Proposal Title: Linking the People’s Republic of China to the International Distance Diagnostic and Identification System Network

Collaborating Foreign Country: People’s Republic of China

Type of Project: Short-term Scientific Exchange with the People’s Republic of China

Target Subject Areas:

Animal and Plant Health

·  Develop technologies to more quickly and accurately identify and control the spread of animal and plant-borne diseases and pests, particularly those with the potential to spread to humans

·  Minimize the impact of animal and plant pest and disease outbreaks

·  Development of pest digital libraries and improve applications for plant health

Agricultural Biotechnology and Emerging Technologies

·  Enhance development of information technologies such as agricultural digital libraries and improve applications for plant and animal health

U.S. Principal Investigator(s):

Dr. Pete Vergot III, Associate Professor & District Director, Ph.D.
Address: 155 Research Road, Quincy, FL 32351-9500
Email: Tel: (850) 875-7137 SC: 294 -7137 Fax: (850) 875-7189
University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Dr. Jiannong Xin, Associate In, Office of Information Technologies, Ph.D.
Address: Bldg 162, PO Box 110495, Gainesville, FL 32611-0350
Email: Tel: (352) 392-3196 Fax: (352) 392-5857
University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Ms. Teresa Olczyk, Miami-Dade County Extension Agent, MS

Address: 18710 SW 288 St, Homestead, FL 33030-2309
Email: Tel: (305) 248-3311 ext. 232

Ms. Theresa Friday, Courtesy Agent, Santa Rosa County, MAg

Address: 6263 Dogwood Drive, Milton, FL 32583-3500,

Email: Tel: (850) 623-3868 Fax: (850) 623-6151

University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Mr. Lyle J Buss, Senior Biological Scientist, Entomology and Nematology, M.S.

Address: Bldg 970, Natural Area Dr., PO Box 110620, Gainesville, FL 32611-0620

Email: Tel: (352) 392-1901 ext. 190 Fax: (352) 392-0190

University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences


Chinese Principal Investigator(s):

Professor Xiwen Luo

South China Agricultural University

Guangzhou, China email:

Others as identified by the Minister of Agriculture for China in project

Preferred Start and End Dates of the Scientific Exchange:

Exchange with scientists in the People’s Republic of China and the Faculty Team of University of Florida IFAS could happen at any time between the months of September 2008 and December 2008.

2. Abstract

Plant and animal insects and diseases cause significant economic losses throughout the world therefore their effects are felt wherever nations export farm products and families obtain their livelihood from farming. While integrated management strategies have been developed for many plant and animal insects and diseases, they are not always available to research scientist, extension workers and farmers. This project would establish discussions and projects on the benefits of a web-based rapid digital diagnosis system for animal and plant insect and disease problems. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has developed the Distance Diagnostic and Identification System (DDIS) for an international network. The DDIS system is designed specifically for university agricultural specialists and diagnostic laboratories or clinics and first detectors in the field. DDIS provides a collaboration and communication tool for first detectors, extension specialists and diagnosticians to share information on plant and animal insects and diseases. The system uses field data and digital media as tools for enhancement of diagnosis of plant disease, insect, weed, invasive species, plant management, physiology, and nutrient problems. Through interactions on the Internet between extension agents, scientists and specialists, problems can be quickly communicated and assessed. Scientists across the world can perform diagnosis and identification and provide best management practice recommendations to the first detectors in the field across the globe. The archived DDIS database becomes a resource for research, educational programs, and classroom teaching.

3. Description

Background

Plant diseases are estimated to cause more than $80 billion in annual economic losses worldwide (Agrios, 1997). These losses are particularly felt in regions, where agriculture is a major source of livelihood for a majority of the population and access to strategies for disease and insect management are limited. Catastrophic plant disease exacerbates the current deficit of food supply in which at least 800 million people are inadequately fed in the world (Strange and Scott, 2005).

Plant and animal insect and disease diagnosis is a critical first step in insect and disease management and if symptoms are ill defined it is not possible to associate them with the causal organism. Insect and disease diagnosis is particularly inaccessible to many because it is knowledge-driven and highly specialized. Further, quality and supply demands for produce consumed domestically as well as phytosanitary requirements for exports require effective pre-and post-harvest insect and disease management, none of which can be accomplished without prompt and accurate assessments of plant and animal health.

In many regions, plant and animal insect and disease diagnostic capacity is poorly developed to nonexistent; building capacity for plant and animal insect and disease diagnostics in these regions will not only directly benefit farmers but will also help to reduce the risk of accidental introduction of new pathogens into the United States. This exchange will address local needs for timely and accurate plant and animal insect and disease diagnosis and international phytosanitary requirements, capacity for plant pathogen and insect identification diagnostics in the People’s Republic of China will be significantly improved.

Proposal

We propose to focus our efforts on development of plant and animal insect and disease diagnostic capacity by university scientists and first detectors in the People’s Republic of China. Our project will be closely linked to Integrated Pest Management programs by sharing resources and scientists and by developing joint research and extension programs.

We welcome the identification of scientists and university locations by the Ministry of Agriculture in China. The University of Florida IFAS has contact in the People’s Republic of China with Professor Xiwen Luo, at South China Agricultural University. We have additional contacts at the China Agricultural University and Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University.

Objectives of this Scientific Exchange

1)  Share the knowledge of an International Plant and Animal Digital Diagnostic Network.

2)  Discuss the creation of regional systems with the technical capacity to diagnose plant diseases in regions, beginning with “hub” laboratories, progressing to “spoke” laboratories in nearby areas within the regions.

3)  Develop a communication and data networking system that details insect and pathogen distribution, diagnosis and Integrated Pest Management options and links target countries to each other and to experts in the United States and elsewhere.

4)  Discuss the development of a comprehensive training program to increase diagnostic capacity within institutions for phytosanitary and Integrated Pest Management applications.

5)  Share information on the pest image digital library developed at University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences.

6)  Promote future scientific collaborations on pest diagnosis and management.

Plant and animal insects and diseases cause significant economic losses throughout the world therefore their effects are felt wherever nations export farm products and families obtain their livelihood from farming. While integrated management strategies have been developed for many plant and animal insects and diseases, they are not always available to research scientist, extension workers and farmers. Further, successful management of plant and animal insects and diseases are dependent on correct identification of the causal agent, which is knowledge-driven and highly specific.

As farmers in the People’s Republic of China seek to enter export markets, additional pressures are placed upon them to meet quality standards and phytosanitary requirements. Both pre- and post-harvest diseases can pre-empt these attempts to market produce internationally. In addition, importing countries are concerned about the introduction of new pathogens and insects that may greatly harm domestic agriculture in the People’s Republic of China and sequentially regions where plants and animal products are sold worldwide.

Like most places in the world, in order to address both local needs for timely and accurate plant and animal insect and disease diagnosis and international phytosanitary requirements, capacity for plant and animal pathogen diagnostics in the People’s Republic of China must be significantly improved. Currently, neither infrastructure nor human capital is adequate to meet the needs. While advances in technology enabling ever more rapid and precise pathogen detection and insect and disease diagnosis have been readily adopted in developed countries, lack of expertise in sharing the identification of plant and animal insect and disease identification have hindered adoption of even the most basic technology for this purpose in many countries. Further, a means of communicating findings through well-developed linkages within, and external to, and across continents is generally not available.

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF IFAS) has extensive experience on pest and plant disease diagnosis. UF IFAS has developed the Distance Diagnostic and Identification System (DDIS) for Florida Extension (Xin, et al. 2003, 2007), Caribbean Regional Diagnostic Network, and International Plant Diagnostic Network. UF IFAS also serves as the hub of the Southern Plant Diagnostic Network. The exchange program will provide an opportunity to expand the exchange of knowledge of early pest detection and mentoring in order to protect agriculture and promote agricultural development, trade, and economic growth.

The DDIS system is designed specifically for university agricultural specialists and diagnostic laboratories or clinics. DDIS provides a collaboration and communication tool for first detectors, extension specialists and diagnosticians to share information on plant insects and diseases. The system uses field data and digital media as tools for enhancement of diagnosis of plant disease, insect, weed, invasive species, plant management, physiology, and nutrient problems.

Through interactions on the Internet between extension agents and specialists, problems can be quickly communicated and assessed. Specialists around the world can perform diagnosis and identification and provide best management practice recommendations to the users. The archived DDIS database becomes a resource for research, educational programs, and classroom teaching.

Benefits to U.S. Agriculture or Forestry

The exchange program will provide an opportunity to further understand plant and animal insect and disease management in the People’s Republic of China. This gives the U.S. early warning of potential outbreaks and makes it easier to assist through early detection and identification. This project will improve the scientists, laboratory technicians and first detector in the farms of China abilities for early detection and monitoring of plant disease to reduce the risk from introduction new pathogens to the United States through trade. With China as a major trading partner, the United States will benefit by preventing the introduction of new pests and plant diseases if these pests and plant disease can be detected and eradicated in its early stage inside the People’s Republic of China. This is accomplished by establishing a similar distance diagnostic and identification system used by the International Plant Diagnostic Network modified for use in the People’s Republic of China.

Further, attention in the United States and the People’s Republic of China to the risks to domestic agriculture from introduction of new pathogens from developing regions has increased dramatically in the past several years. Pimentel et al. (2000) estimated that crop pathogens cost the United States economy over $30 billion per year, and the majority of the costs are due to pathogens that were introduced into the U.S. in the distant or recent past. For example, the recent introduction of the select agent Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 into U.S. greenhouses in geranium cuttings originated in Kenya (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ep/ralstonia/index.html).

The threat of bioterrorism is real and has the potential to seriously damage our agriculture and food supply. The Web-based diagnostic system can be used as a tool to enhance the capacity for screening, monitoring, mapping pests in time and space, and quickly detecting high-consequence pests and dangerous plant pathogens that have been deliberately introduced into agricultural and natural ecosystems.

Since September 11, 2001, funding of programs to enhance crop biosecurity has increased significantly in the United States. The USDA CSREES National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) was recently established, linking Land Grant University diagnostic laboratories to each other, state departments of agriculture and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). USDA-APHIS has also established the Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (CPHST) to provide technology and methods development and validation to support APHIS-Plant and Pest Quarantine (PPQ).

Benefits to the People’s Republic of China

The People’s Republic of China will benefit from University of Florida IFAS Scientists and Extension Faculty experience in rapid pest and plant disease early detection, expansive pest digital library, standard operation procedures (SOPs), and eradication procedures that have been developed.

Agriculture is an essential industry for 1.3 billion Chinese. There is a need to acknowledge that plant and animal insects and diseases threaten the food supply and the associated need to devote adequate resources to their control. It’s in China’s interest to establish a rapid response infrastructure to cope with plant and animal insect and diseases and form a digital diagnostic network for early detection and control of pest problems and potential trade deterring issues.

This project will potentially allow for the Universities of the People’s Republic of China to participate in the International Plant Diagnostic Network (IPDN) which has established locations expanding into the Caribbean basin, Central America in Honduras, countries in West Africa centralized from Benin and countries in West Africa centralized from Kenya.

Gain knowledge of the computer database, the National NPDN Data Repository, established at Purdue University to house data generated by the network.

The People’s Republic of China would also benefit from the knowledge gained from committees that have been established to address major functional areas of the network (diagnostics, funding, public relations, epidemiology, and training), and responsibility for these delegated areas is assigned at the regional level in the United States. The NPDN network has rapidly expanded since 2002 to encompass diagnostic clinics at Land Grant Universities and a number of state departments of agriculture in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, with partner clinics in American Samoa, Guam, and Palau.

Cooperative Arrangements

The University of Florida IFAS team would welcome any collaboration identified by the Ministry of Agriculture in the People’s Republic of China. The University of Florida IFAS team could visit China South Agricultural University and hold forums and discussions on establishing plant and animal Distance Diagnostic and Identification System (DDIS) networks. The United States team will share their technical knowledge to forming the digital diagnostic network. The Chinese team will introduce the status and technologies they are using to cope with plant diseases.