EPPO certification scheme for fruit trees, including almond 1

For approximately 10 years, EPPO has been working on the development of certification schemes for fruit crops. The production of healthy planting material is an effective tool to ensure that plants moving in trade can be certified free from certain dangerous pests, and also to protect national crop production. In 1981, a first scheme giving the basic principles for the production of virus‐free fruit trees and rootstocks was produced and approved by EPPO Council. Later, an EPPO Panel on certification of pathogen‐tested fruit crops was created in order to expand the original outline scheme, and in particular to develop technical details of testing procedures. The first part, containing general requirements and explaining how plant material of known filiation passes through several categories of propagation (nuclear stock, propagation stock, certified stock), was published in 1991. It was followed in 1992 by technical appendices which gave details on viruses, virus testing, nematological analysis, thermotherapy, in vitro techniques, etc. The principles of this scheme are presented specifically in relation to almond. At present, the EPPO scheme covers the production of healthy planting material (varieties, rootstocks, seeds) of fruit trees in general, including Malus, Pyrus, Cydonia, Prunus and Juglans regia , but it must be noted that it is currently under revision, in particular to update the technical appendices and to divide it into four separate schemes for apples, pears, cherries and other Prunus. Finally, the fruit‐tree scheme is part of a wider programme, covering also grapevine, Ribes, Rubus , strawberry, citrus, Vaccinium , olive, hop and hazelnut.