Towards a global sentinel plants research strategy to prevent new introductions of non-native pests and pathogens in forests. The experience of HOMED

The use of sentinel woody plants in experimental plantings, Botanical Gardens and Arboreta has been experimentally validated as a tool for identifying possible unknown future threats prior to their introduction into new countries. Sentinel Plantings were recently established in Italy, France, Switzerland, China and South Africa, using a common experimental design. The plantings included various tree and shrub species of broadleaves and conifers. Two planting types were established, each with different objectives. In-patria plantings using native plants aim to estimate, in absence of any phytosanitary treatments, the associations and infestation rates of native insects susceptible to be exported to other countries with that particular commodity. Ex-patria plantings using non-native plants are relevant to identify native insect species capable of switching to the non-native plant that would otherwise be impossible to predict prior to its introduction. In the frame of the EU project HOMED, we have implemented this concept, widening the use of this tool simultaneously to many different countries and continents