The Plant Health (Official Controls and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020

Measures which may be required in relation to a contaminated place of production

27.—(1) A plant health inspector must serve the following notices on any occupier or other person who is in charge of a contaminated place of production which is in a zone demarcated by a plant health inspector under paragraph 25(2)(e)—

(a) in relation to a contaminated field or unit of protected crop production which is part of the place of production, a notice containing the first set of eradication measures or a notice containing the second set of eradication measures;

(b) in relation to a field which is part of the place of production but is not contaminated and, where the inspector is satisfied that the risk of volunteer potato and tomato plants and other naturally-found host plants of Potato brown rot has been eliminated, a notice containing the third set of eradication measures.

(2) The first set of eradication measures is—

(a) the measures to be taken in the field or the unit from the date of receipt of the notice and for at least four growing years from the start of the first growing year so as to eliminate any volunteer potato and tomato plants and other host plants, including solanaceous weeds, of Potato brown rot;

(b) a prohibition on the planting of any of the following in the field or the unit during that period—

(i) potato tubers, plants or true seeds;

(ii) tomato plants or seeds;

(iii) taking into account the biology of Potato brown rot, other host plants or plants of the species Brassica in respect of which there is a risk of Potato brown rot surviving;

(iv) crops in respect of which there is a risk of Potato brown rot spreading;

(c) a requirement that in the first potato or tomato cropping season following that period, only potatoes for ware production be planted in the field or the unit, that the potatoes only be planted if the field or the unit has been found free from volunteer potato and tomato plants and other host plants, including solanaceous weeds, during official inspections of Potato brown rot, for at least two consecutive growing years prior to planting, and that harvested tubers or tomato plants be subjected to official testing using the method set out in Annex 2 to Directive 98/57/EC; and

(d) a requirement that an appropriate rotation cycle be applied in subsequent potato or tomato cropping seasons, which must be at least two years where potatoes are to be planted for seed production.

(3) The second set of eradication measures is—

(a) the measures to be taken in the field or the unit from the date of receipt of the notice and for five growing years from the start of the first growing year so as to eliminate volunteer potato and tomato plants and other naturally-found host plants, including solanaceous weeds, of Potato brown rot;

(b) a requirement that—

(i) during the first three of those growing years, the field or the unit be maintained—

(aa) in bare fallow;

(bb) in cereals, if the inspector is satisfied that there is no risk of Potato brown rot spreading;

(cc) in permanent pasture with frequent close cutting or intensive grazing; or

(dd) as grass for seed production;

(ii) during the fourth and fifth growing years, only non-host plants of Potato brown rot in respect of which there is no risk of Potato brown rot surviving or spreading be planted in the field or the unit; and

(c) a requirement that in the first potato or tomato cropping season following that period only potatoes for seed or ware production be planted, that the potatoes only be planted if the field or the unit has been found free from volunteer potato and tomato plants and other host plants, including solanaceous weeds, during official inspections of Potato brown rot, for at least the two consecutive growing years prior to planting, and that harvested tubers or tomato plants be subjected to official testing using the method set out in Annex 2 to Directive 98/57/EC.

(4) The third set of eradication measures is—

(a) a requirement that from the date of receipt of the notice and for the first growing year no host plants of Potato brown rot be planted or only the following potatoes and tomato plants be planted in the field—

(i) certified seed potatoes for ware production;

(ii) tomato plants grown from seed which meets the requirements of Directive 2000/29/EC, for fruit production;

(b) a requirement that, if potatoes are to be planted in the first subsequent growing year, only the following potatoes be planted for seed or ware production in that year—

(i) certified seed potatoes;

(ii) seed potatoes officially tested for the absence of Potato brown rot and grown under official control at a place of production which is not contaminated;

(c) a requirement that, if tomato plants are to be planted in the first subsequent growing year, only the following tomato plants be planted for plant or fruit production in that year—

(i) tomato plants grown from seed which meets the relevant RNQP requirements;

(ii) if vegetatively propagated, tomato plants grown from seed which meets the relevant RNQP requirements and grown under official supervision at a place of production which is not contaminated;

(d) a requirement, in the case of potatoes, that in the second subsequent growing year and any other subsequent growing year, only certified seed potatoes or seed potatoes grown under official control from certified seed potatoes be planted for seed or ware production in the field;

(e) a requirement, in the case of tomatoes, that during the second subsequent growing year and any other subsequent growing year, only tomato plants grown from seed which meets the relevant RNQP requirements or, if vegetatively propagated, tomato plants grown from seed which meets the relevant RNQP requirements and grown under official control be planted for plant or fruit production in the field; and

(f) the measures to be taken in the field from the date of receipt of the notice to the end of the growing year specified in the notice so as to eliminate volunteer potato plants, and naturally-found host plants, of Potato brown rot;

(g) official inspections of growing crops at appropriate times and official testing of harvested potatoes in accordance with the method set out in Annex 2 to Directive 98/57/EC.

(5) A notice served by a plant health inspector under sub-paragraph (1)(a) containing the first set of eradication measures must additionally—

(a) include a requirement that all machinery and storage facilities at the place of production which are used for potato or tomato production be cleansed and disinfected immediately and following the first growing year and specify the appropriate methods for cleansing and disinfecting the machinery and storage facilities;

(b) prohibit any irrigation or spraying programme at the place of production or specify how any irrigation or spraying programme at the place of production must be carried out, for the purpose of preventing the spread of Potato brown rot.

(6) The measures which may be specified in a notice under sub-paragraph (1) may be included in a notice with other appropriate measures.

(7) The person on whom a notice is served pursuant to sub-paragraph (1) must ensure that the measures specified in the notice are taken in the required manner.