Establishment of a sugarcane quarantine unit in the Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres, Tucumán, Argentina.

GARCÍA MB; BERTANI RP; HENRIQUEZ DD; CHAVES S; CUENYA MI; FUNES C; JOYA CM; GONZÁLEZ V

San Miguel de Tucumán

Congreso; XXX ISSCT Congress; 2019

An aspect of fundamental importance in sugarcane breeding programs is to have a germplasmcollection permanently enriched with new sources of genetic variability. Therefore, the exchangeof genetic materials between programs has special relevance, seeking to incorporate newgenotypes with high levels of production and quality, resistance to diseases, tolerance to abioticfactors, among other characters. In this sense, the existence of quarantine and the establishmentof material handling protocols greatly reducing the risk of introducing diseases and other harmfulorganisms. This work describes the procedures carried out to establish a sugarcane quarantinefacility in the sugarcane growing area of Tucumán, under the regulations of the officialorganizations of Argentina. In 2015, a building located in the EEAOC grounds was completelyremodeled and equipped to obtain four separated cubicles (quarantine enclosures) withcontrolled environmental conditioning and electromechanical systems of air extractors/injectors,(with filters), among other modifications. Protocols were implemented based on the regulationsof the official organizations of Argentina for the import of sugarcane germplasm and themanagement of quarantined material. In 2016, the Argentinean official organizations approvedthe sugarcane quarantine unit in the EEAOC. This is the first sugarcane quarantine unit inTucumán, Argentina, for importing sugarcane germplasm. The building has the necessarysecurity requirements for its operation within the sugarcane area of the province and the materialhandling protocols contribute to prevent the introduction of foreign pathogens into Argentina.