This special edition of our quarterly newsletter is dedicated to marking the success of this year’s “Plant Health Week” and “International Plant Health Day”.

From Monday 6th of May to Sunday 12th, a remarkable week of awareness raising, collaboration fostering and knowledge exchange was celebrated. With this special edition we hope to capture the key messages, resources and information for you to  access and refer to at your own leisure.

We hope you enjoy exploring our newsletter and learn more about Plant Health!

Plant Health Week is a collaborative effort by over 30 organizations across the UK, dedicated to raising public awareness and engagement on plant health and biosecurity. Each year, a week of action is designated for this purpose, culminating with the International Day of Plant Health. This day, recognized by the United Nations, aims to raise global awareness about the critical importance of protecting plant health to safeguard biodiversity and the environment, end hunger, reduce poverty and boost economic development.

In BGCI we are committed to plant health, and the International Plant sentinel Network (IPSN) is specifically dedicated to promoting plant health and best biosecurity practices for botanic gardens and arboreta worldwide. During Plant Health Week, and to celebrate the International Day of Plant Health, we shared information and new resources related to plant health, surveillance activities and biosecurity best practices. If you missed it, you can catch up and access the shared resources in this special issue.

For over a decade, the IPSN has been at the forefront of plant health surveillance, serving as a key example of a global partnership working towards resilience against emerging plant health threats. From its creation in 2013, catalysed by funding from EUPHRESCO, the IPSN has evolved into a strong hub of innovation and collaboration, supported by Defra, the EU, and USFS. Together, we have produced innovative surveillance methodologies, disseminated vital training resources, and nurtured a global network of botanical gardens using sentinel plants for pest and disease monitoring.

In our more than 10 years, we have accomplished countless achievements. Explore our selection of the greatest 10 milestones in our infographic, and click through links to have access to more information and resources:

The work achieved by the IPSN could not have been realized without the effort of all of you, our members and partners...Thank you all for your commitment and support!

With now over 100 members all around the world we look forward keeping expanding our network!

Within the IPSN, priority species surveillance remains our guiding principle, creating a defence to protect our botanical resources from emerging threats. These surveillance efforts serve as an early warning system, facilitating the prompt detection of pests and diseases, thereby enabling rapid response to prevent their spread and mitigate potential outbreaks. Moreover, surveillance activities provide valuable insights for implementing the most effective prevention and control techniques tailored to specific pests and pathogens, thus enhancing the success of management strategies.

Our latest resources include posters and factsheets spotlighting harmful pest and pathogens such as Sooty bark disease, Golden root mealybug, Myrtle rust, and Japanese beetle. These resources have been meticulously developed to facilitate monitoring of target organisms within botanic garden and arboreta collections.

IPSN posters

Our posters feature detailed photos of diagnostic symptoms to aid in identification of target organisms. These are accompanied by complementary factsheets accessible via a QR code. Posters are a valuable guidance for botanic garden staff and interested members of the public for effective pest and disease identification. Click below to explore our poster collection:

IPSN factsheets

Complementing the posters, our factsheets offer detailed information on the distribution, impact, dispersal mechanisms, plant host species, and biology of the target organism. They also offer supplementary resources for further exploration and are linked to the correspondent poster via a QR code. Click below to explore our factsheet collection:

IPSN survey forms

If you feel ready to monitor specific pests or diseases, the IPSN has also created associated survey forms to help you gather key diagnostic information, enabling the early detection of symptoms associated with the targeted organism. Click below to explore our available survey forms:

Through regular monitoring, IPSN's surveillance resources not only contribute to further understanding of host plant-pest interactions and collection management, but also help to minimize damage and preserve plant health contributing to the global safeguarding of plant biodiversity. 

Biosecurity is a fundamental aspect of botanic garden management, involving measures to prevent and manage the risk posed by harmful organisms. By implementing robust protocols, policies, and practices, botanic gardens can effectively manage risks and contribute to global efforts in plant biodiversity conservation.

The IPSN is at the forefront of promoting, increasing awareness and capacity building for best biosecurity practices among botanic gardens worldwide. Through resource development and collaborative efforts, IPSN empowers botanic gardens to proactively apply biosecurity measures to protect their plant collections.

Biosecurity compliance certification

This certification, developed and offered by BGCI, sets a baseline standard for biosecurity and phytosanitary practices in institutions managing plant collections. To learn more about how to apply click the following:

Biosecurity guidelines

This guide outlines the essential elements for best biosecurity practices in botanic gardens and arboreta; including sourcing and handling plant material, managing plants upon arrival, setting up quarantine facilities, and measures to reduce pest and pathogen spread effectively.

Biosecurity information resources for botanic gardens & arboreta

We recently launched a new biosecurity poster and leaflet providing essential information on risk pathways and other biosecurity resources for botanic gardens and arboreta (created by Ginette Alexander from the Yorkshire Arboretum as part of IPSN Small Grants initiative). Click on the images to access the resources:

The IPSN, alongside Observatree and PlantNetwork, recently launched the UK Garden Sentinel Network (UKGSN) to join forces in our efforts to promote tree health in the UK. This unique initiative brings together the UK’s network of plant collections (PlantNetwork), Observatree's citizen scientists and botanic gardens supported by tree health diagnosticians and other plant health experts. By working together we aim to increase “the eyes on the ground” for plant health monitoring and further promote and advance our plant biosecurity efforts within the UK.

As its first action, the UKGSN launched the Tree Health Pilot, inviting citizen scientists and volunteers to participate in the surveillance of the following targeted pests and diseases: 1) great spruce bark beetle, 2) elm-zig-zag sawfly and 3) European mountain ash ring-spot associated virus, across UK trees and report their presence or absence via the Tree Alert website.

If you would like to participate, you can access the guide for UK tree health report submission:

Note the surveillance activities will take place from May until October 2024.

UK Plant Health resources

As part of our efforts to raise awareness of plant health/biosecurity  we compiled a list of useful resources provided by our UK IPSN members and partners. These resources are UK focused and include links to: the current Great Britain’s Plant Biosecurity Strategy, UK pest and disease risk register, biosecurity certification information, biosecurity guidance documents, training and education programmes, and much more.

Explore our leaflet and click on the links to access available resources:

International Plant Health resources

On the International Plant Health Day, and to promote the importance of plant health at the global scale, we put together a pamphlet with a selection of valuable plant health and biosecurity resources for our International IPSN members and partners. This includes links to: the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), CABI, the European Plant Protection Organization (EPPO), United States Forest Service (USFS), amongst other regional institutions as well as links to our collaborating NPPOs in Australian, New Zealand and Argentina.

Explore our leaflet and click on the links to access available resources:

If you have other information and/or links to projects or resources that you would like us to include, do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

As we bid farewell to Plant Health Week/International Plant Health Day 2024, let's keep the spirit of collaboration alive. Together we can support and enhance each others efforts towards the safeguarding of our botanical resources and plant biodiversity and this way foster a greener, healthier future for all.