News

New UK-wide measures against Xylella

On Thursday 11th February 2021, with the agreement of the Devolved Administrations, Defra introduced UK-wide legislation which implements new measures for Xylella. These measures will come into force on 4th March 2021

3rd European Conference on Xylella fastidiosa

Registrations are open for the 3rd European Conference on Xylella fastidiosa, jointly organised by EFSA and XF-ACTORS, with contributions from several other initiatives including Euphresco will be held online from 26 April to 30 April 2021 (deadline for registration of 7th March).

BSPP Plant Pandemic Reports

The British Society for Plant Pathology funded four awards for writing about the history of plant pandemics. The final reports on Huanglongbing (greening disease): citrus, Pine wilt disease, Ug99 (stem rust of wheat) and Ash Dieback can be found on the BSPP website.

Nearly half a million larch to be felled on Arran to prevent disease spread

A total of around 220 ha of larch are to be felled on the Scottish island of Arran in an effort to control the spread of the disease Phytophthora ramorum.

CaLiber consortium secures £2.3M funding to continue research on ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ in the UK

A new consortium named “CaLiber” has assembled to research the bacterial plant pathogen ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’, its insect vectors, and their potential impact on UK crops. These organisms are considered an emerging threat to agriculture in the UK and are included in the Defra Plant Health Risk Register. The CaLiber consortium have secured a £2.3M research grant funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the Bacterial Plant Disease Program and consists of researchers from FERA, SASA, John Innes Centre, Newcastle University, Rothamsted Research, and University of Strathclyde.....

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.

SEFARI - Leading ideas on crops

See the latest booklet from SEFARI describing just some of the areas where collaborative interdisciplinary research from the six SEFARI institutes and Centres of Expertise are making a difference to Scotland.

New £2 million grant from the Bacteria Diseases Initiative for research on blackleg disease of potato

A £2 million grant has been awarded to work on the bacterial pathogen Pectobacterium atrosepticum, the causal agent of blackleg disease in potato. The award, from the Strategic Priorities Fund - Bacterial Diseases Initiative funded by BBSRC, NERC, Defra and Scottish Government, addresses threats to UK plant health and biosecurity from bacterial diseases. This is a multi-partner award including academics, industry and government.

Plant Health Centre to chair working group on Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN)

The Plant Health Centre has been asked by Scottish Government to chair a working group on Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) following our recently completed report, which can be found on the 'Projects' section of our website.

Gardeners being warned not to plant or compost any unsolicited seed packages received through post

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) reports that people are receiving unsolicited seed packages through the post that are thought to be part of an e-commerce scam. These seeds could pose a significant risk to the environment. If you receive any unsolicited seed packages through the post, please do not plant of compost them as it could result in the spread of an invasive, non-native species or introduce pests and pathogens.