Agricultural plant diseases & pests
Agricultural plant diseases and plagues include the following: bacterial infections, fungal infections, viral disease epidemics and insect pest infestations. These diseases and plagues are spread not only by environmental factors, but also through global trade, travel, traffic and transport.
A disease that affects essential crops can lead to a decline in food production and limit food choices.
What can you do?
To mitigate these risks, growers and agricultural businesses can take practical steps.
BEFORE
- Choose disease-resistant varieties to reduce the risk of infection.
- Avoid monoculture by rotating and diversifying crops. This makes it possible to limit the accumulation of disease and plagues.
- Check plant material carefully for signs of disease or plagues before using them.
DURING
- Check your plants regularly for symptoms of disease and plagues. Do you suspect that your crop is infected by a specific disease or plague? In Flanders, you can send a sample for analysis to the Diagnostic Centre for Plants (DCP).
- Certain pathogens are subject to mandatory notification. You have to notify them to the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC).
- Are your plants infected by a disease or plague? Then you need to use the appropriate pesticides, in accordance with the authorised conditions, depending on the specific disease or plague. Find out more about the appropriate management and control techniques.
AFTER
- Remove and destroy contaminated plant residues to prevent further spread.
- Apply crop rotation to your next crop to minimise the risk of plagues and diseases reappearing.
- Report suspected plagues and diseases to the relevant authorities (such as the FASFC) so that appropriate follow-up and measures can be put in place.
Impact and probability
The figures relating to probability and impact describe an agricultural plant disease or plague of major magnitude. The BNRA theoretically describes such a scenario as follows:
- A highly contagious and easily spread disease or plague affects food sources that are crucial at the national or European level.
- Various types of crop are affected.
- A treatment exists, but it is only available to a limited extent.
How should you interpret these results?
Within the BNRA, experts assessed three scenarios for each risk: considerable, major or extreme. On each page, you will find the results of the scenario with the highest score based on the combination of likelihood and impact. This does not mean that this scenario will occur or is the most likely. Read more here about how to correctly interpret the results.
Probability
Moderate
Human impact
Moderate
Societal impact
Moderate
Environmental impact
No impact
Financial impact
Weak
What do the authorities do?
Legislation and policy on plant protection are harmonised across the European Union. For every harmful organism (insects, bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc.), precautionary and control measures are laid down that member states can adopt, such as the destruction of contaminated plants.
In Belgium, the DG Animals, Plants and Food of the FPS Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment is responsible for establishing the legal framework for these measures. This service collects information, draws up specific legislation, recognises protected areas, prepares, coordinates and monitors international phytosanitary policy, etc.
The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) monitors compliance with this legislation on the ground, for example at strategic import points and in Belgian production and trade. It also applies control measures when a pathogen is identified.
The Diagnostic Centre for Plants (DCP), part of the Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), and the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W) are the national reference laboratories for plant health, analysing plants and plant products for harmful organisms. These laboratories provide services to growers, advisors, private individuals, research centres and public services.