D-96-15: Phytosanitary requirements to prevent the spread of Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) in Canada and the United States

To provide for the production of Japanese beetle (JB) free, screened greenhouse/screenhouse grown nursery stock within an area infested with JB, including grasses and sedges, which are excluded from the Japanese Beetle Containerized Nursery Stock Production Program.

Note: Ornamental grasses include all genera and species in the family Poaceae (Gramineae). Ornamental sedges include all genera and species in the family Cyperaceae.

The facility develops and implements a Japanese Beetle Management Plan (JBMP) which ensures that the criteria listed below are incorporated into their operation and will be achieved:

1. The JBMP must include a map illustrating the layout of the facility.
2. The facility must keep their JBMP and documentation up-to-date.
3. The facility must inform the local Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) office of any changes to their operations with respect to the Program.
4. All JBMP criteria activities must be documented.
5. Soil, humus, compost, manure or other growing media introduced into the screened greenhouse/screenhouse must have been sterilized (by steam heat to a temperature of 49°C for at least 15 minutes) prior to entry. Commercially processed or prepared soil free growing materials are exempted from sterilization.
6. The cuttings, crowns or rooted plants must be substantially free of soil or growing media before planting. Plant material from JB free areas, treated as per section 5.3, or approved under the Japanese Beetle Pest-Free Greenhouse/Screenhouse Program or the Japanese Beetle Greenhouse Plant Program, is permitted with soil or growing media.
7. The plants must be maintained within the screened greenhouse/screenhouse at all times during the adult flight period.
8. The screened greenhouse/screenhouse must be tightly constructed so that adult JBs cannot gain entry. Ventilation and other openings shall be screened or otherwise covered to prevent entry. A double door entry system must be installed. Excelsior pads and other materials used in the cooling ducts must be maintained in good condition. These requirements must be applied during the JB adult flight period (see section 5.2).
9. No material potentially infested with JB is allowed into the approved screened greenhouse/screenhouse at any time.
10. The plants and their growing medium must be stored, packed and shipped in a manner that prevents possible infestation while at the facility.
11. Certified screened greenhouse/screenhouse nursery stock may not be transported into or through any JB infested areas unless identity is preserved and adequate safeguards are applied to prevent possible infestation.
12. The screened greenhouse/screenhouse, stock and records will be audit-inspected at least once during the JB adult flight period by a CFIA inspector or persons authorized by the CFIA and must be specifically approved as JB secure and compliant facilities. Root systems of potted plants may be examined.
13. The facility must regularly monitor the plants and interior of the screened greenhouse/screenhouse for the presence of JB and immediately notify the CFIA of any detections.

Each screened greenhouse/screenhouse operation must submit annually by April 1, a completed application form (see Appendix 3) to the CFIA. The facility must be inspected, staff interviewed and documentation reviewed by persons authorized by the CFIA prior to June 15 in Canada. The facility application must be approved by a CFIA official as having met and maintained the requirements described in the criteria above. This approval will be valid until the annual expiry date of June 14 of the following year. Records associated with this program must be kept for five years and made available to the CFIA upon request.

To provide for the production of Japanese beetle (JB) - free greenhouse plants within an area infested with JB. Greenhouse plants and environments are viewed as low risk for JB infestation. Greenhouse plants are species commonly known and recognized as indoor foliage, flowering plants and plants categorized as bedding plants for planting either indoors or outdoors. The following groupings comprise the majority of greenhouse grown plants: bedding plants, cacti, flowering house plants, foliage house plants, orchids, potted bulb plants and succulents.

Note: Ornamental grasses (Gramineae or Poaceae) and sedges (Cyperaceae), as preferred hosts of JB, are not admissible for certification under this program and should not be present within the certified greenhouse. These plants may instead be grown under the JB Pest- Free Greenhouse/Screenhouse Program (see Annex 1).

Exemption: Grasses and sedges may be present within facilities exclusively for use as banker plants (open rearing systems for biological control agents).

The facility develops and implements a Japanese Beetle Management Plan (JBMP) which ensures that the criteria listed below are incorporated into their operation and will be achieved:

1. The JBMP must include a map illustrating the layout of the facility.
2. The facility must keep their JBMP and documentation up-to-date.
3. The facility must inform the local Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) office of any changes to their operations with respect to the Program.
4. All JBMP criteria activities must be documented.
5. Soil, humus, compost, manure or other growing media introduced into the greenhouse/screenhouse must have been sterilized (by steam heat to a temperature of 49°C for at least 15 minutes) prior to entry. Commercially processed or prepared soil free growing materials are exempted from sterilization.
6. The cuttings, crowns or rooted plants must be substantially free of soil or growing media before planting. Plant material from JB free areas, treated as per section 5.3, or approved under the Japanese Beetle Free Greenhouse/Screenhouse Program or the Japanese Beetle Greenhouse Plant Program, is permitted with soil or growing media.
7. The plants must be maintained within the greenhouse at all times.
8. When banker plants are used, they shall be employed as per Best Management Practices as described in provincial production guides.
9. No material potentially infested with JB is allowed into the approved greenhouse at any time.
10. The greenhouse must be maintained within a minimum 3.0 metre vegetation-free border around the structure which serves as a ground barrier against JB. If the greenhouse has screened sidewall vents to prevent JB entry or no side wall vents, a 1.0 metre vegetation-free border is allowed along those walls. These borders shall be maintained from May 15 until October 31.
11. The plants and their growing medium must be stored, packed and shipped in a manner that prevents possible infestation while at the facility.
12. Certified greenhouse plants may not be transported into or through any JB infested areas unless identity is preserved and adequate safeguards are applied to prevent possible infestation.
13. The greenhouse, stock and records will be audit-inspected at least once during the JB adult flight period by a CFIA official or persons authorized by the CFIA, and must be specifically approved as in compliance. Root systems of potted plants may be examined.
14. The facility must regularly monitor the plants and interior of the greenhouse for the presence of JB and immediately notify the CFIA of any detection.

Each greenhouse operation must submit annually, by April 1, a completed application form (see Appendix 3) to the CFIA. The facility must be inspected, staff interviewed and documentation reviewed by persons authorized by the CFIA prior to June 15 in Canada. The facility application must be approved by a CFIA official as having met and maintained the requirements described in the criteria above. This approval shall be valid until the annual expiry date of June 14 of the following year. Records associated with this program must be kept for five years and made available to the CFIA upon request.

To provide for the production of Japanese beetle (JB) - free nursery stock grown at nursery sites or individual nursery fields located within a JB infested area.

Note: Ornamental grasses (Gramineae or Poaceae) and sedges (Cyperaceae), as preferred hosts of JB, are not admissible for certification under this program and may not be present within the certified area. These plants may instead be grown under the JB Pest- Free Greenhouse/Screenhouse Program (see Annex 1).

The facility develops and implements a Japanese Beetle Management Plan (JBMP) which ensures that the criteria listed below are incorporated into their operation and will be achieved:

1. 1. The JBMP must include a map illustrating the layout of the facility.
2. 2. The facility must keep their JBMP and documentation up-to-date.
3. 3. The facility must inform the local Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) office of any changes to their operations with respect to the Program.
4. 4. All JBMP criteria activities must be documented.
5. 5. A Critical Zone free of vegetation must be established before weeds begin to grow and maintained throughout the adult flight period within the plant rows to a width of at least 30 cm wider on all sides than the largest anticipated soil ball to be taken when harvesting plants.
6. 6. Treatment practices may be incorporated in the JBMP to ensure that the risk of introducing JB into nursery fields is minimized. These could include, but are not limited to:
   1. bio-control methods (that is, microbial products and parasitic nematodes);
   2. adult treatments (in combination with adult trapping);
   3. larval treatments;
   4. weed control; and,
   5. pest monitoring.
7. 7. The facility, stock and records will be audit-inspected at least once during the JB adult flight period by a CFIA inspector or persons authorized by the CFIA, and must be specifically approved as in compliance.

If, and only if, a JBMP has been developed and implemented, and Criteria 1 through 7 are complied with, then proceed to Criteria 8, 9, and 10.

1. 8. Freedom from JB larvae must be based on soil surveys conducted at the appropriate rate for individual fields (see table below). A field will be removed from the program if one JB larva is present in the samples collected. Sampling takes place separately from the audit-inspection visit and is conducted between September and May. Sampling is to be conducted under the supervision of persons authorized by the CFIA.
2. 9. The plants and their growing media must be stored, packed and shipped in a manner that prevents possible infestation while at the facility. This includes balled and burlapped stock, wire baskets and field potted plant material placed in holding yards (see criteria for holding yards below). The maximum time for which the plants can remain in a holding yard is 14 days. If plants are held in a yard for longer than 14 days, the yard must be certified under the JB Containerized Nursery Stock Program (see Annex 4).
3. 10. Certified nursery stock may not be transported into or through any JB infested areas unless identity is preserved and adequate safeguards are applied to prevent possible infestation.

Soil sampling rates for the Japanese Beetle Field Nursery Stock Program

Criteria for holding yards

1. Plant material must be maintained year-round within a minimum 3.0 metre vegetation-free border around the container holding area and on material which serves as a ground barrier against JB (for example, gravel, plastic, hard-packed clay, landscape cloth, etc.).
2. Certified lots shall be identified and segregated in a manner satisfactory to a person authorized by the CFIA.
3. All plant material shall be maintained free of weeds year round.

Each nursery operation must submit annually by April 1, a completed application form (see Appendix 3) to the CFIA. The facility must be inspected, staff interviewed and documentation reviewed by persons authorized by the CFIA prior to June 15. The facility application must be approved by a CFIA official as having met and maintained the requirements described in the criteria. This approval shall be valid until the annual expiry date of June 14 of the following year. Documents, sampling records and maps shall be maintained and made available to the CFIA upon request. Records associated with this program must be kept for five years.

To provide for the production of Japanese beetle (JB) free containerized nursery stock grown in JB infested areas. Containerized plant areas can be outdoor yards, pot-in-pot installations, opened hoop-houses and polyhouses.

Note: Ornamental grasses (Gramineae or Poaceae) and sedges (Cyperaceae), preferred hosts of JB, are not admissible for certification under this program and may not be present within the certified area. These plants may instead be grown under the JB Pest- Free Greenhouse/Screenhouse Program (see Annex 1).

The facility develops and implements a Japanese Beetle Management Plan (JBMP) which ensures that the criteria listed below are incorporated into their operation and will be achieved:

1. The JBMP must include a map illustrating the layout of the facility.
2. The facility must keep their JBMP and documentation up-to-date.
3. The facility must inform the local Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) office of any changes to their operations with respect to the Program.
4. All JBMP criteria activities must be documented.
5. Unapproved soil or growing media may not be introduced into the facility. Plant material brought into the facility must be transplanted to remove all unapproved soil and growing media. Plants with soil or growing media attached from JB free areas, treated as per section 5.3, or certified under the Japanese Beetle Free Greenhouse/Screenhouse Program, the Japanese Beetle Greenhouse Plant Program, the Japanese Beetle Containerized Nursery Stock Program, or the Japanese Beetle Field Nursery Stock Program, is approved. Plant material which is produced under these programs, originates from JB free areas or has undergone regulatory treatment is exempt from the requirement to transplant. For transplanting, commercially processed or prepared soil-free growing media are approved. Field soil and other growing media are approved if sterilized by steam heat to a temperature of 49°C for at least 15 minutes.
6. Potted plants must be maintained year-round within a minimum 3.0 metre vegetation-free border around the container growing area and on material which serves as a ground barrier against JB (for example, gravel, plastic, hard-packed clay, landscape cloth, etc.).
7. Certified lots must be identified and segregated in a manner satisfactory to a person authorized by the CFIA.
8. All containers must be maintained free from weeds year-round.
9. The plants and their growing medium must be stored, packed and shipped in a manner that prevents possible infestation while at the facility.
10. Certified nursery stock may not be transported into or through any JB infested areas unless identity is preserved and adequate safeguards are applied to prevent possible infestation.
11. The facility, stock and records will be audit-inspected at least twice during the JB adult flight period by a CFIA inspector or persons authorized by the CFIA and must be specifically approved as in compliance. Examination of root balls is not required.

Each nursery operation must submit annually by April 1, a completed application form (see Appendix 3) to the CFIA. The facility must be inspected, staff interviewed and documentation reviewed by persons authorized by the CFIA prior to June 15. The facility application must be approved by a CFIA official as having met and maintained the requirements described in the criteria. This approval shall be valid until the annual expiry date of June 14 of the following year. Records associated with this program must be kept for five years and made available to the CFIA upon request.

To certify commercial turfgrass and sod farms located within a Japanese beetle (JB) infested area as being free from JB. Sod produced under this program may be shipped to uninfested Category 2 areas.

A facility may be composed of several production sites. Sites will be considered as separate if they are at least 250 metres apart. The facility, and each separate production site, must comply with one of the following two options:

Option 1: Production within an established Japanese Beetle Free Production Site

The facility develops and implements a Japanese Beetle Monitoring Plan (JBMP) which ensures that the criteria listed below are incorporated into their operation and will be achieved:

1. The monitoring plan must include a map illustrating the layout of the facility.
2. The facility must keep their plan and documentation up-to-date.
   • The facility must inform the local Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) office of any changes to their operations with respect to the Program.
   • All monitoring plan criteria activities must be documented.
3. The facility must annually survey all sod production sites at a rate of 1 trap per 5 hectares (13 acres). There must be a minimum of 3 traps per site regardless of the size of the site. The traps must be placed around the perimeter of each site. CFIA-approved traps must be baited with a lure consisting of an attractant and a pheromone. Traps must be purchased, placed, monitored weekly and renewed by the facility at regular intervals. This trapping must be conducted annually during the adult flight period.
   • If no beetles are captured at that site, the site meets the criterion for shipping sod to pest free Category 2 areas. If one or two beetles are captured in total for that site, the sod farm may maintain its JB free status provided that, in the judgement of the CFIA, the detection does not represent an established population of JB. If more than two beetles are captured in total from all traps, the sod production site is considered to be infested with JB. This infested site can be certified under Option 2 (see below).
   • Detailed maps and trapping records must be maintained and made available to the CFIA upon request. All captured beetles must be presented to the CFIA. An infested site will retain its infested status until two consecutive years of negative trap surveys are completed.

Or

Option 2: Production at an infested site

The facility develops and implements a Japanese Beetle Management Plan (JBMP) which ensures that the practices listed below are incorporated into their operation and will be achieved:

1. 1. The JBMP must include a map illustrating the layout of the facility.
2. 2. The facility must keep their JBMP and documentation up-to-date.
3. 3. The facility must inform the local CFIA office of any changes to their operations with respect to the program.
4. 4. All JBMP criteria activities must be documented.
5. 5. Practices which must be incorporated in a JBMP include:
   1. larval treatments: sod must be treated according to product label directions with a pest control product registered by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) which is recognized as an effective treatment against JB grubs;
   2. adult treatments: application of a JB adulticide program according to product label directions with a PMRA registered pest control product which is recognized as an effective treatment against JB adults. This treatment Program must also be maintained on the sod farm periphery where adults are observed to be feeding. Large trees may be exempt as these may be difficult to spray; and,
      • the facility should remove plant species upon which JB adults feed in areas adjacent to the production area (where practical; adjacent properties are exempt).
      • For guidance on product use, contact the PMRA or your provincial agriculture department.
      • Additional practices which could be incorporated in a JBMP include, but are not limited to:
   3. bio-control methods (that is, microbial products and parasitic nematodes), and/or
   4. pest monitoring.
6. 6. The facility, fields and records shall be audit-inspected at least once in the latter half of the JB adult flight period for compliance by a CFIA inspector or persons authorized by the CFIA, and must be specifically approved as in compliance.

If, and only if, a JBMP has been developed and implemented, and Criteria 1 through 6 are complied with, then proceed to Criteria 7, 8 and 9.

1. 7. Freedom from JB larvae is confirmed by inspection at the time of harvest (sod cutting). Inspection must be conducted by persons authorized by the CFIA.
2. 8. The sod and turfgrass must be stored, packed and shipped in a manner that prevents possible infestation while at the facility.
3. 9. Certified sod and turfgrass may not be transported into or through any JB infested areas unless identity is preserved and adequate safeguards are applied to prevent possible infestation.

Instructions to CFIA staff regarding inspection to certify freedom from JB larvae at time of harvest (sod cutting)

CFIA officials or persons authorized by the CFIA may choose one of the two following inspection options:

Option 1: Product inspection of each harvested shipment after it has been cut and stacked on pallets

• The inspection shall include some destructive examination of 30 cm section samples of the cut sod;

Or

Option 2: Field inspection of the crop

• In each section to be harvested, the inspector will follow the sod cutter as it completes a pattern within the section of the field and inspect for JB larva. The inspector may require additional cuts in areas exhibiting symptoms of JB infestation or areas of preferred JB habitat.

If a JB larva is detected during Inspection Option 1 or 2, that field is excluded from the Japanese Beetle Sod and Turfgrass Program.

Each facility must submit annually by April 1, a completed application form (see Appendix 3) to the CFIA. The facility must be inspected, staff interviewed and documentation reviewed by persons authorized by the CFIA prior to June 15. The facility application must be approved by a CFIA official as having met and maintained the requirements described in the criteria above. This approval will be valid until the annual expiry date of June 14 of the following year. Documents, sampling records and maps must be maintained and made available to the CFIA upon request. Records associated with this program must be kept for five years.