PhD Student Plant Pathology Department, Global Food Systems Institute, 3Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA Gainesville, FL, USA
Pathogens are spreading worldwide owing to agricultural expansion, international trade, and climate change. Proactive surveillance systems, international stakeholder networks, safe exchange of plant materials, and effective policy design are an integral part of our arsenal in the face of this global race with plant pathogens. We invite you to discuss opportunities to advance together global epidemiology research and improve biosecurity strategies. We propose a global invasion risk assessment framework (GIRAF 1.0) for plant pathogens. GIRAF 1.0 quantifies, integrates, and maps four geographic risk factors for pathogen invasions – international trade of high-risk commodities, cropland accessibility to ports and cities, multi-host landscapes, and abiotic factors. We applied GIRAF 1.0 to assess likely scenarios for the worldwide introduction, establishment, and spread of transboundary pathogens: Harringtonia lauricola, Potato spindle tuber viroid, Ralstonia solanacearum phylotype II sequevar 1, and Tomato brown rugose fruit virus. We introduce Pathogenica – a new global dataset compiling extensive biogeographical and epidemiological information for 1,518 pathogens and their georeferenced infections in approximately 10,000 plant species. GIRAF and Pathogenica combined offer innovative opportunities for geographic information systems to tackle plant disease pandemics, plant biodiversity conservation, and the potential impacts of climate change.
