Is there a way to predict which imported agricultural products are most likely to carry a pest? This question was tackled by former C∙I∙B student, Davina Saccaggi, in a recent paper in Ecological Applications.
Invasion science must adapt to meet growing societal demands and biosecurity challenges in the face of rapid global environmental change. This task was addressed at a workshop during the NEOBIOTA conference in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, in September 2018 that was attended by several researchers affiliated with the Centre for Invasion Biology (C∙I∙B).
Alien pests of agriculture cause billions of Rands’ worth of damage to South African crops every year. Knowledge on which pests could pose a threat in the future is vital to inform South Africa’s biosecurity.
Global agricultural trade is the single biggest pathway of introduction of alien invertebrates and microorganisms. Each imported grain, fruit, vegetable, plant or flower may be carrying a host of unseen and unwanted passengers – including insects, mites, fungi or viruses.
Invasive alien species are one of the top five threats to biodiversity and ecosystems globally, yet only a handful of countries regard biosecurity measures as a priority.