b'IS THE VEGETABLE SEED SECTOR READY FOR A CULTURE SHIFT?In the battle against tomato brown rugose fruit virus, importers of tomato and pepper seed will soon require phytosanitary certificates to bring these seeds into the country.Marc ZienkiewiczIMPORTERS OF TOMATOand pepperToBRFV was first detected in Israel seed will soon need a phytosanitaryin 2014. Since then the virus has certificate to bring these seeds intoreared its head in several countries in Canadaand it could only be theEurope, North America and Asia. It beginning as countries around thespreads from plant to plant through world look to curb the spread ofcontact with contaminated tools, seed-borne pathogens. equipment, workers and visitors, soil, Canada is one of the few coun- and infected plants and seeds. tries in the world that dont currentlyThis virus is easily spread in require a phytosanitary certificate ongreenhouses when plants are grafted, all seed imports. This change willtransplanted, pruned and trained. A affect anyone whos been buying mailrecent study shows that bumblebees order seed from the United States andmay also transmit the virus. It does elsewhere, because mail order tomatonot pose a food safety risk.and pepper seed has been able toIn January of 2020, the CFIA circu-come in commercially packaged withlated a draft risk management decision no additional requirements. That willdocument where it proposed methods no longer be the case. It really is aof regulating ToBRFV. CFIAs favoured culture shift, says Patricia McAllister,proposal was that Canada wouldEmily Tregunno, co-owner of Halifax Seed.national manager of the Horticultureregulate ToBRFV as a regulated non-Section at the Canadian Foodquarantine pest, meaning it would be Inspection Agency (CFIA).regulated by its propagative pathway McAllister spoke at the 2021(seeds and plants for plantingnot annual meeting of Seeds Canadafruit). This means Canadian seed busi-about the changes and sat down withnesses will need to ensure the suppli-Germination afterward to discussers they work with have the necessary them. phytosanitary certificate.This will be quite new, espe- Heres how it will work. cially for the vegetable seed sector.Canadian seed importers will have There are cases where phytosanitaryto ensure their export partners certificates are already required onrequest a phytosanitary certificate seed, but for the most part, the focusfrom their National Plant Protection really has been on the seed analysisOrganization (in the case of U.S. certificate and quality parameters. importers, USDA-APHIS, or from The change stems from anstate officials that are able to issue increasing focus around the world onphytosanitary certificates on behalf the tomato brown rugose fruit virusof APHIS). It will potentially take (ToBRFV), which has the potential toextra time and there will certainly be significantly affect crop productionadditional costs associated with thoseCanadian Food Inspection Agency President and the marketability of tomatoes.certificates as well, McAllister notes. Siddika Mithani.28GERMINATION.CASEPTEMBER 2021'