Sectors

Barley
Agriculture
With plentiful rain and long summer day lengths, Scotland producing 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.
Chopped logs
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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Latest NewsView All News

Image of PSTVd

New Disease Reports update September 2018

This month in New Disease Reports - First report of three pathogens being found in the UK:

1. Dahlia latent viroid (DLVd) and Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) on dahlia tissue culture lines.
2. Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV) on grape vine.

Image of PSTVd: courtesy of Dr G Klotz
Image of Japanese larch in Argyll

Hundreds of trees to be felled at Argyll gardens to combat disease

About 900 Japanese larch trees are to be felled at a National Trust garden in Argyll.

Work is due to start at Arduaine Garden next week, in an effort to prevent the spread of a damaging disease.

Phytophthora ramorum, more commonly known as sudden oak death, has already affected a number of forests across Scotland.

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Our Next Event

Image of Ian Toth and Gerry Saddler at the AHDB Potato seed industry event
AHDB Potato Seed Industry Event
15 Nov 2018, 9am - 5pm

Seed Industry Event 2018, 15 November at the Fairmont, St Andrews in 2018.

This years event will have a major theme focusing on what the future may hold for the seed trade in a post-Brexit world and how to make the most of the global export market opportunities Brexit will present. Furthermore, a host of international experts will also discuss other key topics such as plant health, exports, and marketing. Great Britain’s seed’s high health status is one of its main selling points, which is why that status is another major theme of this year’s event. The conference will also feature a number of workshops where the latest research on key topics such as blackleg and aphid and virus will be revealed, and there will also be sessions on the Safe Haven Scheme and the benefits of benchmarking.

For more information on the event click here.

Seed Industry Event 2018, 15 November at the Fairmont, St Andrews in 2018.
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