Discover some of the exciting developments resulting from the local and international efforts of the FWPA-supported Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative (PBRI) this year.
The PBRI aims to minimise the damaging consequences of biosecurity threats to Australia’s plant industries. The initiative is a partnership between all seven of the plant research and development corporations (RDCs), the Council of RDCs, Agrifutures, Plant Health Australia, and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Global collaborations represent the future of plant health
The PBRI joined with European and Aotearoa New Zealand counterparts Euphresco and B3NZ for the First International Plant Health Conference in London in September, during which it hosted a workshop and conference side-session exploring options for the global coordination of plant health research.
The enthusiastic participation observed during these events indicated wide support for this type of international research coordination, representing an important step for the future of internationally collaborative projects.
Dr Jo Luck, PBRI Program Director said, “Collaborating on plant health research with global partners means that we are not duplicating investment or efforts in plant health research and are able to share valuable experience and expertise on how to detect and manage destructive plant pests and pathogens.
“Euphresco has already made inroads into establishing global networks, which provides an excellent foundation to build on.”
Held just before the conference, the PBRI workshop covered topics such as network membership, governance, resources and future activities. As part of this event, Dr Luck led discussions on suggested activities for global participation and collaborative research such as food security, climate change and sustainable pest management.
Other areas of focus suggested by attendees during the session were research extension and outreach, capability building through the support of student networks, knowledge exchange via targeted workshops, webinars, conferences or global laboratory exchanges, and raising the profile of plant health research through a coordinated communications strategy.
With around 100 delegates from across the world in attendance, the conference side-session included five case study presentations demonstrating effective examples of global research co-ordination in plant health, administered through Euphresco.
During the side-session, Dr Luck also presented details of research led by Geraldine Anthoine, Deputy Director of the French ANSES Plant Health Laboratory, in collaboration with European countries and Australia, as well as the work of Toni Chapman, a senior research scientist at the NSW Department of Primary Industries, on the detection of bacteria Xylella fastidiosa in fruits and plants such as almonds, cherries and grapevine.
The next steps for the PBRI following the conference will include the development of a joint white paper to explore possibilities for such international initiatives, and a follow-up session to consider further options during the International Congress on Biological Invasions set to be held in Christchurch, New Zealand in May 2023.
Scholars and researchers connect thanks to new Plant Health Student Network
At the PBRI Symposium, held in Adelaide between 11 and 12 May, four PhD students were awarded the Ritman Scholarship. This scholarship commemorates Dr Kim Ritman, who was Australia’s Chief Plant Protection Officer and Chief Scientist at the Department of Agriculture, Water and Development. It was established to recognise students committed to plant health research.
This year’s talented and well-deserved recipients were Rebecca Degnans (University of Queensland), Bianca Rodrigues-Jardim (La Trobe University), Tavish Eenjes (Australian National University) and Salome Wilson (Australian National University).
As part of the scholarship the four students were given the opportunity to attend the PBRI Symposium, where they presented details of their own research and were able to meet and network with other plant health researchers, drawing inspiration for potential career pathways.
The students also used the conference as an opportunity to form the Plant Health Student Network, which connects tertiary students and early career researchers working in plant health.
This is a significant development, as the network was developed by students for students, with the intention of delivering regular online meetings with agendas focused on key student needs including networking, career advice, professional development, internships and conference opportunities. The inaugural meeting was held in September.
While the network was originally conceptualised for Australasian students, following an overwhelming and exciting expression of interest driven by social media, the first meeting was attended virtually by students and researchers from around the world.
Learn more about this new initiative at the PBRI website.