Mod - 3 Collecting plant pests Flashcards
Collecting plant pests: the basics Collecting pathogens and weeds Collecting invertebrates Packing and transport Containment facilities (23 cards)
What are the 4 basic sampling principles?
- Accurate information - need as much info as possible from the site about the pest/its distribution
- Representative specimens - accurate to symptom and severity found in the field, handle with care, include healthy plants to compare.
- Fresh specimens - not damaged, keep enough in storage for future reference
- Rapid delivery - send ASAP to diagnostic lab for more precise diagnosis
Name 3 key factors required for maintaining a chain of evidence
- Collection of samples is authorised by law - prove sample was taken legally from teh infected site and has been properly handled/stored since collection.
- Training/expertise of collector - responisbility of lead organisation that eveyrone involved has been properly trained.
- Sample labelling and identification - all samples should be labelled correctly and a tamper evident seal added for security.
What should be collected?
- depends on the host/symptoms
- may be whole plant or just parts - e.g. virus may not be found in newer or older leaves, aim for middle
- may need several stages of insect
- collect multiple samples
What is the main difference between weed and diseased plant sampling?
- Weeds should be pressed immediately after collection
- diseased plant matter should be kept cool and delivered straight to a lab
What’s important when collecting weed samples?
- collect a representative sample - various flowers, seeds, leaves an healthy hole plant.
- Place in plant press before sending to ID
- record evidence of impact and spread.
What are the general guidelines when sampling plant disease?
- sample from plants inthe early-middle stage of disease
- Representative sample - whole plant with soil and crown root tissue if not collecting stem/fruit/leaves seperately.
- try to collect the same day its being sent to the lab
- keep cool and moist
How to sample leaves, fruit and stems?
- leaves = dry surface, spread out and press dry.
- Fruit = early-int stage of symptoms, wrap each in newspaper.
- Stem = healthy and diseased tissue, wrap each in newspaper.
How to collect roots and soil individually?
- Roots = Don’t pull plant directly, use spade to dig up, wash gently and wrap in news paper
- Soil = collect several random samples to be representative, 5-10cm below surface.
How to collect macro-fungi?
- collect several life stages to ID
- dig out and wrap individually newspaper + container
- Keep intact because presence/absence of certain features are important to ID.
What are some (active) methods to collecting invertebrates?
- Beating - using sheet for large insects and trays for small insects
- Nets
- hand collecting
- Aspirators
Define active and passive sampling for invertebrates
- Active = collector actively searches for insects using specialised nets, aspirators and beat sheets
- Passive = collector sets out traps and lures to attact insects.
What are some traps used to collect insects?
- Windowpane - clear sheet hung with killing liquid pooling in bottom trough
- Pitfall traps - jar in dirt collects bugs that fall into it.
- Light traps
How should whole plants be packed and sent?
- Soil still on roots and packed seperately from rest of plant
- Absorbent paper aorunf leafy parts
- Doubled bagged in plastic
- sent with lbels and infor sheet with collection details.
How to pack invertebrates to transport?
- Package in rigid containers and mailing tubes so they’re not crushed (not an envelope)
- Leakprood lids if sending in alcohol
- Don’t send them in basg or they will go mouldy
- Don’t send live - massive BS risk
- Caterpillars need to be preserved before sending
What info should be on the collectrion sheet submitted to the lab?
- host/part of plant affected
- precise location
- collection date,
- collector’s names/contact info
- diseasey symtopms and severity
- reason for submission
What is the purpose of safeguard mechanisms
- Reduce the likelihood of escape and establishment but take into account the consequences (social, economic, environmental) of a potential escape.
- Containment facilities are operated on them.
- these mechanism are based on pest risk analyses.
What are safeguards
Phytosanitary procedures and quarantine measures
Explain the mini-world concept
- In plant BS it refers to a containment facility + the surrounding environment.
- the mini-world should be like a space station, nothing in or out
- Has specifcally designed features to ensure this e.g. filters in ventilation, sterilisation procedures, minimlaost design
List the 4 different containment levels
- PC1 = lowest level, for low biological effectiveness pests
- PC2 = for low risk pathogens, e.g. small-mod sized insects and mites + plant seed/propogation material
- PC3 = moderate consequnces of escape, small-mod sized insects + pathogens producing small propagules
- PC4 = very small plants/insect with high consequences of escape.
What do staff need to know in containment facilities?
- Understand the mini-world concept
- Importance of security and record keeping
- errors are not acceptable at any PC level
Why is record keeping important?
- tracebility is essential
- everything needs to be tracked until its release or destruction
What is a containment facility?
Any place where plant pests may be handled
- diagnostic labs
- glasshouses
- culture labs
- growth chambers
