A new research program looking at hygiene practices in the nursery is looking for voluntary nurseries to participate.

Scion researcher, Rebecca McDougal, is proposing to establish a research program to understand both the presence of Phytophthora in plant production nurseries and the impact of best management practices on those pathogens. She has recently joined a team of international researchers who are using high-throughput methods for detection of Phytophthora species in nurseries, from 13 partner organisations across 10 countries in Europe, but also including USA.

Analysis of best practice management protocols used in some plant production nurseries in the USA has resulted in reduction, if not elimination, of devastating plant pathogens such as those in the Phytophthora family.

Rebecca is proposing that New Zealand should undertake a similar research program and is looking for plant producers who want to participate in this proposed research. Please contact Rebecca at the email address below.

rebecca.mcdougal@scionresearch.com

The development of the Plant Production Biosecurity Scheme (PBBS) by NZPPI, together with a multitude of stakeholders, will ultimately result in reduced risk associated the spread of disease by planting unknowingly infected trees and seedlings.