Six-year-old spanador Ivor has been taught to identify a ‘highly destructive’ pathogen destroying trees and shrubs across the UK.
A collaboration between Forest Research and Canine Assisted Pest Eradication has seen the successful training of a cocker spaniel labrador crossbreed to identify a destructive organism that causes extensive damage and even death to over 150 plant species.
The organism has a significant mortality affect on larch, which are important timber trees.
Ivor was trained using a variety of detection training techniques including initial scent recognition.
The first round saw Ivor successfully identify Phytophthora ramorum in soil, plant material and sterile distilled water. Further training phases saw Ivor faced with a number of scenarios which helped reinforce his detection abilities by introducing new working environments.
Ivor was then able to build up to distinguishing Phytophthora ramorum from the scent of other Phytophthora species often found in the same environments to ensure effectiveness in real-world scenarios.
Forest Research pathologist, Dr Heather Dun described the results as ” incredibly encouraging”, with an 89 per cent detection rate from the first findings.
“[This highlights] the huge potential of dogs in our fight against pests and diseases,” she said.
“Biosecurity is incredibly important and detection dogs like Ivor are an exciting new method for helping to protect our trees.”
The collaboration between Forest Research and Canine Assisted Pest Eradication was made a reality by funding from Defra.
“We believe that innovation drives progress,” said Luke Jones, director of Canine Assisted Pest Eradication. “We’re passionate about discovering the potential of detection dogs who are one of nature’s ‘super-computers’.”
The collaborators have previously worked together on insect proof of concept projects, testing dogs’ ability to detect Great spruce bark beetle (Dendroctonus micans) and, more recently, Emerald Ash Borer beetle.
Detection dogs were previously used to tackle the outbreak of the Asian longhorn beetle pest in Paddock Wood, Kent, in 2012, where a team of dogs from the Austrian Plant Health Inspectorate successfully helped to detect the beetle.
Following the success of the initial trials, Forest Research is now exploring the use of detection dogs to help combat other pests and diseases such as Ips typographus, also known as the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle.