Table 4.

Overview of currently applied risk mitigation measures for Momordica charantia fruits designated for export to the EU from Mexico, based on the information provided in sections the dossier

Risk mitigation measure	Description of applied measures
Production of seedlings in greenhouse	Seedlings develop in protected environments free of pests, ensuring plants which are not suitable are discarded and after 2 weeks only healthy plants are transplanted into the field (in some areas in Yucatan seeds develop directly in the field).
Protected cultivation	Not applied, only seedlings are raised in greenhouse conditions in most areas.
Pest specific monitoring	Mexico adopted a specific ‘National Campaign Against Eastern Thrips’ including surveillance and monitoring systems for T. palmi. Sampling data are recorded by field staff (project professionals/field assistants). This consists of several measures: – Sampling: sampling of T. palmi is carried out every 21 days where the pest is present (Quintana Roo, Yucatan) and every 15 days in other areas. Per farm 5 points are selected, sampling 20 organs per sampling point: whole plants at the start of the production cycle and plant parts when full grown. – Monitoring with blue sticky traps: throughout the crop cycle, traps are placed in the middle part of the plant at five rotating points in the field. – Isolation and destruction of plants with severe symptoms of infestation and crop residues.
Chemical control	Various insecticides are frequently applied (see details in Appendix A).
Weed control	Elimination of alternative hosts through hand weeding or by applications of glyphosate.
Biological control	Biological control agents are applied (dossier section 6) during pre‐harvest and harvest. Application to foliage. In addition to naturally occurring control agents in the area of M. charantia production, at the moment of detecting T. palmi at low levels (1–3.9 ind/organ sampled) biological control is applied: lacewings (Chrysoperla carnea) are curatively applied onto infested leaves at a dose of 2 mL/ha or 10–50/m2. Cc Beauveria bassiana (1 × 107 CFU/mL): 20%; Cc Nomurea Rileyi (1 × 107 CFU/mL): 10%; Cc Metarhizium anisopliae (1 × 10 CFU/mL): 15%; Cc Verticillium lecanii (1 × 10 CFU/mL): 10%; Cc Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (1 × 10 CFU/mL): 15%; multiple oleic‐active concentrate: 15%.
Cultural control	Padding: the crop rows are covered with silver padding that prevents the emergence of weeds next to the plants, which can be alternative hosts of T. palmi; in addition, the silver padding acts as pest repellent. Cleaning and disinfection of tools: the scissors and boxes used to cut the fruits are cleaned and of polluting materials where they could accommodate T. palmi.
Inspection	Fruits are visually inspected in the field during harvesting by the technical field staff, and should be free from visible defects.
Pest‐free area	Not applied; there are no official pest‐free areas in Mexico