Evaluating the expatriate plants concept: looking overseas to predict invasive threats to New Zealand natural and agricultural ecosystems

Transcription

1 Conference: Sentinel plantings for detecting alien, potentially damaging tree pests: state of the art October Sursee, Switzerland. COST Action FP1401 Global warming Evaluating the expatriate plants concept: looking overseas to predict invasive threats to New Zealand natural and agricultural ecosystems Mark McNeill 1, Barbara Barratt 2, Virginia Marroni 3, Sarah Mansfield 1, Lee Aalders 4, Kirsty Boyd-Wilson 3, Nigel Bell 4, David Teulon 3 1 AgResearch Lincoln, NZ, 2 AgResearch Invermay NZ, 3 Plant & Food Research NZ, 4 AgResearch Ruakura NZ By Farmers. For Farmers

2 Outline New Zealand s biosecurity landscape Better Border Biosecurity (B3) research programme Stakeholder survey of views on IPSN Realising the value of sentinel plants Risk assessment Research and Implementation Surveillance Research and Implementation

3 Outline New Zealand s biosecurity landscape Better Border Biosecurity (B3) research programme Stakeholder survey of views on IPSN Realising the value of sentinel plants Risk assessment Research and Implementation Surveillance Research and Implementation

4 Valuable plant systems in NZ Economically important productive systems pasture and forage based industries (dairy, meat, fibre) horticulture (fruit, vegetables, wine) forestry (timber, pulp)

5 Valuable plant systems in NZ Ecologically and culturally significant natural systems endemic biota high conservation value iconic plants significance to Maori attractions for tourists NZ has a great deal at stake from invasive pest and disease organisms potentially significant impacts e.g. great white butterfly, myrtle rust

6 NZs Biosecurity System Pre-border: keeping pests and diseases out identify pests overseas, their impacts, their biocontrol agents, risk analysis and potential pathways Border: surveillance, early detection and early eradication Post border: eradicate, contain or mitigate impacts

7 What we are up against?

8 Biosecurity a NZ priority The NZ Government, conservation organisations and primary industry agree biosecurity is a top priority Increasing risks from trade Wide ranging impacts from biosecurity incursions: invasive species threaten productivity and natural ecosystems limit future options food security: interrupted supply NZ has defensible borders Biosecurity 2025 aims to enhance our biosecurity Increasing risks from tourism

9 Biosecurity 2025 Future-proof the biosecurity system in light of increasing pressures Build on existing strengths Ensure the biosecurity system remains resilient Be informed by engagement and consultation Create a shared sense of direction across the system

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11 100,000 New Zealanders regularly take action to control plant or animal pests in their community. SD1: A Biosecurity team of 4.7 million 75% of adult New Zealanders understand what biosecurity means and why it is important. 90% of relevant businesses are actively managing pest and disease risk associated with their business.

12 At least $80 million of public and private investment in science for biosecurity, with at least 50% of investment focused on identified critical biosecurity areas. SD2: A toolbox for tomorrow Halve the cost of managing a significant established pest

13 A publicly-accessible network enables electronic access to organism data held by central government agencies, regional councils and Crown research institutes. S D 3 : S m a r t, f r e e - f l o w i n g i n f o r m a t i o n Automated and targeted alerts about emerging risks are available to all participants across the biosecurity system

14 System leadership, supporting everyone to contribute effectively within their own parts of the system. S D 4 : Ef f e c t i v e l e a d e r s h i p a n d g o v e r n a n c e Everyone having confidence in the system and its continual improvement.

15 At least 150,000 people with identified skills can be drawn on to quickly support during biosecurity incursions S D 5 : To m o r r o w s S k i l l s a n d a s s e t s Robust, resilient and enduring infrastructure supports biosecurity system functions.

16 What would success in 2025 look like?

17 Māori and taonga sentinel plants The Treaty of Waitangi (Māori: Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and Māori chiefs (Rangatira) from the North Island of New Zealand. Central importance to the history and political constitution of the state of New Zealand Highly significant in framing the political relations between New Zealand's government and the Māori population Taonga (treasured entities). Include tangible things such as land, waters, plants, wildlife and cultural works, and intangible things such as language, identity and culture Māori have a strong interest and involvement in research relating to sentinel plants

18 Māori and taonga sentinel plants economic (plants grown for food and fibre, honey) utilisation for food (kai), traditional medicine (rongōa), weaving (raranga), carving (whakairo) and construction for dwellings and waka (canoes) environmental species that support key ecosystems cultural/aesthetic (pōhutukawa Metrosideros excelsa), kauri Agathis australis and harakeke (Phormium tenax)

19 Plants valuable to Māori Common name Species Order: Family: pōhutukawa Metrosideros excelsa Myrtales Myrtaceae ramarama Lophomyrtus bullata Myrtales Myrtaceae southern rātā Metrosideros umbellata Myrtales Myrtaceae Bartlett's rata Metrosideros bartlettii Myrtales Myrtaceae mānuka Leptospermum scoparium Myrtales Myrtaceae miro Prumnopitys ferruginea Pinales Podocarpaceae kākābeak Clianthus puniceus Fabales Fabaceae kōwhai Sophora tetraptera Fabales Fabaceae kawakawa Piper excelsum Piperales Piperaceae kauri Agathis australis Pinales Araucariaceae harakeke/ flax Phormium tenax Asparagales Asphodelaceae

20 Outline New Zealand s biosecurity landscape Better Border Biosecurity (B3) research programme Stakeholder survey of views on IPSN Realising the value of sentinel plants Risk assessment Research and Implementation Surveillance Research and Implementation

21 Research partnership/collaboration between: 4 Research Institutes + Lincoln University End-users: Ministry of Primary Industries, Department of Conservation, Environmental Protection Authority, relevant primary industries (forestry, horticulture, pastoral) Mission: Better Border Biosecurity (B3) To develop science-based solutions to reduce the rate of establishment of high-impact, damaging pests, diseases and weeds threatening NZ s natural plant & productive systems

22 B3 Research Themes Risk Assessment what are the pests and diseases of risk to NZ? Pathway risk management what are the high risk pathways and how to close/manage them? Diagnostics can we identify pests and diseases when they get here? Surveillance how can we detect incursions as early as possible? Eradication can we improve our chances of their eradication?

23 Risk Assessment Pre-emptive biocontrol for Halyomorpha halys (brown marmorated stink bug) established the risks and economic benefits of BCA before the pest arrives International Plant Sentinel Network an international early warning network for new and emerging pest and pathogen risks Systems approaches to risk assessment Bayesian Network Model approach to indicate most effective points of intervention along a pathways to reduce incursions A general BN model for fruit import risk assessment DRAFT V2 Orchard Infestation (A) MitigatingPreharvestTmt (D) Low 100 Yes 100 Alpha Medium 0 No 0 High 0 PropFruitInfected (P_inf) MeanPropFruit Infected (F) 0 to 1e e e-8 to 1e e-6 0 1e-7 to 1e e-5 0 1e-6 to 1e e-4 0 1e-5 to 1e e-4 to FruitPerBox (C5) to to e-7 ± to e-7 ± 2.9e-7 PropBoxesInfected (P_Boxinf) PropBoxesInfAfterPostharvestTMT (X) 0 to 1e PostharvestTMT (G) 0 to 1e e-8 to 1e No 0 1e-8 to 1e e-7 to 1e Yes 100 1e-7 to 1e e-6 to 1e e-6 to 1e e-5 to 1e e-5 to 1e e-4 to e-4 to to MeanNoInsects to to PerInfectedBox (E) 0.01 to to to e-6 ± 2.9e e-6 ± 2.5e-6 Between-Consignment Variability (C) ProbEstAndSpread (H) BoxesSampled (C7) PropBoxesInfInConsignment (P_BoxInfE... 0 to 1e LikelihoodEntryEstSpread (Y) 1e-8 to 1e PestDetection (B1) Impact (B) 0 to 1e e-7 to 1e NO 100 Negligible 0 1e-6 to e-6 to 1e YES.019 Significant to e-5 to 1e Major ± to e-4 to Critical to to Catastrophic to DetectionRate 0.7 to to ± e-6 ± 5.9e-6 Trade Volume per year (NoOfBoxes) ImportRisk, 0 to 5 (J) Negligible 73.1 NumberInfBoxesEntering (N_InfBoxes) VeryLow 0 i Low 23.1 i Moderate 3.74 i High 0 i ExtremelyHigh 0 i ± 0.97 i more ± 1.1

24 Pathway Risk Management Detection within pathways use of volatile chemical compounds and acoustic signals from pests during sea voyages Biosecurity risk from tourism developing a spatial model to map tourist aggregations soil on footwear found to contain viable seeds, insects, mites, nematodes, bacteria and fungi 24

25 Surveillance Self-reporting remote trapping systems for key pests e.g. fruit fly, gypsy moth images, sound and optical patterns data processing and automated reporting Improving awareness of biosecurity risk in port environments educating port workers, local communities, schools (citizen science) sentinel gardens 25

26 Outline New Zealand s biosecurity landscape Better Border Biosecurity (B3) research programme Stakeholder survey of views on IPSN Realising the value of sentinel plants Risk assessment Research and Implementation Surveillance Research and Implementation

27 Stakeholder views of IPSN IPSN Workshop Feb 2016 and ongoing discussion Asked policymakers and botanic gardens: benefits, limitations potential policy changes priority geographic areas, plant taxa anything else Answers discussed at face-to-face workshop Ministry for Primary Industry (MPI), Department of Conservation (DOC), Auckland Botanic Gardens (ABG)

28 MPI views on IPSN Benefits raw data on emerging risks accessible database to capture data would be very useful verifiable data data on host ranges and distribution can be used for Pest Risk Analyses may assist in predictions

29 MPI views on IPSN Limitations Which plant/pest associations will have impact on plant growth/survival time spent on non-important organisms What about productive plants? Cost/benefit? how expensive will the work be need to show examples where finds have led to making a difference Availability of taxonomic expertise, especially micro organisms - need to prioritise

30 Botanic gardens views on IPSN (Auckland & Christchurch) Benefits economic and environmental tangible linking amongst botanic gardens/ arboreta (eg gall midge survey) strengthening ties between gardens, universities, other researchers, regulators and public establishing garden survey best practice knowing potential impacts of specific pests based on overseas observations enables response planning staff satisfaction

31 Auckland Botanic Gardens (Bec Stanley, Curator) Regular MPI funded survey of ABG Detecting, then monitoring for myrtle rust Education public and biosecurity inspectors Agapanthus gall mite potential bio control and principle of reciprocity in IPSN Priority plant taxa for surveillance Combination of economic, environmental, social and cultural significance

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33 Data from New Zealand Botanic Garden sentinel plants being used to map myrtle rust spread in New Zealand

34 DOC views on IPSN See high value in expatriate sentinel plants research targeting plant diseases, insect pests and nematodes Predicting the potential impact of exotic species on New Zealand species Xylella, fungal plant pathogen Ceratocystis huliohia and Ceratocystis lukuohia causing Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) are priorities Impacts: Plant diseases may potentially cause ecosystem loss vs Vertebrate and invertebrate pests (rats, possums, stoats, European wasp)

35 DOC NZ threatened plants 1900 indigenous plant species Threatened (403) [Critical, Nationally endangered and Nationally vulnerable] At Risk (851) [Declining, Recovering, Relict and naturally Uncommon] Estimated that 15 and 20% of the vascular plant flora of New Zealand remains unnamed. de Lange PJ, Rolfe JR, Barkla JW, Courtney SP, Champion PD, Perrie LR, Beadle SM, Ford KA, Breitwieser I, Schönberger, I, Hindmarsh-Walls R., Heenan PB, Ladley K (2017. In Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, Department of Conservation, New Zealand threat classification series 3: 82 pp.

36 DOC views on IPSN Sentinel plantings in overseas areas where pests likely to survive in NZ environments Especially where potential pests have been noted on NZ species Pre incursion intelligence useful. e.g. early observations of the impact of myrtle rust on NZ plant species growing in Australia Sentinel plantings in NZ sites where new pest incursions are likely

37 Outline New Zealand s biosecurity landscape Better Border Biosecurity (B3) research programme Stakeholder survey of views on IPSN Realising the value of sentinel plants Risk assessment Research and implementation Surveillance Research and implementation

38 Realising the value of sentinel plants: Risk assessment research Pine aphid survey in Christchurch Botanic Gardens Xyllela fastidiosa vectored by glassy winged sharp shooter Myrtle rust: determining impacts from expatriate NZ plants growing overseas Comparing pests and diseases on New Zealand and Chinese plants growing in respective countries (native and productive systems)

39 4th Research Colloquium, Christchurch Botanic Gardens and School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury 22 October 2014 Pine preference of aphids in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens A test of the plant sentinel concept for identifying threats to biosecurity

40 Christchurch Botanic Gardens The continental arboretum ~3 rd of the Botanic Gardens area in 1877 An arboretum of species from all continents Opportunities for study of pest and disease susceptibility (e.g., on northern hemisphere trees) Contribution to International Plant Sentinel Network By Farmers. For Farmers

41 Invasive aphids and Pinaceae ca. 600 observations of aphid abundances (4731 individuals) Mainly pine aphids Eulachnus brevipilosus and Essigella californica and spruce aphids Cinara pilicornis and Elatobium abietinum These aphids were highly genus-specific, despite the spatially mixed distribution of genera Redlich et al. 201 Identifying new associations between invasive aphids and Pinaceae trees using plant sentinels in botanic gardens. Biol Invasions

42 Invasive aphids and Pinaceae Many results consistent with known and anticipated host-aphid associations Revealed unexpected associations: e.g. the abundance of North American Essigella californica on Eurasian subgenus Pinus & Strobus Identified numerous novel insect-plant interactions that are likely to materialise if these aphids colonise new host plants

43 Expatriate sentinel plants surveillance Targeted NZ native and endemic species growing in California Located in botanical gardens, arboreta and amenity plantings Searched for glassy winged sharpshooter (GWSS) (Homalodisca vitripennis) and Xylella fastiodiosa (from woody tissue)

44 Expatriate Sentinel Plants Surveillance Examined 109 NZ native plants comprising 39 species in 29 families 25% (26) had an association with GWSS 51% (52) of samples and 72% of plant species (28/39) were positive for Xylella fastiodiosa Found in pôhutakawa, kauri and Alectryon excelsus (tītoki)

45 Plant parasitic nematodes in expatriate New Zealand sentinels Overseas botanic garden visits for NZ species Sampled three sites: Isle of Wight (Ventnor); Adelaide (Mt Lofty); Tasmania (Royal Botanic) Sampled for nematodes and observed pathogen symptoms 18 NZ native plant genera sampled Sampled soil beneath plants, close to base (host association)

46 Three overseas botanic gardens Ventnor Botanic Garden Isle of Wight England Isle of Wight Ventnor Mt Lofty Botanic Garden, Adelaide Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Hobart

47 Results 49 plant feeding nematode finds (17 genera/families) Most frequently found: root knot (Meloidogyne), lesion (Pratylenchus) spiral nematodes (Helicotylenchus & Scutellonema) Identified species not currently found in NZ: Rotylenchus pumilus sting (Morulaimus whiteii) spiral (Scutellonema minutum)

48 Surveillance Post border: eradicate, contain or mitigate impacts High Risk Surveillance Sites e.g. sea and airports, botanical gardens, devanning sites (sea containers, used cars), tourist venues and golf courses 7,000 annual inspections are carried out on trees in high-risk areas Plus Forest Biosecurity Surveillance scheme 5800 inspections/year (2019 >)

49 Realising the value of sentinel plants: Risk assessment research Myrtle rust: determining impacts from expatriate NZ plants growing overseas Comparing pests and diseases on New Zealand and Chinese plants growing in respective countries (native and forage systems)

50 Challenges and opportunities Taxa being targeted Insects, plant pathogens, nematodes Identification of biocontrol agents Environment and risk exposure Limited number of expatriate sentinel plants in botanical gardens in certain regions Correct identification of species Enemy release (do impacts change?)

51 Challenges and opportunities Cost of research License to operate Putting a value on pest impacts environmental, cultural and economic Capturing information to inform quarantine authorities (pest risk and pathways analysis)

52 Acknowledgements We thank our colleagues, stakeholders and end-user partners in B3 Funding from the B3 research collaboration via AgResearch SSIF funding