Biodiverstity and bioresources

Successful solutions

• Discovered, characterized (morphologically and using next generation sequencing technologies), described and named new plant species and weeds, invasive insect/mite/nematode pests and beneficial organisms, as well as beneficial fungi and bacterial diseases.
• Developed standard operating procedure for DNA extraction and created DNA barcode libraries of pests and pathogens that can damage plants, which is enabling faster and more accurate detection and identification of pests and pathogens. This helps enhance Canada’s capacity for science-based decision-making in securing access to global markets, ensuring producers’ compliance with domestic regulations, and avoiding environmental damage.
• Provides over 10,000 identifications of quarantine and invasive plant species and weeds, invasive insect/mite/nematode pests, and fungal and bacterial diseases and responds to over 1,000 requests for assistance in identification annually.
• Discovered, selected, and assessed suitability of biological agents (insect parasitoids) for the biological control of invasive insect pest species that threaten agriculture.