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Congratulations to and the team on their bid to lead a European consortium to build the first platform capable of coordinating Europe's response to devastating agricultural and forest pest invasions.

Each year, plant pests destroy up to 40% of agricultural yields worldwide and threaten to devastate forest ecosystems, yet Europe still lacks the tools to coordinate an effective, system-wide response. A major new €6 million EU Horizon project is set to change that.

brings together 15 research institutions and stakeholders across eight countries, positioning the UK at the forefront of a coordinated European response to transboundary plant health threats. The project will give plant health authorities, for the first time, the ability to model and optimise pest control strategies across the entire agri-value chain, from preventing pest entry to long-term management.

Dr. Stephen Parnell said “PhytoPRISM brings together the best of modern epidemiological modelling with the real-world knowledge of the people on the frontline, giving them, for the first time, the tools to make smarter, faster, and more cost-effective decisions

Image Credit: M J Richardson