Doctoral Training on Basics of Plant Epidemiological Surveillance

The doctoral training course was offered by the GAIA doctoral school at the University of Montpellier.

The program was coordinated by Claire Neema (Institut AgroMontpellier) and Samuel Soubeyrand (INRAE) and highlighted some of the modern concepts developed in the BEYOND project as well as new perspectives from colleagues outside of the project.  For this first edition of the training course, 5 students enrolled from varied geographic origins (France, Asia and Africa).  The program content included:

Introduction to the training – Claire Neema (Institut Agro Montpellier)

Presentation of plant epidemiological surveillance networks in France – Marie Grosdidier (INRAE) 

Content: Biological invasions and surveillance; Platform for Epidemiological Surveillance in Plant Health (ESV Platform); International health monitoring: horizon scanning; Pine nematode surveillance; Xylella fastidiosa surveillance; Pine processionary surveillance

Sampling, propagation models, and risk maps – Davide Martinetti (INRAE) 

Content: Introduction to survey design; Risk-based surveillance; Early detection; Delimitation; Prediction of the risk of establishment and spread of Popillia japonica in Europe; Establishment risk map; Spread risk map

Inventory and surveillance of plant and insect viruses using metagenomic approaches – Philippe Roumagnac (Cirad)

Content: Plant virus ecology: an expanding field in the One Health framework; Methodological approach: Virus Geometagenomics; Virome of agroecosystems; Virome of tropical forests; Virome, diagnostics, and plant quarantine

Sensors and other automated systems – Samuel Soubeyrand (INRAE)

Content: Building epidemiological surveillance and prophylaxis with observations near and distant; Proximal biological sensor; Proximal image-type sensor; Interlude: a history of light; Citizen data; Specialized media and social data; Distant biological sensor; Distant image-type sensor; Integrative approach: from weather sensors to risk-based sampling plan

Discussion and assessment of the training