New approaches for the early detection of tree health pests and pathogens

Abstract

This project aims to develop better methods for detecting tree pests and pathogens that are moving through trade or in the wider environment. The UK is threatened by a large number of invasive tree health threats and new tools are needed to help identify these more rapidly and improve detection efficiency. The technologies explored within the project were:1) ‘Sniffer’ technology to identify volatile chemicals emitted by pests or diseased plants;2) Hyper-spectral imaging techniques that can detect changes in diseased plants beyond the range of human vision;3) Novel traps for capturing insects;4) DNA-based detection approaches for identifying air- and water-borne pathogens.A key feature of the project was that it was interdisciplinary, with social researchers, modellers and economists working alongside scientists and engineers to deliver effective solutions to help a range of end-users, including plant health inspectors and industry representatives, achieve more effective surveillance and improved biosecurity. This joined-up approach has been explored through the Learning Platform (LP), which had three key research objectives:1) Research on stakeholder perspectives and practices and potential economic impacts;2) Conducting socio-technological Learning Labs (SLLs) to assist the co-design of socially acceptable technologies;3) Supporting the learning within and between WPs through a monitoring and evaluation framework.Overall through the LP we have gained a deeper understanding of the innovation process and how this can be used to improve the development and deployment of new technologies.