Those carrying out plant conservation work often do not have access to in-depth biosecurity advice and information to help them carry out their activities in a biosecure way. Plants for habitat creation and restoration or for reinforcement of rare plant populations are often produced in an ad-hoc fashion within small community led groups or within commercial nurseries both of which can be a source of pests. In addition, contractors and those carrying out conservation work on the ground are often unaware of the importance of biosecurity when moving machinery and equipment. This is a significant threat to the sensitive habitats in which this work is undertaken because the inadvertent introduction of a new pest would have permanent, far-reaching impacts.

Through literature review, case studies and stakeholder engagement, this project will create a resource which provides specific, clear biosecurity advice to conservation practitioners so that they can produce a biosecurity management plan before a project begins, that would have the potential to become a component of licenced activities in the natural environment.


Image Credit: Wolfgang Claussen from Pixabay

There is a clear need to present consistent and focused notifiable pest management information to Professional Operators. There is good information available, however it is in a variety of formats and the quality and type of information is variable. The purpose of this project is to explore if pest information can be set out in a consistent format to support Professional Operators by presenting bespoke plant biosecurity information for their site and associated operations. This information aims to enable Professional Operators to focus their attention on the critical analysis processes required to establish effective plant biosecurity systems.

PHC2022/08 will create summary overview documents that cross references the 39 notifiable pests (from the PHRR) with management measures and the requirements of the Plant Health Management Standard. Therefore, plant pest information will be presented in manner to support businesses and organisations conduct a Site and Operations Pest Risk Analysis.

PHC2022/08 is 50% match-funded from Defra

Plant health risks associated with poor composting practice or imported carrier products as peat alternatives are not well understood. Best practice guidance to minimise the plant health risks to Scotland from these activities is needed.

This work will examine and define the extent to which current UK and Scottish regulations and voluntary schemes control the way growing medium constituents must be treated prior to their inclusion in growing media, to generate an understanding around mitigating risks of spread of plant pathogens. Workshops with stakeholders will improve understanding of current practices and perceptions of alternative ‘best practice’ options for nurseries managing waste materials and for biosecurity risks of using reduced peat and peat-free growing media. A concurrent diagnostic study will identify Phytophthora species present in waste heaps from nurseries located in Scotland and the potential for these pathogens to spread into healthy plant stock either aerially or via water run-off and soil transfer.

Findings will be combined with a comprehensive desk-based study and feed into follow-up workshops on the development and introduction of ‘best practice’ guidance on the most appropriate and safest ways to manage waste growing media and plant material, to be built into the Plant Health Management Standard.

Outwith the plant-based trade sectors there are aspects of biosecurity practice for which advice remains unclear or there are no commonly agreed best practices. Two broad situations needing further evidence are 1) sites which are visited by many people, and 2) moving machinery and equipment between sites. The project will address three aspects of biosecurity where evidence is lacking:

• How can important plant species in botanic collections and historic gardens be protected from inadvertent disease introduction on the footwear, etc. of visitors?
• What is the risk of further inadvertent spread from gardens into the natural environment?
• How can gardens, nurseries, farms and the natural environment be protected from pest and disease spread through the movement of large machinery (e.g., tree harvesting machines)?

Through a desk based study that incudes literature review, contact with plant health authorities, semi-structured interviews with landowners and expert practitioners from other sectors, the project will; determine what official biosecurity advice already exists and procedures are in place in Scotland; explore other sectors which provide additional novel approaches to biosecurity; and carry out a thorough assessment of what procedures are in place, or being considered and developed, in different countries/regions to address these specific biosecurity risks.