MSU lab develops early-warning for biological invaders
the development of threats to agriculture or, potentially, human health. They also train Extension agents, crop advisors and master gardeners to identify potential disease and insect threats as “first detectors.”
Having many people able to help track the development and dispersal of threats is a huge contribution to keeping agriculture and Americans safe, Stack says.
Because of the national system, when an agricultural producer, Extension agent, or consultant detects a suspicious pest in a field, that information no longer stays isolated in that county or even in the state. The detection is fed into a national computer database which allows experts to learn many things about the invader and often to forecast where it might move next. The data allows answers to questions such as: What is the path of the pest’s dispersal since it was first detected? What are the geographical and climatic conditions where the pest has been found? What other parts of the country have a similar setting? “The nature of agriculture has changed,” Stack says. “We are now so dependent on the import and export of ag products that we need the capability for early detection and diagnostics. The longer it takes to detect introductions, the costlier it is to respond to them.” By early detection, the lab buffers potential “ecological damage and economic damage through reduced yield and qualities, and public health if toxins get into food or feed.”
The national system has a “chain of command,” which allows confidentiality until a pest has been confirmed, Burrows says. Why confidentiality? Take the example of pale and golden cyst nematodes of potatoes, pests that have been identified in areas neighboring Montana (the pale cyst nematode in Idaho and the golden cyst nematode in Alberta) but not yet in Montana. “Say the news got out that Montana had either golden or pale cyst nematode in potatoes,” Burrows says. “If that got into the news media before it was confirmed, other states and countries could refuse to buy our potatoes, but we might not have the problem at all.” So the team uses the chain of command to confirm their identification of lesser threats. For instance, a crop consultant can submit photos or a physical specimen to the lab of a plant that is infected. It might be a common disease, or it might be something new to Montana. “We can go through the chain of command exercise to practice handling a situation before a crisis occurs,” she says.
Crisis mode is, however, just one aspect of the lab’s service to Montana and the country. The experts serve Montanans each day in more mundane tasks such as diagnosing the causes of plant growth problems and developing management recommendations for both agricultural producers and home gardeners.
