China to strengthen steps against pine wilt nematode disease

China will continue to strengthen the monitoring and control of pine wilt nematode disease this year, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said on Friday.

At a special meeting on the prevention and control of pine wilt nematode disease, the administration mentioned that in recent years, the pine wilt nematode disease has shown a clear turning point as China has made significant achievements in monitoring and early warning, rapid detection, and drug development.

Experts discussed this year's disease trends and how to better apply existing scientific and technological achievements to the disease prevention and control, and decided to establish a platform for monitoring the prevention and control of the disease.

Since 2020, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration has complied and implemented a national five-year action plan for the prevention and control of pine wilt nematode disease (2021-25), and has achieved the overall control target for the 2021-25 period ahead of schedule.

Over the past four years, China has reduced the area affected by the disease and the number of dead trees, according to the administration.

However, although the harm and spread of the disease have been effectively controlled, the area of pine wilt nematode disease occurrence is still large. Experts believe that efforts should continue to be strengthened in disease monitoring and management to mitigate the risk of local rebounds.

Experts said that this year, emphasis will be placed on the primary responsibility of local governments, making good use of the "forest chief" system, and adopting tailored solutions based on local conditions to better control the disease.

In areas with infection risks, efforts should also be made to strengthen prevention and control measures, utilize technologies such as satellite remote sensing for monitoring, and prevent the spread of the disease.