Dogs Enlisted to Fight Plant Pests and Diseases in the UK

The UK government has announced on its website that specially trained detection dogs are being used to identify diseases in trees, specifically the highly dangerous pathogen Phytophthora ramorum.

"Working in partnership with the UK Forestry Research, the Plant Health Agency’s Detection Dog Service has successfully trained Ivor, a six-year-old cocker spaniel/labrador cross, to detect the highly dangerous pathogen. This devastating microorganism can cause significant damage and even kill over 150 plant species, including larch, an important timber species," the statement reads.

Ivor has been trained in various detection methods, including initial scent recognition. In the first stage, he successfully identified Phytophthora ramorum in soil, plant material, and sterile distilled water. The dog then learned to differentiate Phytophthora ramorum from the scent of other Phytophthora species commonly found in the same conditions.

"Pests and diseases cause significant damage to our trees, woodlands and forests, as the rapid increase in the movement of goods and people between countries and climate change in recent years has increased the risk of their spread, and this is the latest government innovation in the fight to protect our country's trees and woodlands," the UK government noted.

According to Nicola Spence, the UK's Chief Plant Health Officer, quoted on the website, this groundbreaking research, along with other innovative approaches to pest and disease control, will play a key role in maintaining biosecurity in the country.

"The trial results were incredibly encouraging: the detection rate of 89% identified for the first time shows the huge potential for dogs in our fight against pests and diseases. Biosecurity is incredibly important, and detection dogs such as Ivor are an exciting new method of protecting our trees," said Dr. Heather Dunn, a specialist from the UK government's forestry research organization, quoted in the statement.

As noted by the government, search dogs have previously been involved in the fight against an outbreak of the Asian longhorned beetle in Kent. This was in 2012 when a team of canines from the Austrian Plant Health Inspection Service successfully helped locate this beetle.

Currently, the possibility of using dogs to combat other pests and diseases, such as the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle, is being studied.