Trade in live plants has been recognized worldwide as an important invasion pathway for non-native plant pests. Such pests can have severe economic and ecological consequences. Nearly 70% of damaging forest insects and pathogens established in the US between 1860 and 2006 most likely entered on imported live plants. The current regulation of plant imports is outdated and needs to balance the impacts of pest damage, the expense of mitigation efforts, and the benefits of live plant importation. To inform these discussions, we document large increases in the volume and value of plant imports over the past five decades and explain recent and proposed changes to plant import regulations. Two data sources were used to estimate the infestation rate of regulated pests in live plant shipments entering the US, thus allowing evaluation of the efficacy of the current port inspection process.

background

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The Blister Rust of White Pine

Live plant imports: the major pathway for forest insect and pathogen invasions of the US

White pine blister rust was introduced into North America at the turn of the twentieth century, threatening valuable white pine resources. Measures to eliminate, contain, or control this disease constitute the most extensive forest disease control effort in time, money, men, and materiel in the history of US forestry. The major thrust was protection of pine stands by eliminating currant and gooseberry (ribes) alternate hosts from within and around these stands. Failures with ribes eradication resulted in application of antibiotic fungicides without adequate testing. These failures, coupled with lower dependence on white pines and reduced need for a large reserve of men for fire fighting, led to sudden termination of the program in 1967. The chronology of events and interactions between agencies and personnel responsible for the program provide an interesting case history and, it is hoped, valuable lessons for the future.

White pine blister rust control in North America: a case history.

Summary For over a century, white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) has linked white pines (Strobus) with currants and gooseberries (Ribes) in a complex and serious disease epidemic in Asia, Europe, and North America. Because of ongoing changes in climate, societal demands for forests and their amenities, and scientific advances in genetics and proteomics, our current understanding and management of the white pine blister rust pathosystem has become outdated. Here, we present a review and synthesis of international scope on the biology and management of blister rust, white pines, Ribes, and other hosts. In this article, we provide a geographical and historical background, describe the taxonomy and life cycle of the rust, discuss pathology and ecology, and introduce a series of invited papers. These review articles summarize the literature on white pines, Ribes, and blister rust with respect to their status, threats, and management through genetics and silviculture. Although the principal focus is on North America, the different epidemics in Europe and Asia are also described. In the final article, we discuss several of the key observations and conclusions from the preceding review articles and identify prudent actions for research and management of white pine blister rust.

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White pines, Ribes, and blister rust: a review and synthesis

Horticultural nurseries are heterogeneous and spatially complex agricultural systems, which present formidable challenges to management of diseases and pests. Moreover, nursery plants shipped interstate and internationally can serve as important vectors for pathogens and pests that threaten both agriculture and forestry. Current regulatory strategies to prevent this movement of pathogens and pests with nursery plants are based on visual inspections of plants just before shipping, a process that is costly and inadequate. Here we propose the application of a systems approach for horticultural nurseries modeled after the Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) approach widely used in the food processing industry. We evaluated aspects of the systems approach to analyze contamination hazards by Phytophthora species and then implemented management practices targeting specific critical control points. The systems approach for analyzing and correcting unsafe practices offers a potential alternative strategy for preventing plant contamination that could be broadly applied to many pests and pathogens. One of the hallmarks of this approach is its flexibility, including the ability to improve and adapt the approaches as new technologies are developed or improved and to provide the grower with management options.

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The Blister Rust of White Pine

Citations

Live plant imports: the major pathway for forest insect and pathogen invasions of the US

White pine blister rust control in North America: a case history.

White pines, Ribes, and blister rust: a review and synthesis

A Systems Approach for Management of Pests and Pathogens of Nursery Crops.

A synthesis of emerging health issues of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) in eastern North America

Related Papers (5)

In the white pine-blister rust pathosysteh.

Blister rust resistant white pine

Investigations of the White-Pine Blister Rust

White Pine Blister Rust in Western North America

Blister rust resistance in western white pine