The Scottish Government is taking action to identify and eradicate any outbreaks of Pr and Pk, to protect our native habitats and minimise the economic impact of the disease on the horticultural industry and garden owners.
We manage this by:
- Inspecting susceptible host plants being imported, exported and moved within Scotland to ensure conditions set out in our legislation are met.
- Ensuring that all producers are registered and authorised to trade in this material. Their premises are subjected to at least two official inspections each year to check that the required standards are maintained.
- Carrying out an annual survey on public gardens known to hold host plants.
When Infection Is Found
Our policy is to eradicate outbreaks of these diseases wherever they occur by taking the following actions:
- All infected plants are required to be destroyed;
- In nurseries and where appropriate in gardens, all susceptible host plants within 2m are required to be destroyed;
- In nurseries, all susceptible host plants within 10m must be held in quarantine on the premises for at least 3 months of active growth;
- Plant hygiene measures must be put in place to avoid infection spreading on equipment, footwear etc;
- In gardens, the rest of the premises is inspected for any further infection, and an overall survey is carried out within a 3km radius;
- Regular monitoring is maintained for at least a year after the last finding of infection.