The Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) has submitted for member consultation a number of draft International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), one of which is entitled `Pest free potato micropropagative material and minitubers for international trade`. The standard provides guidance on the production, maintenance and certification of pest free potato (Solanum spp.) micropropagative material and minitubers intended to be moved in international trade. Micropropagation is a biotechnology involving the miniaturised in vitro multiplication and/or regeneration of plant material under aseptic and controlled environmental conditions, while minitubers are tubers produced in a protected environment from potato micropropagative material. See https://www.ippc.int/id/201049?language=en (in English, French and Spanish) or contact [email protected] for more information. Contracting Parties, Regional Plant Protection Organizations and relevant international organizations are invited to comment on this and other draft ISPMs through their IPPC contact point. Templates for providing comments are available from the above link and the deadline for submission of comments is 30 September 2008. The IPPC is an international treaty relating to plant health, to which 169 governments currently adhere, and its Secretariat is based at FAO Headquarters, Rome.

07/07/2008