Two years on from the International Year of Plant Health, the world has recognised the power of plants and the intrinsic connectedness of plant health with our own wellbeing. On Thursday 12th May, the first International Day of Plant Health will be celebrated.
Thursday 12th May is #planthealthday
Join in with international #planthealthday – supported by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. Aiming to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development.
Register to join the FAO 2022 International Day of Plant Health Celebration webinar here: Webinar Registration – Zoom at 13.30-15.30 CET (12.30 BST). BSPP President 2020-21 and Chief Plant Health Officer for Defra, Nicola Spence, will talk at this IPCC event on Plant Biosecurity and Food security.
Celebrating 40 years of supporting plant pathology
BSPP are celebrating over 40 years of supporting plant pathology education. We communicate our science through three international journals and plant pandemic studies and, for 40 years, we have supported travel across the globe through bursaries to encourage exploration and discovery. We also support early plant pathologists through summer projects for university undergraduate students, Masters funding and Fellowship funding.
Sharing plant pathology and the importance of plant health research is central to our role, with funding for plant pathology promotion projects, support for visiting researchers and those with caring responsibilities, and sponsorship to host conferences and meetings.
To mark 40 years in plant health, we asked our members to share their experiences in plant pathology to create a wall of “40 faces” that celebrates the diversity of people that explore plant diseases – across science disciplines, different backgrounds, personalities and countries across the world.
We also commissioned Sci Ani to animate a new video, sharing what plant pathology is, why it’s important and how the British Society for Plant Pathology support the work of plant pathologists as a global community:
Sharing science – meeting up
We look forward to hearing from you this plant health week and are pleased to welcome all to our Plant Health Club for May 2022: Anna Platoni of the Royal Horticultural Society will share her knowledge and experiences in biosecurity at RHS events. Chaired by Gail Preston, BSPP Vice President and Chair of the EEDI committee, Oxford University and Magdalena Boshoff, Plant Health Scientist at RHS Wisley. (Registration closed on Sunday, but members can watch again on the member’s homepage.)
This week will be busy with a huge range of online events, videos, podcasts and opportunities to engage in plant health.
The RHS are highlighting the importance of tree health all week with their Check-a-Sweet-Chestnut citizen science project: join in by identifying Sweet Chestnut trees (Castanea sativa) and looking out for the invasive pest – Oriental chestnut gall wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus). There’re also loads of resources for identifying diseases on tree as at Observatree and learn how to engage in more citizen science at Forest Research’s Tree Alert page.
Check out the other events below…
What’s happening?
Activities in #planthealthweek
National Plant Health Week is an exciting opportunity to celebrate our plants and contribute towards being the first generation to leave the environment in a better condition that we found it. Many organisations are supporting through events and campaigns:
Tuesday 10th May
- The Linnean Society are hosting a webinar in celebration of the week that will bring together five historical plant collections and research institutes to show the ways plants and people share a history and a future. It’s free and from 6pm BST. Register here: Stories from Plant Collections: Science, History and Culture Tickets, Tue 10 May 2022 at 18:00.
Wednesday 11th May
- Bacterial Plant Diseases are hosting a webinar exploring emerging biocontrol methods including bacteriophages and microbiome management. There will be three short science talks and the opportunity to ask questions. It’s free and from 1pm BST. Register here: Innovative approaches to controlling bacterial plant diseases, Weds 11 May 2022 at 13:00.
Thursday 12th May
- The Tree Council are hosting a free webinar will explore key pests and diseases and what to do if you discover something worrying at 6pm BST. Register for free here: Taking Action for Healthy Trees, Thurs 12 May at 18:00.
Friday 13th May
- Forest Research are hosting an online seminar on tree pests and disease threats in a changing world at 2pm BST. Free registration by Wednesday 11 May 2022: Pests on the horizon for UK forests and a review of the Ips typographus eradication, Fri 13 May at 14:00.
Check out the plant health action website for more information on #planthealthweek.
Join in!
Share highlights from your week and watch out for our #BritishSignLanguage video on Fusarium Wilt and the May instalment of our Plant Doctor Quiz.
There is plenty to engage budding plant health professionals, including Izzy the Inspector who takes children through the life of a Plant Health Inspector with games, cartoons and stories.
The Plant Defenders‘ artwork and activities will also be shared through the week, inspiring others to explore the beauty of plants and the complex webs of microbes and animals that live on and in them.
Join us on social media with the hashtag: #PlantHealthWeek #PlantHealthDay
TITLE IMAGE: A white campion flower (Silene pratense) showing signs of smut fungus (Microbotryum violacearum) infection . Credit: Mike Shaw, University of Reading, BSPP President 2013 and Honorary Member 2021.
