlaanderen.be/

Reliable diagnosis and detection of quarantine bacteria are crucial for European agriculture. The establishment of efficient diagnostic and detection methods is reliant on expertise and well characterised reference material which is representative of the considered taxa and includes related strains as well as non-relatives which share diagnostic features (so called “look-alike” strains). To improve access to these resources, three public collections, BCCM/ LMG, NCPPB and CIRM-CFBP have associated as the Q-bacco-net initiative, stimulated by ILVO and supported by EPPO. This network aims to underpin research and diagnosis of quarantine bacteria by proposing a panel of relevant reference strains for each quarantine pathogen.