• Plant Health Centre

    National Plant Health Week (19-27 September)

    To mark the start of UK Plant Health Week (part of the UN’s International Year of Plant Health), we have launched a set of 5 Key Principles, which outline important steps to protect Scotland’s plant resources.  We have put together an information booklet that details these principles and our Directorate have filmed a conversation to introduce the principles and furnish them with examples. During the UK Plant Health Week we will also be bringing these principles to life through a series of blogs or short YouTube videos, each highlighting the importance of plant health to some of Scotland’s iconic plant-based assets.

Sectors

Barley
Agriculture
With plentiful rain and long summer day lengths, Scotland produces some of the highest yielding and best quality crops in the world. But conditions that promote good crop growth are often good for pests and pathogens too and in Scotland 15-20% of our crops are lost to pests and diseases annually.
Snail on leaf
Environment
Scotland has a remarkable assemblage of species and habitats with Atlantic, montane, boreal, arctic-alpine, and oceanic habitats in close proximity. However, pests and pathogens represent an increasing threat to these natural assets, and a particular challenge is the sheer complexity of the diversity of the natural environment in terms of the number of species that may be impacted.
trees on river
Forestry
The sector represents a major component of Scotland’s rural economy – providing significant employment and raw materials for wood processing industries. Sustainable forest management seeks to deliver these economic benefits alongside important ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and flood mitigation, provision of wildlife habitat and opportunities for recreation and a range of leisure activities. Pests and diseases threaten the continued long-term delivery of these benefits.
Daffodils
Horticulture
Scotland is renowned for the quality of its private and public horticultural collections, and its rich cultural history of plant collecting, allotments and gardening. Horticultural plantings are of significant economic value, as well as providing amenity, health and well-being, cultural and conservation resources. However, pest and pathogens represent a major threat to this highly diverse set of plantings.

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Gin and Tonic, Image by Ernest_Roy from Pixabay

Impact of plant health on Scotland's iconic drinks industry receives widespread media attention during national Plant Health Week

A blog written by members of the Plant Health Centre's directorate and SART to highlight plant health threats to Scotland's Whisky and Gin industries has received widespread attention in the media.
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PHC Knowledge Bank

Expansion of PHC Online Plant Health Resources

This project has expanded the PHC online Resource Bank for plant health threats to the Natural Environment sector in Scotland to include information sources for the remaining three sectors (Forestry, Agriculture and Horticulture). Information sources for Forestry, Agriculture and Horticulture were compiled and evaluated, and a Knowledge Bank relevant to each sector is now online at the PHC website, creating a comprehensive and unique signposting resource for plant health information with relevance to Scotland.

 

 

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Our Highlighted Event

Rhododendron
National Plant Health Week
27 Sep 2020, 9am - 5pm

Online

During the UK Plant Health Week (part of the UN's International Year of Plant Health) the PHC will be launching our 'Key Principles to minimise plant health risks in Scotland' and bringing these principles to life through a series of stand-alone news pieces, each highlighting the