Dog detects tree disease to help protect nation's woodlands

Groundbreaking project successfully trains detection dogs to specifically identify the tree pathogen Phytophthora ramorum.

Detection dogs have been used in the UK to successfully identify tree disease helping track down the deadly tree pathogen Phytophthora ramorum.

In collaboration with the UK’s Forest Research, Canine Assisted Pest Eradication successfully trained Ivor, a cocker spaniel x labrador, aged 6, to identify the highly destructive pathogen. This destructive organism can cause extensive damage and even death to more than 150 plant species including significant mortality on larch, which are important timber trees.

Ivor was trained using a variety of detection training techniques including initial scent recognition. The first round saw Ivor successfully identify Phytophthora ramorum in soil, plant material and sterile distilled water. Further training phases saw Ivor faced with a number of scenarios which helped reinforce his detection abilities by introducing new working environments. Ivor was then able to build up to distinguishing Phytophthora ramorum from the scent of other Phytophthora species often found in the same environments to ensure effectiveness in real-world scenarios.

The damage to our trees, woods and forests from pests and diseases is significant, with the rapid increase in movements of goods and people between countries and climate change increasing the risk of spread in recent years, and this is the latest government innovation in the fight to protect our nation’s trees and woodlands.

The UK’s Chief Plant Health Officer Professor Nicola Spence said:

This ground-breaking research using detection dogs to identify Phytophthora ramorum, alongside other innovative approaches to tackle pests and diseases, will play a key role in maintaining biosecurity to meet the vision set out in our world-leading Plant Biosecurity Strategy.