ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Agron.
Sec. Pest Management
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fagro.2025.1601845
Prioritising non-native pest species to inform plant health biosecurity policy decisions and to safeguard agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, and livelihoods in Uganda
Provisionally accepted- 1CAB International, Nairobi, Kenya
- 2Department of Crop Inspection and Certification, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Entebbe, Uganda
- 3Mountains of the Moon University, Fort Portal, Uganda
- 4College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- 5Busitema University, Busitema, Uganda
- 6Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, c/o National Agricultural Research Laboratories, Kawanda, Kampala, Uganda
- 7Department of Crop Protection, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Entebbe, Uganda
- 8Ngetta Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Lira, Uganda
- 9Department of Crop Science and Production, Kabale University, Kabale, Uganda
- 10National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Kampala, Uganda
- 11National Crops Resources Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
- 12Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), Nairobi, Kenya
- 13Kyambogo University, Kampala, Uganda
- 14College Natural Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
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In recent years, various invasive species have been introduced to sub-Saharan Africa, partly due to insufficient information about potential invasions, which has led countries to respond reactively rather than proactively. This information can be gathered through horizon scanning.Using the CABI Horizon Scanning Tool, 9,071 pest species have been identified as unreported in Uganda. A subset of 1,517 was prioritised for rapid risk assessment based on guidelines that evaluated the likelihood of entry and establishment, the magnitude of socio-economic and environmental impact, as well as potential pathways of introduction. These pest species included 357 arthropods, 130 bacteria, 74 chromista, 417 fungi, 19 molluscs, 124 nematodes, nine protists, and 387 viruses and viroids, of which 360 of the 1,517 were reported as invasive.Vectors and vectored organisms were also assessed to determine their associated risk.Management actions were recommended for 618 species, which included 160 arthropods, 70 bacteria, 30 chromista, 174 fungi, six molluscs, 41 nematodes, three protists, eight viroids, and 126 viruses. These pest species either attained an overall risk score of 54 and above or a lower score for specific pest species. The actions included targeted surveillance, regulation supported by pest risk analysis, contingency planning, publicity, management by the industry, and research. This information is vital for risk monitoring and management and can be utilised by countries in the East African Region.
Keywords: Invasive Alien Species, horizon scanning, Rapid risk assessment, pest risk identification, pest risk analysis, Pest risk management
Received: 28 Mar 2025; Accepted: 10 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Mulema, Nankinga, Kagorora, Tusiime, Amayo, Chemonges, Gumisiriya, Kato, Kigongo, Kutunga, Mudde, Muhumuza, Mukasa, Musiimenta, Muzira, Namasa, Ramathan, Gilbert, Ssamula, Tukahirwa, Opio, Obare, Aliamo, Alokit, Tumuhaise, Karanja, Mwambu, Oronje, Athman, Akiri, Rwomushana, Tugume, Talwana, Onkendi and Ochwo-Ssemakula. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Joseph Mulema, CAB International, Nairobi, Kenya
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