Pepino mosaic virus: epidemiology, economic impact and pest risk analysis (PEPEIRA) (Poster Session II)

PEPEIRA is a EU KP6 funded research project aimed at developing an EU-wide Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) for Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV). The project is coordinated by Plant Research International, Wageningen and involves 20 partners from 17 EU countries. It will investigate the epidemiology and economic impact of PepMV in order to allow a robust and scientifically-justified assessment of the risk posed by this pathogen to the European tomato industry. This includes a true assessment of the economic impact on tomato crops growing in Member States with different climatic and market conditions and the role of seed transmission in the spread of PepMV. The project will also address the increased risk posed by new, biologically and genetically distinct strains of PepMV that have appeared in Europe and elsewhere recently and have the potential to be far more damaging. The proposal will also address the issue of developing validated diagnostic protocols, to be published via EPPO that can be used with confidence by National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPOs) within the EU and laboratories in other countries that trade with the EU. Adoption of the new PRA will allow EU Plant Health services to develop, via Council Directive 2000/29/EC, a consensus on appropriate measures to prevent PepMV becoming significant detrimental to the EU tomato industry.