Introduction
Stage 1a - PRA initiation
Stage 1b - Identifying potential quarantine pests
Stage 2 - Risk assessment
Stage 3 - Risk management
Start a new session By pest
Select a previous PRA session
Archiving sessions
Reports
Regulated pest list
Navigation
Notes on the search criteria
User data
Feedback to CABI
This system aims to provide a framework in which the risks associated with the importation of plant commodities and the introduction of pests into new areas can be identified and assessed. It does not generate conclusions, but presents scientific information to aid the selection of appropriate measures for reducing risk and facilitating the movement of plants and plant products.
This process is known as pest risk analysis (PRA).
The main features of the system include:
Before you can begin the first PRA you need to Set up user files to store the results of your sessions (PRAs) in a folder called 'Phyto'. If you have installed the Compendium on a network and intend other users to view, export or edit your sessions, or benefit from any additional (non-Compendium) data you add, the folder should be located on an accessible drive (ideally one that is backed up daily). Note that there are many opportunities to overrule Compendium data and add data, notes and references of your own.
Open a session allows you to start a new PRA or to select any existing PRAs to view, edit or export to a file.
There are 6 icons at the top of the main PRA screens as follows:
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Close current window. |
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Access the context-sensitive Help. |
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Go to the IPPC website (on the Internet). |
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Access Phytosanitary Resources in the Compendium Library for some relevant full text documents and links to websites. |
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Edit User data. This refers to the pest records that have been modified or added during PRA sessions. The specific details can be viewed and edited here. An option for providing feedback to CABI is included. |
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Edit the Regulated pest list allows you to enter, edit or export you own official pest lists (i.e. quarantine pests and regulated non-quarantine pests for your country). This country-specific information is not included in the Compendium data sets but can be conveniently stored for use in future PRA sessions. |
There are 3 options for PRA sessions:
The details of the PRA pathway are entered in this screen. The components are used for searching the Compendium data sets and any relevant data added by the user(s) in previous sessions.
A Title is required for the session but will be generated automatically from the pathway profile if nothing is entered; a Remark can also be added. The Assessment No. is assigned automatically.
Select the source and destination of the pathway by clicking in the Country of origin and Importing country boxes and selecting from the pick list. The importing country is set as a Default country so this appears each time you start a new session. This country can be changed for an individual session or to a new default country.
For some countries you are offered the choice of excluding or including detached parts (e.g. Hawaii and Alaska for the USA).
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Click on the Crop button to select a crop. You will be shown a
selection box if there are alternatives in the system (as in this case for
Capsicum).
Before proceeding, ensure the crop(s) in the Selected list on the right are those you wish to include in the assessment. You can select or unselect a crop by clicking on it (to highlight its name in blue) and then clicking on the arrow between the lists. The double arrow moves all crops across. |
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Tick all Commodity types of the crop that make up your consignment (e.g. tomatoes could comprise fruits, fruits plus flowers (calyx), or fruits plus flowers plus stems (on the vine)). If none are selected, the system will ignore this criterion and look only for pests on the crop host.
Click on Proceed to initiate the searches and continue to the next stage. After proceeding it is no longer possible to edit the profile for the session and the selections will appear in grey. If a change is required you will need to start a new session By pathway. This will incorporate any user modifications to the pest data that were made in the original session.
See Notes on search criteria for further details on how the searches function.
A navigation tool is provided in the top right corner of the main screens to help you move forwards and backwards through the stages of the PRA and to indicate which windows are currently open (in green). Each stage opens a new window which is minimized at the bottom of the screen when not being edited.
There is an option in this Stage 1a window to Archive a session once the pest lists have been generated. This should only be selected if all stages of the PRA are completely finished and it is not anticipated that further modifications will be required.
The following screen initially presents 2 pest lists, ordered by pest type, based on the pathway details you have entered for this session:
Pests potentially requiring phytosanitary measures
Pests excluded from the assessment
The pests in both lists are recorded in the Compendium as:
In addition to the above, Pests potentially requiring phytosanitary measures are either:
The Pests excluded from the assessment are:
Pest records that have been
edited during this or a previous session are indicated by 
in column 1.
In Stage 1b you should be aiming to include all pests that are associated with the pathway and are either already regulated or are candidates for regulation in the top list for detailed risk assessment if necessary (in Stage 2) and risk management (in Stage 3).
After Stage 1b, the management column displays the results of Stage 2 by showing which pests have been assessed in detail individually and the result of that assessment:
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Management |
Are phytosanitary measures required against this pest? |
| yes | The risks have been assessed during this or a previous session and it is concluded that phytosanitary measures are required to prevent the pest's introduction. |
| no | The risks posed by the pest have been considered to be low in Stage 2 and special phytosanitary measures are not needed. |
| empty | Stage 2 has not yet been completed for this pest. |
Those pests with "yes" in the management column are taken forward to Stage 3 - Risk management for selection of appropriate measures to reduce the pest risks associated with the pathway.
Most of the work in the PRA is done from this window. It is also possible to go back to this stage from any later stage during the session for further work on the pest lists or risk assessments. For further information, click on an option below:
| Modify pest data | Individual PRA | Risk management | Add pest | Report | View pest data sheet |
The relevant database records for a selected pest can be viewed by double clicking on the pest name or clicking with the right mouse button and selecting Modify data. The window displays the information held in the main Compendium files as CPC data - this is not editable and will always provide the same details as the data sheets, distribution maps and other pest lists in the Compendium. However, clicking on one of the buttons under the heading User modifications allows you to overrule this information enabling you to disagree or enhance the pest record.
Note that pests without 
before
their name have only outline or partial data in the Compendium. This information
has not been checked by experts and may be incorrect or incomplete. Particular
care should be taken when working on these pests.
The Status button allows you to view or edit a record entered by a user in the Regulated pest list. It is left to the user to check whether this status is in agreement with the pest data. Select Cancel if you do not wish to make changes.
The following window shows an invented pest record that has two modifications:
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In this example, the Compendium has no information as
to
whether Agrotis ipsilon is liable to be carried on fruits in trade
and
lemon (Citrus limon) is not specifically recorded as a host
(although the data sheet gives citrus as a host); the pest is recorded
from Morocco and also from the UK.
The user modifications indicate to the contrary that A. ipsilon does attack lemon and is absent from the UK and accordingly should be included in the list of pests potentially requiring phytosanitary measures. |
To modify a record, click on the button under the User modifications heading which takes you to the Edit pest record window, in this case to add a record of lemon as a host of A. ipsilon:
First click on the User data entry which initially shows "no user data" to select "present" from the pick list. Double click in the space under Comment and Reference to annotate your addition. It is recommended that modifications are referenced fully.
Sometimes the modification of a record involves more than one database relationship if you have selected multiple commodities, crops or countries in your PRA profile. In the example below, the commodity comprises fruit, stems and flowers but there is no information in the Compendium on any of these plant parts. Although it is not necessary to modify all the records presented, it is recommended that you edit as many as possible for use in future sessions. Your modifications are stored in User data.
A pest that already occurs in the importing country may be of phytosanitary concern
if it is officially listed as a Regulated non-quarantine pest. The user
can Modify the pest record to add this information by selecting Present,
regulated from the Edit pest record pick list (note that it is not currently linked to
the Regulated pest list in the system). The result
is displayed as 
against the importing country in the View
and edit pest criteria window.
Note
that any user Comments and References will be lost if the record is converted back to the
CPC status.
Once you have edited a pest record and selected OK to proceed, the system will tell you whether it is switching the pest from one list to another or not. It is only possible to include and exclude pests from the assessment by editing the pest records appropriately.
Pest records that have been modified by the user in this or a previous
session are indicated by
in column 1 of the pest lists.
This button enables you to select a pest from the Compendium index to include in the PRA session. After showing the taxonomy section for the data sheet and checking that the pest is not already listed in the PRA, the View and edit pest criteria window is presented so that you can view the CPC data (to see why it was not automatically selected) and make the necessary modifications to the record in order to include it in the PRA. If you do not edit the pest record appropriately for inclusion in the PRA, it will not be saved in the excluded pest list when you close the session.
At the
moment, it is only possible to add pests that are already included in the
Compendium data set.
Access to the data sheet information on individual pests has been provided throughout the decision-support system. Select a pest from the list (highlighted in blue) and click with the right mouse button to display a list of options:
| Other names used | In addition to the preferred scientific name used in the pest lists, the synonyms, common names and BAYER codes are included. |
| View hierarchy | Provides the taxonomic hierarchy from superkingdom down to species. |
| Data sheet cover page | Opens the data sheet cover page (text, picture and world map) from where all other data sheet information can be accessed in the usual way. |
| Available texts for this data sheet | This by-passes the cover page to list the data sheet text sections to provide quicker access to Host range or Geographic distribution information for example. |
Pests marked with
before the name have a full data sheet,
those with no indicator have outline or partial data
only. To return to the PRA session, either click on the Stage 1b window to bring
it to the front or close the data sheet window by clicking the X in the top
right corner.
During this stage, Pests potentially requiring phytosanitary measures can be assessed individually to determine whether they represent a risk to the importing country and, if possible, to rate the level of risk. This screen is accessed by selecting (highlighting) a pest from the top list in the Stage 1b screen and clicking the Individual PRA button or clicking with the right mouse button and selecting the same option.
Some guidance is provided to help you consider the 4 risk factors in detail. Click on the Assessment button (which shows new at first), to proceed to a "checklist" of more detailed factors.
As you work through the risk factors, a summary of the individual assessment is compiled in the screen below:
The Assessment button shows new when not yet completed, Current PRA when completed during this session and Previous PRA when available to view and edit from an earlier session (concerning the same importing country). Even when there is a previous PRA, the Conclusion of Stage 2 Rating and Note are left blank for reconsideration in the current PRA session.
The Summary Rating is for entering a level of risk for each risk factor. The rating scheme can be changed to numeric values or to include a larger range of categories by clicking Redefine ratings. It is recommended that you use the same rating scheme for all your PRAs.
The Summary Note can contain any text. Like the Assessment button, the label shows whether this is empty, has been prepared during this session or is available from a previous session.
It is recommended that you enter a Conclusion of Stage 2 from your work on the risk factors for this pest. Additional assistance may be available in Data sheet texts and FAO guidelines (the latter are the Compendium versions, dated May 2002). Further general information is available from Phytosanitary Resources.
Finally, you are asked Does this pest require phytosanitary measures? Clearly, this should be linked to the Conclusion of Stage 2 but it is up to you as the user to decide whether this pest justifies risk management procedures to reduce the likelihood of its introduction. The "yes" or "no" is carried back to the Stage 1b pest list to be recorded in the management column (for consideration in the next stage - Risk management).
If you answer "yes" to this question, you are asked Do you wish to add this to the list of regulated pests? You would normally choose "yes" and are then presented with the 4 status categories. Unless the pest is already officially listed as a regulated pest, the appropriate category would be 4 - Pest requiring phytosanitary measures (not yet officially listed). This status will then be available for future PRA sessions. Even if you decide not to add this pest to the list of regulated pests (because you are working on a test PRA for example), Stage 2 responses will be available for future sessions and the pest will still appear in the list of pests requiring phytosanitary measures for Stage 3 of the current PRA session. The regulatory Status and Management fields are handled separately in the current version of this decision-support system in recognition of cases in which a species that is already officially listed as a quarantine pest represents a very low overall risk in the particular commodity pathway investigated.
A Report for this pest can be exported to a text file by selecting 
from the top tool bar.
For a full PRA, all pests in the list of Pests potentially requiring phytosanitary measures in Stage 1b would be assessed in Stage 2 - Individual PRA. Only those with a "yes" in the management column (indicating that they now actually, rather than just potentially, require phytosanitary measures) are taken forward to Stage 3 - Risk management.
"Checklists" of more detailed factors for consideration are presented for each of the 4 risk factor chapters to help you assess the risks in a structured way. Further information can be accessed by clicking on the Data sheet text button.
The Note field sometimes provides more detail. It is also where you can enter any text to accompany your decision (for future reference and exporting to a PRA report). The Rating can also be entered from within this Note.
If required, you
can cut and paste text from the data sheet into a Note field. You will
see that the full range of editing tools are available at the top of the screen. Links to some
non-Compendium sources (e.g. websites) can also be included (this has the same
functionality as the User note in the pest data sheets).
Although it is not essential to enter ratings for every factor, to finish this step, you should complete the SUMMARY at the bottom of the checklist because it is this rating and note that are carried back to the main Stage 2 screen when you click OK.
Clear All will delete all entries in this screen from this or a previous session. Save can be used at any time to save work in progress.
During this final stage of the PRA, the system provides some very basic assistance with selecting the appropriate risk management options for consignments of the commodity from the specified Country of origin. This window is accessed by clicking the Risk management button in the Stage 1b window.
Although this option can be selected at any time, it would logically follow the completion of Stage 2 for all Pests potentially requiring phytosanitary measures so that the list of pests actually requiring phytosanitary measures has been determined (these are denoted by "yes" in the management column of Stage 1b screen). The risk management options should be chosen for their effectiveness in reducing the likelihood of introduction of these pests.
Click Review pest list to view the target pests (at the top) and those that were selected as candidates for phytosanitary measures but which, on further assessment, were considered to represent a low risk to the importing country in this PRA session.
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The PQ Status refers to the Regulated pest list for the importing country. Double-clicking on this column heading gives details of the categories. You will see that there is again the option to view the highlighted pest's Data sheet for more information (e.g. the Detection and inspection section or Control). |
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If you wish to switch a pest between these lists, you need to edit the Individual PRA for that pest by returning to the Stage 1b window. This is most easily done by returning one step on the navigation tool.
A "checklist" of general risk management options is presented under 3 headings. Click on the folder heading (e.g. Preventing/reducing crop infestation) to reveal the section. Tick those you think are appropriate for this PRA (you should consider all sections and can tick more than one option).
A text Note can be used to provide more information on methods, specific requirements for individual pests, etc. Additional options can also be added but should be described in full. This information will be available for the report of the PRA. The full range of editing tools are available. Links to some non-Compendium sources (e.g. websites) can also be included.
The availability of risk management options varies for different countries. Consultation of the FAO guidelines and other sources for more detailed assistance is advised.
Clear all data will delete the ticks and notes for this stage.
Close and save returns you to the Stage 1b screen from which you can export a range of reports from the PRA session, continue working on the pest lists or close the windows to exit the Phytosanitary Decision-Support System and return to the main Compendium menu.
Further editing and updating of the session can continue unless you choose to archive it.
You are prompted to select a pest and the country concerned. It is only possible to carry out a PRA on a pest that is included in the
Compendium index. You are then taken to Stage 2 - Individual assessment to
consider the risk factors in detail. Click on the Data sheet
texts button to access information on Host range, Geographic distribution,
Economic impact, etc. Answering "yes" to the
question "Does this pest require phytosanitary measures?" enables you
to add the pest to the Regulated pest list
which means that this pest will be flagged as a pest of phytosanitary concern in
future PRA sessions initiated by a pathway. At the moment, there is no risk management stage
for this type of PRA session. The session details can be exported to a text file
by clicking from the tool
bar.
This window allows you to view the list of previous PRA sessions, Open a selected session (for further editing, completion or to view details), choose a Report of a selected session for exporting (as a text file) and Delete unwanted sessions. The Status indicates whether a session is still available for editing and updating or whether it has been archived. Reports of archived sessions can be exported by either selecting Report or Open.
Sessions can be sorted by session Number or Title.
Search allows you to search for text in the Session title, Remarks, Country of origin, Importing country or Crop fields.
When you Open a previous session that is still editable and click Proceed, the pest lists will be generated again to incorporate the latest user modifications (pest records may have been modified in other sessions or by other users if installed on a network). To keep an exact record of a session at any time, the completed sections can be exported to a text file using the Report button.
The Archive option is available as a button on the first screen of each session. When you choose to archive a session, the working files will be deleted and the session will no longer be available to view or edit. Archiving should only be carried out when no further editing is anticipated, and usually after all stages of a PRA have been completed. Archived sessions can be exported to a text file using the report options.
It is recommended that a report is generated immediately after archiving and that the option "User modifications of the listed pests" is selected to preserve your pest data used in Stage 1b of the archived session. If this is not done straight away, it is possible that later editing in other PRA sessions could change the pest records on which your archived session was based because these user modifications are not saved with the archived file.
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A set of report options are available for the PRA
sessions by clicking on
on the tool bar of an open session or selecting the Report
button from the Select previous session
window.
These are exported as text files that can be taken into a word processing or
spreadsheet package for formatting and printing. The Regulated pest list
is accessed by clicking |
The user modifications of individual pest records remain editable in other sessions. A precise record of a session at a given point in time can be saved to a text file by generating a report that includes all the report items.
This feature (
on the
tool bar)
allows you to Add, Edit and Delete
pests on your own lists of regulated pests. These records will be available to
future PRA sessions (as a category in the PQ Status column of the Stage
1b screen of a PRA session).
At the moment, it is not possible to add pests that are not in the Compendium data set. It is also up to the user to check whether the Status in the Regulated pest list and the pest data shown by selecting Modify pest data are in agreement.
It is recommended that official lists compiled by your National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) are stored here. The status categories are below; 1-3 refer to official listings:
| 1 | Quarantine pests that are absent from the country. |
| 2 | Quarantine pests that are present in the country but not widely distributed and under official control. |
| 3 | Regulated non-quarantine pests that are present in the country but whose presence in plants for planting affects their intended use. |
| 4 | Pest requiring phytosanitary measures (not yet officially listed) |
The last category is compiled by the system during PRA sessions. It shows those pests that have been marked individually as requiring phytosanitary measures during one or more PRA sessions (Stage 2 - Risk assessment) but that are not already listed with regulated status 1, 2 or 3. These may be considered as candidates for official listing as regulated pests.
Status 4 should not be entered
or edited manually, instead you are advised to carry out a PRA session By
pest.
Default country
The system saves a default country for the PRA sessions (as the importing country) and for the Regulated pest list. It is possible to change the country for individual records by clicking on Modify when Adding or Editing records or, for future additions and changes, by clicking the Default country button.
Export to file
This provides several options for outputting the Regulated pest list (for the default country) to a text file.
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You will see that separate windows are opened and minimized as you proceed through the stages of a PRA session. The diagram at the top right of the main windows is a basic navigation tool which indicates the stage you are at (pale green square), the other windows that are currently open (in dark green) and those that are closed (yellow). You can quickly go backwards to a previous window by clicking on the appropriate square. Windows can also be restored in the normal way.
| Countries | Although it is possible to enter some states or provinces as exporting or importing "countries", you should be aware that some pests have only been recorded at the country level in the Compendium and so a second PRA using the countries concerned would be advisable to check for differences in the pest lists. There are options to select or unselect the mainland and detached parts of certain countries (e.g. mainland USA, Alaska and Hawaii). |
| Crops | The system searches for pests that are recorded in the
Compendium on the crop specified in PRA Initiation. The crop selection box
also includes the option to include pests recorded on higher taxa and not
at the species level. This may help to pick up some polyphagous pests -
further checking to make sure the pest attacks the crop concerned will be
required. As an alternative, the diagnostic searches available from the
main menu button Search by crop, country, symptoms etc. can be used
to check for additional pests that you may wish to include in the
assessment in Stage 1b using the Add pest function.
Pest records have been compiled separately for hosts and countries, so it is not always the case that a pest that attacks a certain crop and is also present in a selected country has been recorded from that crop in that country. |
| Commodities | The data on commodity types liable to carry the pest in trade/transport have been compiled generally for a pest and are not crop specific. This is an incomplete data set. When there is no commodity information for a pest and it is otherwise associated with the pathway, the pest will be included in the next stage. |
The pest records that have been modified by you (or other users if the system
is set up on a network) during PRA sessions can be viewed in detail and even
edited or deleted by clicking from
the toolbar. This option has been provided for the following
reasons:
Please note that the system only holds a single record for each modified relationship and it is this information that is used when generating pest lists for existing editable PRA sessions and new sessions. Editing or deleting user modifications here will affect existing and new session results. Please be especially cautious if your "Phyto folder" (holding all the user files) has been set up on a network for others to access.
CAB International is keen to update records on any of the species featured in the Compendium or to include data on additional pests of phytosanitary concern. Within this Decision-Support System, a Feedback button has been included in the User data screen. This produces an electronic listing of the modifications to pest records you have generated during your PRA sessions.
Please send new information, corrections or User data with published references, by post, fax or email to the address below. We are also interested to hear your views on this Decision-Support tool for future development of the system.
Compendium Coordinator
Crop Protection Compendium
CAB International
Wallingford
Oxon OX10 8DE
UK
Fax: +44 (0)1491 833508
Email: compend@cabi.org
Version 2, July 2002
