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Sustainable Horticulture: New Tools for Biosecurity
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Sustainable Horticulture: New Tools for Biosecurity

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (26 March 2023) | Viewed by 10079

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Flore Mas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biosecurity Group, The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 4704, Christchurch Mail Centre, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
Interests: chemical ecology; behavioural ecology; integrated pest management; pest control; insect monitoring; semiochemicals; pollination; insect-plant interaction; biosecurity; surveillance
Dr. Adriana Najar-Rodriguez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biosecurity Group, The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 4704, Christchurch Mail Centre, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
Interests: chemical ecology; plant-insect-natural enemies interactions; climate change; insect sensing; biosecurity; integrated pest management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Globalisation of food trade and human transport, in addition to environmental changes, have led to the upsurge of invasive insect pests and pathogens in novel habitats, which disturbs local ecosystems, impacts food production systems, and results in socioeconomic costs. Biosecurity systems implemented by each country are challenged by these new incoming risks. How can we secure and protect food production systems without compromising sustainability?

This Special Issue will focus on new tools in biosecurity, both pre- and post-border, in the horticulture sector that contribute to sustainable food production. All types of communication, such as research articles, case studies, opinions, challenges or reviews, will be considered. We welcome submissions on:

  • Current trends and challenges for national biosecurity and how international cooperation could facilitate information sharing and knowledge on border interceptions as well as tracking and modelling pest movement and distribution;
  • New risk assessment approaches (e.g., pre-emptive biological control agents) and pathway risk analyses integrating global changes (e.g., climate change, pandemics) with new predictive models;
  • Harmonisation of phytosanitary standards and regulations;
  • New tools for surveillance for pre and/or post-border biosecurity (e.g., unmanned aerial vehicles);
  • Automated diagnostic tools for pests and plant pathogens;
  • Challenges of tracking and detecting cryptic invasive species or novel pathogens;
  • Non-invasive sensor technologies and real-time wireless communication systems for improved decision making;
  • Novel, socially and environmentally acceptable tools and methods for eradication (e.g., sterile insect technology, mating disruption, lure and kill);
  • Low-residue pest control solutions (e.g., semiochemicals, biopesticides);
  • Preparedness and pre-emptive actions to prevent establishment;
  • Systems approaches to track and control pests and pathogens from planting to market access;
  • Communication tools to engage with the public and encourage participation in biosecurity (e.g., citizen science).

Dr. Flore Mas
Dr. Adriana Najar-Rodriguez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biosecurity
  • surveillance
  • eradication
  • pathways
  • pest control
  • invasive species
  • insect pests
  • pathogens
  • management methods
  • system approach
  • biological control
  • preparedness
  • detection
  • semiochemical
  • monitoring system
  • sensors

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1410 KiB  
Article
Automated Surveillance of Lepidopteran Pests with Smart Optoelectronic Sensor Traps
by Taylor J. Welsh, Daniel Bentall, Connor Kwon and Flore Mas
Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9577; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159577 - 4 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1910
Abstract
Several lepidopterans are pests in horticulture and pose biosecurity risks to trading countries worldwide. Efficient species-specific semiochemical lures are available for some of these pests, facilitating the implementation of surveillance programmes via trapping networks. These networks have a long history of success in [...] Read more.
Several lepidopterans are pests in horticulture and pose biosecurity risks to trading countries worldwide. Efficient species-specific semiochemical lures are available for some of these pests, facilitating the implementation of surveillance programmes via trapping networks. These networks have a long history of success in detecting incursions of invasive species; however, their reliance on manual trap inspections makes these surveillance programmes expensive to run. Novel smart traps integrating sensor technology are being developed to detect insects automatically but are so far limited to expensive camera-based sensors or optoelectronic sensors for fast-moving insects. Here, we present the development of an optoelectronic sensor adapted to a delta-type trap to record the low wing-beat frequencies of Lepidoptera, and remotely send real-time digital detection via wireless communication. These new smart traps, combined with machine-learning algorithms, can further facilitate diagnostics via species identification through biometrics. Our laboratory and field trials have shown that moths flying in/out of the trap can be detected automatically before visual trap catch, thus improving early detection. The deployment of smart sensor traps for biosecurity will significantly reduce the cost of labour by directing trap visits to the locations of insect detection, thereby supporting a sustainable and low-carbon surveillance system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Horticulture: New Tools for Biosecurity)
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19 pages, 9898 KiB  
Article
Combined Searches of Chinese Language and English Language Databases Provide More Comprehensive Data on the Distribution of Five Pest Thrips Species in China for Use in Pest Risk Assessment
by Bingqin Xu and David A. J. Teulon
Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2920; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052920 - 2 Mar 2022
Viewed by 2246
Abstract
Background: Globally, China and the USA are thought to present the greatest biosecurity threat from invasive species given the invasive species they already contain and their trade patterns. A proportion of Chinese scientific publications are published in Chinese language journals in Chinese characters, [...] Read more.
Background: Globally, China and the USA are thought to present the greatest biosecurity threat from invasive species given the invasive species they already contain and their trade patterns. A proportion of Chinese scientific publications are published in Chinese language journals in Chinese characters, thus, they are not easily available to the international biosecurity community. Information in these journals may be important for invasive species biosecurity risk assessment. Methods: To assess the need for retrieving information from non-international databases, such as Chinese databases, we compared quantitative and qualitative information on the presence and distribution of five invasive pest thrips species (Frankliniella schultzei, Selenothrips rubrocinctus, Scirtothrips dorsalis, Thrips hawaiiensis, and Thrips palmi) in China, retrieved from an international English language database (Web of Science/WOS) and a Chinese language database (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure/CNKI). Such information is necessary for climate matching models which are used regularly for pest risk assessment. Results: Few publications on Frankliniella schultzei were found in either database. For the other species, more publications were sourced from CNKI than WOS. More publications on the provincial distribution of S. rubrocinctus and S. dorsalis in China were found in CNKI than the Crop Protection Compendium (CPC); the two sources had equivalent publications on T. palmi and T. hawaiiensis. The combined provincial distributional data from WOS, CNKI and CPC for the four species provided distribution records at a higher latitude than a recently published checklist—information that is important for optimised climate matching. Additionally, CNKI provided sub-provincial distributional data not available in CPC that will enable a more refined approach for climate matching. Data on the relative proportion of publications found in different databases were constant over time. Conclusions: This study, focusing on pest distributional data, illustrates the importance of searching in Chinese databases in combination with standard searches in international databases, to gain a comprehensive understanding of invasive species for biosecurity risk assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Horticulture: New Tools for Biosecurity)
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9 pages, 1563 KiB  
Communication
Vibrational Communication of Scolypopa australis (Walker, 1851) (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae)—Towards a Novel Sustainable Pest Management Tool
by Nicola Jayne Sullivan, Sabina Avosani, Ruth C. Butler and Lloyd D. Stringer
Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010185 - 24 Dec 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2417
Abstract
A study was undertaken to determine whether Scolypopa australis, the passionvine hopper, communicates using substrate-borne vibrations, as its use of such signals for communication is currently unknown. This insect is a costly pest to the kiwifruit industry in New Zealand, where few [...] Read more.
A study was undertaken to determine whether Scolypopa australis, the passionvine hopper, communicates using substrate-borne vibrations, as its use of such signals for communication is currently unknown. This insect is a costly pest to the kiwifruit industry in New Zealand, where few pest management tools can be used during the growing season. Vibrations emitted by virgin females and males of S. australis released alone on leaves of Griselinia littoralis were recorded with a laser vibrometer to identify and characterise potential spontaneous calling signals produced by either sex. In addition to single-insect trials, preliminary tests were conducted with female–male pair trials to determine whether individuals exchanged signals. The signal repertoire of S. australis includes a male calling signal and two female calling signals. However, no evidence of duetting behaviour that is potentially necessary for pair formation has been found to date. Our outcome suggests that a deeper understanding of the role of vibrational communication employed by S. australis is needed, and by disclosing the pair formation process, a new residue-free pest management tool against this pest may be developed. In addition, this vibration-based tool could contribute to future biosecurity preparedness and response initiatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Horticulture: New Tools for Biosecurity)
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Review

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21 pages, 1120 KiB  
Review
Metabolomics for Plant Health Biosecurity Diagnostics and Response
by Alastair B. Ross, Hadley Muller, Arvind Subbaraj, Ines Homewood, Flore Mas, Scott Hardwick, Lloyd Stringer, Jessica Vereijssen, Sandra Visnovsky, Adriana Najar-Rodriguez and Karen F. Armstrong
Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4654; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054654 - 6 Mar 2023
Viewed by 2283
Abstract
The increasing diversity of potential biosecurity threats makes their diagnosis a complicated and evolving area, requiring moving beyond traditional taxonomic species identification. New biosecurity diagnostic tools should provide a greater depth of information on threat biology to enable accurate risk assessment for the [...] Read more.
The increasing diversity of potential biosecurity threats makes their diagnosis a complicated and evolving area, requiring moving beyond traditional taxonomic species identification. New biosecurity diagnostic tools should provide a greater depth of information on threat biology to enable accurate risk assessment for the more efficient and effective deployment of biosecurity resources. Metabolomics is amongst the new approaches being explored for biosecurity diagnostics, where a broad spectrum of metabolites might signify relevant biological characteristics of an intercepted organism. Examples of these characteristics are physiological signatures of age, reproductive status, geographic origin, pathogen status of potential invertebrate vectors, and the distinction between diseases and abiotic plant stress symptoms. This broad-based approach is attractive, where several biological characteristics of an organism can be assessed with a single measurement. However, it can be impractical as several hundred biological replicates of the organism are needed to build a robust model of a species. New approaches such as mass spectral fingerprinting substantially reduce the time taken for metabolomics measurements, and more sophisticated modelling methods aid feasibility. Promising data are emerging for metabolomics and metabolite fingerprinting for potential biosecurity applications. We discuss the possibilities and potential uses for these new tools for post-detection decisions, diagnosis, and biosecurity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Horticulture: New Tools for Biosecurity)
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