Episode 16: “if it Causes Damage, Action Must be Taken!”

The new episode of the podcast “Forsch – Science in Interview” focuses on May 12th – the International Day of Plant Health. Our guest is Dr. Gritta Schrader; her specialty is invasive species. At the Julius Kühn Institute in Braunschweig, she conducts risk analyses of invasive species, thus daily searching for harmful organisms that can pose a threat to native ecosystems such as fields, forests, parks, and gardens.

What if the Beetle Comes?

Harmful organisms, for example, enter Germany via wooden pallets from third countries. If an unknown organism is discovered, important questions arise: Can the pest survive here? Does it have host plants? And above all: Could it cause any damage at all? Dr. Gritta Schrader is the expert consulted for this assessment. Depending on the available data, this assessment can take up to two weeks.

Potato Blight

History has shown the damage a single microorganism can cause if it were misjudged. “Most of us are more or less familiar with the Great Famine in Ireland in the mid-19th century. It was caused by an oomycete that infected potatoes. Since the tubers were always cut with the same knife, the fungus was able to spread massively.” Around 12% of the Irish population died as a result. This was also one of the triggers for the introduction of plant protection. “It was then that people first saw that there are organisms from other countries that can cause real damage because there are no natural enemies here yet.”

And the Bark Beetle?

Dr. Gritta Schrader explains in the new episode where plant protection plays a role in our region, what Magdeburg has to do with it, and whether the bark beetle plays a role in plant health.

The podcast “Forsch! – Science in Conversation” is a cooperation between the ForschungRegion Braunschweig and the Braunschweiger Zeitung. The moderators from ForschungRegion and Braunschweiger Zeitung talk to actors from the region about their research, their person – and about current social, political and ethical questions and debates. Now directly Listen to it here or stream it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Deezer.