Together with the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG), WSL operates a laboratory at its headquarters in Birmensdorf where harmful organisms for trees and shrubs can be diagnosed and control measures safely researched.
The laboratory enables the investigation of alien organisms that pose a potential threat to plants and whose introduction and spread throughout Switzerland must be prevented. These include insects, bacteria, fungi and nematodes. Depending on the type and level of damage that these organisms can cause, they are classified into different risk groups:
- Group 1: Organisms naturally dispersed through Switzerland
- Group 2: Quarantine organisms already in Switzerland
- Group 3: Quarantine organisms that have either not yet reached Switzerland or only occur locally.
A special safety infrastructure is required for work involving particularly dangerous harmful organisms, known as quarantine organisms. The plant protection lab is designed to meet even the highest safety requirements when conducting research into organisms harmful to plants.
Organisms that may only be studied in accordance with specific safety requirements include, for example, the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) and the Asian longhorn beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), which threaten native deciduous tree species. Or Phytophthora ramorum, the pathogen responsible for shoot dieback, which may kill several woody plant species.
Enhanced diagnostic and research facilities ¶
WSL operates a centre of excellence for forest health with Waldschutz Schweiz and the Phytopathology Research Group. In addition to diagnosing harmful organisms affecting forests, it conducts research in the field of plant protection. Furthermore, it provides advice to forestry associations and companies, forest services, and federal and cantonal authorities and agencies.
The Plant Protection Lab enables comprehensive research on plant pests and pathogens. Multiple organisms can be studied simultaneously, reference cultures can be maintained, pests and infested plants can be stored safely, and experiments on living plants can be carried out in the greenhouse. This enables WSL to deepens the general understanding of these organisms, their developmental processes and their interactions with other organisms, while developing effective methods for their control.