New methods for rapid detection of threats to forests
- Reference number
- UKR22-0006
- Project leader
- Matsiakh, Iryna
- Start and end dates
- 230101-241231
- Amount granted
- 1 000 000 SEK
- Administrative organization
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Research area
- Life Sciences
Summary
Today, Swedish forests suffers from several forest health problems caused by insects and fungi, which cause large economic and ecological impacts due to losses in tree productivity and the direct killing of trees. Scots pine – one of the most economically important tree species for Sweden - is today threatened by several new (introduced) and native yet emerging fungal diseases. The situation is expected to get even worse with climate change. The detection tools to quickly identify new (introduced) or emerging threats when they appear means that the window of time to respond and implement mitigation measures that can reduce losses is often missed. Escalating damage in the forest will cause instability in the source of raw material for a growing bio-industry which is important for Sweden’s transformation to a fossil-free economy. The aim of the project is to develop cutting-edge Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)-based diagnostic assays for fast and early detection of all pine pathogens that are currently relevant for Sweden. These assays will be developed and validated to make a simple and portable solution so that forest managers and advisors can use them for detecting disease agents even at remote forest locations. With improved tools for rapid detection and monitoring, we can improve the health and protect our vital timber resources, biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Popular science description
Scots pine – one of the most economically important trees for the Swedish forest sector, is affected by several damaging fungal pathogens (some introduced, some native), and more are spreading throughout Europe. For example, several pine needle pathogens like species of Dothistroma, Lophodermium, Lophodermella and Diplodia are becoming more and more problematic in southern Sweden probably because of climate change which makes conditions more favourable for pathogen development. In addition, changing climate conditions for the host (decreasing vitality due to host stress caused by drought) can also increase the incidence and severity of diseases in the forest. In some cases, this can lead to local outbreaks and after several consecutive years of attack, it can seriously reduce tree growth, wood production and kill trees directly, causing huge economic losses for the forest owner and in some cases, threaten biodiversity and jeopardize the provision of ecosystem services. The most effective way to improve the situation and prevent large-scale outbreaks of forest disease is to strengthen our position to detect problems at an early stage to allow for mitigation measures to be effective. To succeed in these efforts, novel and innovative tools must be developed. To maximize their effect, these tools need to be rapid, simple and portable so that stakeholders (forest owners, managers) can use them in practice. The purpose of this project is to develop and implement a rapid detection tool based on the technology of "Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)" – an alternative approach to the current PCR diagnostics that are so time consuming and expensive. The new LAMP assay, fitted to a portable DNA amplification machine, that is user-friendly and field-suitable, makes it possible to be adopted into practice. The project aims to develop and test LAMP-based diagnostic assays for rapid and early detection for all of the pine pathogens currently relevant for Sweden. The uptake and utilization of this new detection tool in practice will inevitably strengthen Swedish forestry by safeguarding Scots pine forests against new and emerging pathogens. Furthermore, the tools pioneered on Scots pine in this project can be readily applied to other tree and plant systems in the urban green and agricultural sectors that are also affected by plant diseases.