ROD-sniffing dogs

[kalakoa]

http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/news/loca...est-friend

Dogs already are used to sniff out a fungus in Florida avocado trees, and researchers in Hawaii think they could be trained to detect the ohia disease before trees show symptoms.

Of course, "before shows symptoms" is "after infected", but still "potentially treatable with fungicide".

It's nice that they're "doing something", but consider the map shown with the fine article: there's 5 years of confirmed cases, and ROD has reached most areas of the island.

I seriously doubt they'll find the funding to treat thousands of acres, which makes "detection" nearly pointless.

[Kenney]

If they do treat, it will be in tourist areas. Not a dead plant in sight at the resorts.
Saw a lot of yellow Ohia at MM. Guessing it was brought from other islands. The flowers were big and beautiful.

[alaskyn66]

To bad those dogs can't sniff out rat lung worm, or Lepto.... or anything useful.

[kalakoa]

These dogs are sniffing out money, but it's less than "useful" when you're the one paying for it...

[Bullwinkle]

here is a cnn article from 2015 and dogs sniffing out cancer

If ROD has a smell .... yes dogs can be trained to detect it

so I guess the question is .....Does the cause of ROD have a smell?

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/20/health/can...ling-dogs/