Pest categorisation of Pantoea ananatis

Area of Science:

• Plant Pathology
• Bacteriology
• Agricultural Entomology

Background:

• Pantoea ananatis is a Gram-negative bacterium with a complex ecological role, acting as a plant pathogen, saprophyte, plant growth promoter, biocontrol agent, and clinical pathogen.
• It causes significant diseases in various crops, including center rot in onions, bacterial leaf blight in rice, and leaf spot in maize.
• The bacterium is globally distributed and has been detected in the EU on crops and as an environmental bacterium.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a pest categorization of Pantoea ananatis for the EFSA Plant Health Panel.
• To evaluate the risk posed by Pantoea ananatis to EU agriculture and the environment.
• To determine if Pantoea ananatis meets the criteria for a Union quarantine pest.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing scientific literature and data on Pantoea ananatis.
• Analysis of its taxonomic status, pathogenicity, host range, and geographical distribution.
• Assessment of its presence in the EU, entry pathways, and potential impact on crops and the environment.

Main Results:

• Pantoea ananatis exhibits diverse ecological roles, with its pathogenic potential not consistently defined across all hosts.
• While it causes diseases in crops like onions and rice, it can also be a non-pathogenic endophyte or beneficial bacterium.
• The bacterium is widely distributed globally, including the EU, with host plants for planting and seeds identified as primary entry pathways.

Conclusions:

• Pantoea ananatis does not meet the criteria for a Union quarantine pest due to its varied pathogenicity and widespread presence.
• The bacterium is unlikely to have a consistent, significant impact on crop production or the environment across the EU.
• Phytosanitary measures can mitigate the introduction and spread of Pantoea ananatis on specific hosts, but its overall risk is considered low.