Phytophthora in public gardens: understanding pathways and mitigating risk (Phyto-gard)

Phytophthora in public gardens: understanding pathways and mitigating risk (Phyto-gard) Funding Non-competitive funding mechanism. Each funder only pays for the participation of their own national researchers. Total funding €161 800 Picture 1 Picture 1 Picture 1 Goals Species of the oomycete Phytophthora cause devastating losses in trees and plants, with the global trade linked to the introduction of new species. Public gardens are a source of diverse plant collections but their role in spreading Phytophthora diseases is unclear. This project addressed this question by identifying Phytophthoras in gardens and supply nurseries by widespread sampling of potential pathways of infection. Research consortium DEFRA (GB), CFIA (CA), VUKOZ (CZ), SASA (GB), BPI (GR), UNICT (IT), AFSVSPP (SI) Contact information Project coordinator: Fryni Drizou [email protected].uk;[email protected] Key outputs and results •Strong evidence that public gardens are home to a wide range of Phytophthoras, found in plants, soil and water. •Confirmation that incoming plant stock poses a high risk of introducing these pathogens. •Some Phytophthoras are cosmopolitan and dominate the samples; some are country-specific. •The range of Phytophthora-associated hosts is broader than perceived and our definition of risky hosts needs to be expanded. •Mitigation of Phytophthora risk should consider the entire process from procurement, quarantine, planting and site management. Objectives (a) To determine the prevalence of Phytophthora spp. in plant collections, soil and water and identify potential sources of introduction into gardens from supply nurseries. (b) Raise awareness of Phytophthora highrisk areas with garden managers and suppliers. 05/2023-05/2025