A dangerous quarantine disease was detected in watermelon seeds arriving in the Moscow region from the Netherlands.
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On October 30, 2023, the Office of Rosselkhoznadzor for the city of Moscow, Moscow and Tula regions, at the phytosanitary control post located at the temporary storage warehouse of KV-Terminal, collected samples of vegetable seeds for sowing, received from the Netherlands.
The selected samples were sent to the Federal State Budgetary Institution “All-Russian Center for Plant Quarantineâ€, subordinate to Rosselkhoznadzor, for research on the entire list of quarantine objects characteristic of this regulated product.
On November 9, 2023, as a result of a laboratory examination, it was established that watermelon seeds of the “RED GARNET†variety were infected in an amount of about 6 kg, originating in the USA (nursery: ENZA ZADEN SEED OPERATIONS BV), with a dangerous quarantine disease absent in the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union - Bacterial spot pumpkin crops (Acidovorax citrulli (Shaad et al .)).
The Rosselkhoznadzor Office issued a notice to the owner of the cargo to take action regarding the contaminated regulated products.
Under the control of the territorial administration, measures will be taken to these seeds in accordance with the phytosanitary legislation of the Russian Federation.
Plants affected by Bacterial spotting of pumpkin crops: watermelons, melons, cucumbers, different types of pumpkins, squash, zucchini and other plants of the Cucurbitaceae family.
Symptoms of damage: watery-oily zones with a yellow halo appear on the underside of the cotyledon leaves, elongate, become angular, turn black, and necrosis forms on the leaves.
Lesions on the leaves of mature plants may appear as small, light brown to red-brown angular areas, usually along the midrib.
Small watery-oily spots with uneven boundaries appear on the surface of the fruit, which quickly lengthen and darken.
Under favorable conditions, these spots expand within a few days, covering the entire surface of the fruit.
Later, the surface cracks, and as a result of rotting, a white bacterial mass is released in the form of a foamy exudate.
Sometimes the symptoms of the disease do not appear on the surface of the fruit; infection can be detected by cutting into the fruit. ■