CABI’s 100 years in identifying and combating emerging fungal diseases in response to climate change

Abstract

CABI has been involved in identifying and combatting emerging fungal disease of plants for over 100 years and in doing so has built a wealth of resources to support farmers and practitioners in reducing crop loss. CABI does not achieve this alone – being an international, inter-governmental, not-for-profit organisation, its 49 Member Countries guide and influence its work, which a network of global partners helps deliver. This work is becoming more relevant in light of increasing threats from climate change, invasive species and pathogens becoming resistant to biocides. Here, we focus on how climate change is influencing disease occurrence and how CABI’s work and resources can help in the battle to manage emerging and spreading diseases. CABI’s culture collection maintains living and active strains of pathogens and biocontrol agents for use as reference materials, its diagnostic advisory service and network of partners helps identify problems and provide solutions and CABI’s information resources underpin it all.