An exhibit at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show 2014 is to include oversized models of pests which threaten the UK, including Asian longhorn beetle, Oak processionary moth and the symptoms resulting from Fuchsia gall mite.
These invasive pests can kill plants and trees or weaken them, making them more susceptible to harmful diseases.
The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera), supported by Department for Environment, Food, Rural Affairs (Defra), Forestry Commission, Scottish Government and Border Force have created the exhibit, called Plants Need Passports Too, to demonstrate how pests and diseases can be unintentionally introduced into the UK, and aims to inform individuals about the steps they can take to help mitigate the risk.
Horticulture is a global trade, with plants, trees and produce imported from around the world everyday. This carries the risk of pests and diseases inadvertently entering the UK which can have a serious impact on our environment, economy, and society.
UK legislation controls and restricts the import and movement of certain plants, to prevent the introduction and spread of harmful pests and diseases.
The recently published Plant Biosecurity Strategy sets out a comprehensive approach that joins up government, industry and the voluntary sector, to improving the UK’s biosecurity. Improved technology that uses odour detections and image recognition to scan for disease and pests is also currently being trialled by plant inspectors.
Chief Plant Health Officer, Nicola Spence, said: “It’s great to be able to attend Chelsea and to highlight the importance of preventing pests and diseases entering the UK through plant imports. Safeguarding the future of our plants is enormously important for all of us – they supply the air we breathe, support our economy and provide us all with enjoyment and recreation. We all have a part to play in protecting them from the threat of pests and diseases.”
Hillary Aldridge, Chief Executive at Fera, also commented “The RHS Chelsea Flower Show offers us a fantastic opportunity to raise public awareness and provide advice on how everyone can help prevent the introduction and spread of tree and plant pests and diseases.”
She added “I am thrilled to be able to personally attend the show on Wednesday 21 May, and I am really looking forward to seeing our exhibit.”
The exhibit highlights three key risk pathways. The first is demonstrated with a specimen oak tree which addresses pest and disease risks associated with importing large specimen trees from continental Europe. The second focusses on ornamental plants, which can pose a plant health threat when imported from areas such as Asia, and the third, features packing cases and luggage overflowing with a beautiful profusion of plants. This highlights plant pest and disease risks related to bringing back plants, seeds, fruit and vegetable from trips abroad.
After the show, elements of the exhibit will be retained by Fera, to be re-displayed at events taking place to celebrate Fera’s centenary year – celebrating 100 years of providing Science Solutions.
After starting my garden maintenance and landscaping business in 1984 and running it for 21 years I decided I needed a change of direction (probably a mid life crisis, no seriously! :-0) Together with my family, wife Donna, Son Henry and Daughter Fleur (not forgetting Hector the Black Labrador) I moved to France in search of an old farmhouse to renovate. In the interim period whilst waiting for the contract to go through I started writing a blog. Initially just to keep a diary for family and friends to keep up with our progress if they wished but then it occurred to me that there isn’t a real time watcher of the landscape industry in the UK. I didn’t want to waste my experience and experiences so I decided I could put all of this Juice to good use so I started Landscape Juice.
