Not just tumors. Dogs can also detect some plant diseases. This is revealed by a new study according to which our faithful friends may find out which avocado trees are infested with a fungus that ends up destroying them
Not just tumors. Dogs can also detect some plant diseases. This is revealed by a new study according to which our trusted friends can find out which ones avocado trees are infested with a fungus that ends up destroying them.
Also known as “laurel disease”, this vascular disease of plants is caused by the Raffaelea lauricola fungus which is transmitted by the beetle Xyleborus glabratus. The disease affects and kills members of the Lauraceae family, including avocado, bay leaf and even cinnamon. Avocado is perhaps the most commercially valuable plant affected. The disease has had a devastating effect on specimens living in South Florida.
Early diagnosis can be instrumental in stopping it in the bud. For this, help was requested from the dogs who proved to be very skilled in sniffing the scents of the withered wood of avocado trees, proving to be able to prevent and counter the spread of the disease in the woods.
The study was led by Julian Mendel, Kenneth G. Furton and DeEtta Mills of Florida International University.
Cobra, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, was trained to detect diseased trees before symptoms were visible. Together with two other Dutch Sheepdogs they seemed to magically detect which trees were infected, even without the presence of symptoms. Once the diseased plant was identified, these "agri-dogs" sit and sound their alarm.
During the study, 229 analyzes were performed and only 12 of these generated false alarms. It has been observed that dogs are actually capable of achieving high levels of performance, even in adverse weather conditions in the presence of heat and humidity.
The canine olfactory system is highly sensitive and is capable of detecting odor concentrations at 1-2 parts per trillion. The authors believe it likely, with properly geared training, that these dogs could use their natural talents to help trees in distress.
“It is the best technology so far that can detect a diseased tree before external symptoms are visible. The old saying that dogs are man's best friend goes far beyond a personal bond with their handler and trainer " he said Mills.
At the moment, dogs are widely used by law enforcement and in investigations looking for missing persons, explosives, drugs but their ability to sniff out tumors and other human diseases is now well known.
Best friends of man and also of trees.
The study was published in HortTechnology.
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Francesca Mancuso
