Refined monitoring of sentinel plantings for improved biosecurity

• Research unit: COST
• Project number: C15.0081

Key words (English)

Early warning; prevention; scale-dependency; optimal design

Research programs (English)

COST-Action FP1401 - A global network of nurseries as early warning system against alien tree pests - Global Warning

Short description (English)

The number of alien invasive pests and diseases of woody plants ('alien pests') in Europe is increasing exponentially, which coincides with strong increases in the number of imported live plants. Most of these alien pests were unknown and thus unregulated prior to their establishment, and there were no specific measures to prevent their introduction. However, once established, they are often impossible to eradicate. Sentinel plantings of woody plants are a novel tool to identify pests and their impact in the region of origin, and will allow developing measures to avoid their arrival. Little is known, however, about the sampling design required to detect a large fraction of the pests associated with a plant species in a region. This project will quantify how monitoring results are affected by the number of trees and plantings sampled, by monitoring selected tree species within experimental sentinel plantings and continents, and across continents. Moreover, the pathogens in the seeds imported for the establishment of the plantings will be characterised using molecular techniques to assess the risk associated with importing seeds for planting. The results of the studies will be compared with literature to assess the fraction of pest-host associations that is captured. The results of these studies will be collated in databases for the use in Pest Risk Analysis and the development of phytosanitary measures to prevent the future introduction of harmful pests of woody plants.

Partners and International Organizations (English)

AT; BE; BA; BG; HR; CZ; DK; EE; FI; FR; MK; DE; EL; HU; IS; IE; IT; LT; NL; NO; PL; PT; RO; RS; SK; ES; SE; TR; UK; MN; SI; UA; RU; AL; US; CN; VN; AU; ZA; BR

Abstract (English)

See short description

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: COST-DB of the State Secretariat for Education and Research Hallwylstrasse 4 CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland Tel. [phone] Swiss Project-Number: C15.0081