Abstract
Two of the current main research priorities for Plant Health policy and operations are: a) Development of management approaches (eradication, containment and pest management methods) for current or future outbreaks of quarantine or emerging pests; b) Improvement of risk assessments for emerging pests, by filling in biological gaps in Pest Risk Assessments, including knowledge related to pest management, thereby helping the development of policy. In particular, management approaches for controlling soil dwelling phases (life-stages) of specific quarantine pest groups (e.g. dipteran and lepidopteran leaf miners, thrips, Coleoptera, etc.) or specific species is a key scientific need and operational gap in various cropping systems. In addition there are two specific areas of risk that require further investigation: 1) Bonsai plants and large tree specimens with quarantine soil-inhabiting nematodes and mealy-bugs. These represent an on-going issue since effective treatment approaches (active ingredients and appropriate application methods) are lacking, both prior to export from third countries or on arrival as an alternative to destruction. 2) A variety of specific emerging pests of solanaceous plants and crops are of current concern. These include: (a) Tuta absoluta (tomato leaf miner moth) and Keiferia lycopersicella (tomato pin worm) which are both moths of concern to glasshouse-grown tomatoes in the UK. Outbreaks of Tuta have occurred in 2009 so current and on-going experience, and also some HDC-funded work, is providing some answers. (b) Tecia solanivora (potato moth) and Epitrix spp (flea beetles), both of which are of concern to potato crops; T. solanivora also presents a considerable potential threat to [unchilled] stored potatoes. (c) Aceria kuko (Gogi gall mite), Tetranychus evansi (a new red spider mite species) and Trialeurodes abutiloneus (banded-winged whitefly), which are currently of lesser concern. For these pests and/or other pests of current concern, work is required to either better understand their risk (especially in terms of aspects of their biology and life-cycles in UK situations) and/or develop appropriate management approaches for dealing with outbreaks. Pest Risk Analyses (UK and/or EPPO) exist, or are under preparation, for some – but not all – of these pests. The overall aim of this project is to better inform risk assessment and risk management approaches for the specific emerging pests of solanaceous crops described above and to develop or strengthen risk management methods for soil phases of invertebrate pest groups or species of statutory concern.
United Kingdom