Sistema Nacional Argentino de Vigilancia y Monitoreo de Plagas . Av. Paseo Colón 315 4º A oficina 15 - C.P. 1063 - Cap.Fed - Buenos Aires – Argentina . Tel / Fax: (54)-11-4121-5196
Weeds cause major economic, environmental and social damage in a wide range of farming systems. Given the high risk of spreading them through trade of vegetables, the National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPO) of the world, represented by SENASA in Argentina, make great efforts to prevent the entry of exotic species potentially hazardous to their respective countries.

With the aim of enhancing the transparency and strength to phytosanitary certification by SENASA and the need to update the knowledge concerning the identity of the main weed seeds that can act as contaminants in cereal grains and oilseeds for export by Argentina, the Direction of Vigilance and Monitoring coordinated, during the agricultural campaigns 2008/2009, a plant monitoring project with the following objectives:
  • Establish, through available background checks of scientific information the identity of the main weed seeds that can act as contaminants in grains of wheat Triticun aestivum, maize Zea mayse, sorghum Sorghum spp, rice Oryza sativa, sunflower Helianthus annuus and soybeans Glycine max to be exported by Argentina, taking into account the weed communities that affect them, the morphology of the seed, the type of product classification and storage prior to marketing, as risk factors for contamination of commercial grains.
  • Establish a network of national benchmarks that allows continuous updating of this information and improve agency response to phytosanitaire emergencies.
  • Determine, through laboratory analysis, the identity of the main pollutants weed seeds in grains of wheat, maize, sorghum, rice, sunflower and soybeans to be exported by Argentina.
This site is a tool to facilitate the recognition of weeds seeds that can be found as contaminants of grains analyzed in this project.
RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES CAMPAIGN 2008/2009

RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES CAMPAIGN 2010/2011

Samples analyzed by agricultural campaign

The project comprised two stages where the prioritization of activities was different. In the first stage, 2008/2009 campaign activities were focused on literature review, conducting risk analysis and network formation relating to the SINAVIMO (Argentine National Pest Surveillance and Monitoring of Agricultural Pests), with less commitment to the analysis laboratory samples. While in the second stage, 2010/2011 marketing year, the emphasis was on increasing the number of samples to be analyzed in the laboratory. For this reason the number of samples analyzed per year was substantially different. On a total of 2665 samples of grains, those analyzed during the first phase represented 27.4% of the total and the second stage, 72.6%. Details can be seen in the table below (Table 1).



Collection of samples

Samples were taken in the laboratories of Cereal Arbitration Chambers G of Entre Rios, Santa Fe, Rosario and Buenos Aires. We also received samples from the chambers of Cordoba and Bahia Blanca (samples analyzed by the laboratories, specifically for this project). Official samples were obtained from the shipping ports of Rosario, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Bahía Blanca (Ing. White), Necochea (Quequén) and San Pedro.

Samples of the laboratories of the Chamber of Cereals were weighing approximately 500 grams, while samples from the ports of shipment weighed about 2 kg.

To separate the foreign bodies, the samples, were shoved on sieves with openings appropriate to the size of each grain. The residue obtained along with a portion of the bulk sample was stored in envelopes of pharmacy, properly labeled with the name of the species. It was noted the presence of weed seeds in the excess material that did not pass the sieve.

Analysis and identification of strange seeds

The contents of each envelope were dispersed in a Petri dish to separate strange material under the microscope (10x and 40x). After obtaining the seeds, these were identified to genus and species (when possible). Those seeds or in some cases fruits, that due to the characteristics of the species and / or because tasks of threshing, did not have the necessary structures for identification to species level, were compared with standard samples held in collections and / or were sent for consultations with other references.
Seeds were selected from laboratory tests and in some cases from the seed bank of Ing. MSc. Alberto Galussi. Literature was consulted for the description of the fruits and seeds and after that a descriptive sheet and a bibliography list were made.

The photographs were taken with a camera Panasonic Lumix FZ-35 12-megapixel Leica lens (4.8-86.4mm f/2.8-4.4). They were taken with macro lens.

Pictures taken by Pablo E. Veloz, from the material offered for this purpose.
This application was developed on the basis of the consultancy's report "Determination of weed seeds that contaminate the cereal grains, oilseeds and forage crops marketed by Argentina", by the Ing. Agr. M. Sc. Alberto Galussi, with the financial assistance of the European Union through the Programme to support the institutional strengthening of Senasa. (EuropeAid/123383/C/SER/AR). Worked together on the consultancy the Ing. Agr. Ladys M. Falico and Prof. Silvia Albornoz, entities such as the Rosario Stock Exchange, Cordoba Stock Exchange and Córdoba Chamber of Cereals and Related, Bahía Blanca Arbitration Chamber of Cereals, Buenos Aires Arbitration Chamber of Cereals, CEntre Rios Arbitration Chamber of Cereals and Quality Management Direction of the National Seed Institute (INASE in spanish).

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