EPPO-Q-bank: a curated database to support plant pest diagnostic activities

The increased risk of outbreaks of plant pests due to globalization and climate change requires up-to-date knowledge and quick and validated detection and identification methods. DNA barcoding and sequence analysis are increasingly used for diagnostics in phytosanitary laboratories. These methods use (short) genomic sequences specific to a well-defined taxon for species identification. The EPPO-Q-bank database (https://qbank.eppo.int/) supports plant pest diagnostics focusing on pests recommended for regulation in the EPPO region and their look-alikes. It provides a wide range of information on specimens, isolates, strains or populations available in collections, including curated DNA barcodes/sequence data. The cornerstone of this database is its curation by a team of scientists with taxonomic, phytosanitary and diagnostic expertise from National Plant Protection Organizations and institutes with connections to relevant phytosanitary collections.