Project reference: 1998-02
Database of New Zealand plant diseases
Project description:
The objective of the project is to prepare a comprehensive database of fungal tree diseases recorded in New Zealand, accessible to pathologists, foresters, arborists, border control staff, conservation staff, and other users.
The proposal is to database all records of fungal tree diseases in the published series of books: Pennycook, S.R. 1989: Plant Diseases Recorded in New Zealand. Vol. 1-3. Plant Diseases Division, DSIR. This publication collates all published records of plant disease to 1987, listing 6300 records involving 1102 fungal pathogens as well as providing access to references supporting each pathogen/host combination. The plan is for the author to work in conjunction with Landcare Research computing staff to prepare the information in an appropriate database form, with a view to making it Web-accessible. The initial focus will be on the tree diseases in the Pennycook list.
Once in this form, information will be able to be updated by adding records from literature of the past decade. The proposed database will occupy a strategic position between supporting taxonomic databases under development by Landcare Research - those covering all recorded New Zealand fungi (NZ Fungi database, developed by staff of Herbarium PDD) and plants (developed by Herbarium CHR staff).
Research Provider:
Landcare Research
