Plant Pathogen Containment (Quarantine) Facility at Macdonald College

Abstract
A containment facility for studying exotic plant pathogens was established at Macdonald College. It operates at negative air pressure and is equipped with a filter system and other specialized equipment. A detailed protocol is designed to reduce the probability of pathogen escape. It has been endorsed officially as a Plant Quarantine Establishment, operating at a high level of pathogen containment, by the Plant Products and Quarantine Directorate of Agriculture Canada. Designed primarily for studies on exotic plant pathogens as potential biological control agents for noxious weeds, it is equally useful for comparative studies on native and exotic species and races of pathogens of crop plants.