International Day of Plant Health
Dr. Parveen Kumar
Starting this article with a quote of Qu Dongyu, Director General (DG) of Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) that, ‘Plant health and human health are intertwined and interdependent and we need to protect plants to protect ourselves’ would perhaps be the best way to justify the importance of plant health. Healthy plants are a prerequisite for ensuring food and nutritional security of all of us. How we breathe and what we eat is all affected by plants. We depend on them for 80 percent of the food we eat and 98 percent of the oxygen we breathe. They are a crucial component in the global endaveour towards protecting environment and in achieving sustainable development. Plants not only provide food, fiber, and medicine but also play a vital role in maintaining the balance of our ecosystems. Acting as natural air filters, plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen while carrying out photosynthesis. They are also habitats for wide variety of faunal bio-diversity.
However, plant health is threatened by various factors, including insect pests, diseases, climate change and human activities. FAO estimates that annually up to 40 percent of global crop production is lost to pests. Each year, plant diseases cost the global economy over $220 billion and invasive insects at least $70 billion. Due to the impact of climate change, plant pests that ravage economically important crops are becoming more destructive and posing an increasing threat to food security and the environment. This has been revealed in a Scientific Review on the Impact of Climate Change on Plant Pests, A global challenge to prevent and mitigate plant pest risks in agriculture, forestry and ecosystems. The scientific review done by Professor Maria Lodovica Gullino from University of Turin (Italy) and ten co-authors from around the world was prepared under the auspices of the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention, hosted by FAO. The review clearly revealed that the impact of climate change is one of the greatest challenges the plant health community is facing. Climate change is further likely to increase the risk of pests spreading in agricultural and forestry ecosystems, especially in cooler arctic, boreal, temperate and subtropical regions. A single unusually warm winter may be enough to assist the establishment of invasive pests. Pests like Fall Army worm which feed on a growing number of crops, including maize, sorghum, millet and Tephritid fruit flies which damage fruit and other crops have already spread due to warmer climate. Desert locust, the world’s most destructive migratory pest is also expected to change their migratory routes and geographical distribution because of climate change.
While climate change is the second most important factor contributing to the prevalence of diseases, the foremost factor contributing to the spread of diseases is the global travel and trade. Studies also reveal that half of all emerging plant diseases are spread by global travel and trade which have tripled in volume over the last decade. Pests are often impossible to eradicate once they have established themselves in a new territory and managing them is time consuming and expensive. Climate change-induced pest dispersal and intensity threaten food security as a whole. Small holders, people whose livelihoods rely on plant health and those who live in countries beset by food insecurity are especially vulnerable to these risks. These invasive pests are also one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. In response to insect, pests and diseases, the use of pesticides is also expected to rise. This would harm pollinators, natural pest enemies and organisms crucial for a healthy environment. Protecting plant health is thus urgent, essential and foremost.
International Day of Plant Health: Keeping in mind the importance of plant health, the United Nations designated May 12, the International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development. The Day is a key legacy of the International Year of Plant Health 2020. The day was promoted by Zambia and was taken into action by the UN General Assembly. The resolution under which they adopted the decision included Finland, Bolivia, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Tanzania.
Keeping Plant Healthy: It is said that, ‘Prevention is better than cure.’ This is true not only for our health, but for plants also’. Just like human beings and animals need regular health check-ups to find and cure potential health issues, our plants also need a healthy environment to stay as fit as a fiddle. Healthy environment includes right kind of soil, going for a timely irrigation schedule, applying right dose of fertilizers and organic manures and regular inspection of fields. While purchasing a new plant, ensure it is insect pest and disease free by checking the top of the plant, inspecting the root quality and looking for dead spots, wilting foliage or rotted stems. W e should also check out for bugs and insects as they can also transmit disease causing viruses and bacteria. Most fungal diseases take advantage of the damp and cool conditions to thrive. Leaving plants’ foliage wet overnight, gives an open invitation to these diseases. Hence, watering should be done in the morning so that they can dry off by evening. Over-fertilization can burn roots, weaken plant’s ability to absorb water and lead to many more complications. Soils usually don’t have all the minerals and nutrients in right amounts, so regular soil testing should be done and accordingly fertilizers/manures should be applied. Maintaining proper spacing i. e plant to plant and row to row distance is also necessary for the plants to get proper sunlight and air and also to avoid competition for nutrients The United Nations General Assembly had also declared the year 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health.
This day thus provides us an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of plant health and promote actions that can contribute to its protection. The same can be done through organizing different events and activities that promote plant health and highlight its significance. Activities like tree-planting campaigns, workshops, webinars or seminars to educate people on the importance of plant health and ways to protect it can be taken in a participatory mode. Plant health education should also be promoted in educational institutes to educate the students on importance of plant health and various ways and strategies to protect plants and promote their health. At the same time, all of us have to proactively engage ourselves in ensuring that invasive species are not introduced in our regions. Social media tools are an important tool for disseminating information. They can also be exploited to promote the cause of this disease. Organizations working for plant health should also be supported.
Mankind is still unaware of many of the harms discussed above and this day is to raise awareness about the same. Protecting plants from pests and diseases is far more cost effective than dealing with full-blown plant health emergencies. Prevention is critical to avoiding the devastating impact of pests and diseases on agriculture, livelihoods and food security and many of us have a role to play. Deputy Director General of FAO, Beth Bechdol has rightly said that, the International Day of Plant Health will be an opportunity to highlight the crucial importance of plant health, both in itself and as part of our One Health approach, encompassing human, animal, and ecosystem health. Let all of us collectively move to accomplish the objectives of International Plant Health Day.
(The author is a Scientist at SKUAST-K, can be reached at pkumar6674@gmail.com).