Analysis of samples to establish the presence of Plant Parasitic Nematodes

Tender description

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) requires the analysis of soil, peat, and plant material, (for import and/or export, including strawberry and potato certification) to determine the presence of plant parasitic and free-living nematodes including, but not limited to, EU quarantine and regulated non-quarantine nematodes. DAFM requires the successful tender to provide a service as an official laboratory (as defined in Regulation EU No. 2017/625) for the analysis of samples for detection of plant parasitic nematodes to fulfil regulatory and statutory obligations, including: a. Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) monitoring program The Department must provide a service for the detection of Potato Cyst Nematodes (PCN), Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pallida, in land intended for seed potato production and requires analysis for the detection and identification of Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pallida. b. Root Knot Nematode (RKN) monitoring program The Department must provide a service for the detection of Meloidogyne spp. c. Analysis of bulb samples for certification schemes The Department must provide a service for the extraction, detection and identification of Ditylenchus spp. in plants and plant material, primarily bulbs, relevant for certification schemes. d. Analysis of Peat/Compost for plant parasitic nematodes The Department must provide a service for the extraction, detection and identification of plant parasitic nematode relevant to peat/compost certification schemes. e. Analysis of samples for strawberry certification schemes The Department must provide a statutory service for the extraction, detection and identification of plant parasitic nematode relevant to import controls and strawberry certification schemes. f. Additional nematode detection and identification analyses The Department may require analysis of additional soil, peat, plant or plant material sample(s) for detection and/or identification of unknown plant parasitic nematodes. All samples will be transmitted by the Contracting Authority by post/courier to the laboratory of the successful tenderer. Courier costs are outside the scope of this tender.