There has been an increased incidence of introduced plant pests and pathogens into Scotland over the last 30 years, leading to significant impacts on businesses, organisations and the wider environment. RBGE’s work aims to provide evidence for the implementation of effective biosecurity processes in botanic gardens and the natural environment, thereby reducing the risk of future incursions and further impacts.
RBGE’s plant health and biosecurity work is comprised of three main work areas:
1. Research – we carry out research on many aspects of plant health and biosecurity including:
- Clarifying the biosecurity risks associated with the materials commonly used in horticulture in order that biosecurity risk assessments can be conducted by businesses and organisations.
- Understanding the biosecurity training needs of those producing plants for gardens and conservation work.
2. Demonstrating practical garden biosecurity – utilising the latest biosecurity processes in our gardens and nurseries to safeguard ex situ conservation collections in our care, demonstrating to others how we mitigate risk.
3. Wider landscape biosecurity – working with government agencies, conservationists, and land managers to ensure that conservation activities (e.g., plant translocations, reintroductions, native woodland restoration, etc.) do not inadvertently introduce a new plant pest or pathogen species.
In addition, we have studied plant-microbe interactions for many years at RBGE. Currently, the focus of this research is on the role of fungal endophytes on conifer species in Scotland, including the iconic Scot’s pine.
We work closely with Scotland’s Plant Health Centre of Expertise, leading two work areas: horticulture and the natural environment. This ensures that we are directly talking to stakeholders about the plant health and biosecurity research that they require to be undertaken. This ensures that our research has relevance, with practical outcomes for practitioners and policy makers.
Key contact: Dr Matt Elliot