Global collaboration: International Plant Sentinel Network

Invertebrate and pathogen pests present a significant risk to global plant health, and this threat is ever rising due to the growing global trade of plant material and, increasingly, as evidence suggests that climate change is influencing pest establishment in new locations. Sentinel plants within botanic gardens and arboreta can play a vital role in providing information on future and/or unknown threats. The objective of the International Plant Sentinel Network (IPSN) is to act as an early warning system to recognise new and emerging pest and pathogen risks, through the development of national and international partnerships between plant protection scientists and botanic gardens and arboreta. There are currently 71 members of IPSN. They include the Australian National Botanic Gardens (Canberra), Kings Park and Botanic Garden (Perth), Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, National Arboretum Canberra, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, and the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia. As part of the project ‘Establishing a Program of Plant Pest Surveillance in Australian Botanic Gardens and Arboreta’, which is funded through the Australian Government’s Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper – the Government’s plan for stronger farmers and a stronger economy – Plant Health Australia has had the opportunity to develop connections with the IPSN to build capacity and knowledge, locally and abroad.