The aim of this project is to scope plant health and biosecurity training needs for Scottish plant and tree nurseries involved in plant supply and planting programmes. Concerns have been raised about the level of awareness with respect to what signs or symptoms constitute a sick plant and that there was room for improvement of biosecurity practices to reduce the risk of disease introduction and spread.

This project will assess the extent of training needs across the sector, identify which nurseries participate in quality schemes, evaluate existing training resources, and highlight gaps in information and training accessibility. It will also explore how training, both practical and online, could be better delivered, consolidated, and accessed by nurseries.

The outputs will include a detailed scoping analysis of current training provision, a mapping of unmet needs, and a set of recommendations for developing and implementing a targeted training plan. This initiative will support improved plant health practices, particularly in underrepresented nursery sectors, ultimately reducing the biosecurity risks associated with plant supply in Scotland.

Image of greenhouse by Uwe Driesel from Pixabay