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Enhancing Weed Risk Assessment with Advanced Technologies

Learn how the PERAL Weed Team at USDA-APHIS-PPQ uses technology to support weed risk assessments for imports, exports, and domestic management. Their activities include prioritization, pathway monitoring, and predicting potential geographic spread. By integrating innovative tools like AIMS and NAPPFAST, they aim to provide scientific support for regulatory programs related to invasive plants.

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Enhancing Weed Risk Assessment with Advanced Technologies

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  1. Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (CPHST), USDA-APHIS-PPQ Larry Fowler, Anthony Koop, Brian Spears, and Barney Caton Integrating Technology to Assist the Weed Risk Assessment Process

  2. Overview • PERAL Weed Team • Technologies to support the WRA process • Caveat: Invasive plant = weed

  3. Mission statement:To provide scientific and analytical support for PPQ regulatory programs requiring decisions associated with invasive plants. PERAL Weed Team

  4. Activity areas Importation: Help complete WRAs to support decision making related to imports Exportation: Provide technical assistance to guard against US exports being unduly restricted by trading partnersDomestic: Support surveying, monitoring, and management

  5. Weed Team activities • Identify invasive plant problems/issues • 2. Set priorities • 3. Gather data (not research) • 4. Perform weed risk assessments (WRAs) • 5. Recommend risk management strategies We work cooperatively with● Other CPHST labs● National APHIS Weed Team

  6. Technologies to assist WRAs • Prioritization • Pathway monitoring/verification • Potential for geographic spread

  7. 1. Prioritization • Project with Weed Science Society America • Model ranking of global weeds not known to occur in U.S. • 550+ weeds scored comprehensively • Includes spp. present but not naturalized

  8. Prioritization: applications • Choose best candidates for possible listing as noxious weeds (WRAs) • Rapid scoring (relatively) for newly emerging/introduced species • Identify likely target species for surveying, especially species in cultivation

  9. 2. Pathway monitoring/verification • Problem:

  10. Pathway monitoring/verification • AIMS: Agricultural Internet Monitoring System • NC State: Center for Integrated Pest Mgt. • Identify regulated species of interest • Secure web application • Semi-automates: • Webcrawling • Evaluating sites for risk • Sending information letters • Archiving and retrieving information

  11. Pathway monitoring/verification • Monitored organisms • APHIS-regulated • Insects/mollusks/weeds/fruits and vegetables • Animal products & byproducts • APHIS-nonregulated organisms (esp. invasive plants) • Application to WRAs • Identify presence in the U.S. • Identify trade pathways from overseas

  12. AIMS and FAST technology • 1496 names = 599 species + 897 common/syns • Manual search • 2 min × 10 hits × 2 min processing= 549 person hr • FAST • 3 d to search the net and build index (software) • 12.5 min to process index list • Simultaneous search for commerce keywords • Thus, person hr only for processing very likely hits

  13. 3. Potential geographic spread • Model to predict extent of plant invasions in U.S. • NAPPFAST: NCSU/APHIS Plant Pest ForecAST • 10 year climate database (1994-2004) • Typical parameters • Optimal growing days • High T growth inhibition • Cold T exclusion area • Output = Probability map

  14. YOU ARE HERE Example application • Preliminary assessment for kikuyugrass (Pennisetum clandestinum) D. Borchert, B. Nietschke, C. Thayer and L. Fowler

  15. Potential spread: applications • Assess consequences of introduction • Higher risk = greater, contiguous, or special areas • Lower risk = lesser or non-contiguous areas • Factor in invasiveness scoring • Survey targeting (if WRA-related) • Identification of weed-free areas • But, often lack relevant biological data

  16. Technologies to assist WRAs • Prioritization – Plant invasiveness ranking model • Pathway monitoring – AIMS searches • Potential spread – NAPPFAST geographic model

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