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Can the ash tree still be saved? Researchers have developed these new approaches and measures against ash dieback.
Can the ash tree still be saved? The nationwide project FraxForFuture provides new, non-chemical approaches and concrete measures to sustainably protect the endangered ash tree from dieback.
It is only microscopic in size, yet it destabilizes the forest population of an entire tree species, namely the ash tree: the invasive fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus from East Asia initially infects young ash leaves and shoots, gradually causing the crown to thin out and leading to necrosis - the sometimes invisible wood decay attracts secondary pests and causes mature trees to fall or die standing. Ash dieback is a threat.
However, there is hope: At least some of the ash trees native to Europe are able to resist the ash dieback pathogen so far. But what is the secret of these trees? How can the ash tree be preserved in Germany? How can resilient ash saplings be established - and how can the spread of the ash dieback pathogen be stopped? All these questions have been researched in recent years within the FraxForFuture research project, as reported by the FNR in a press release. In this nationwide unique demonstration project, six research consortia worked interdisciplinary and closely intertwined with forest practice. FraxForFuture was completed in 2024 and according to FNR, the results justify hope for the preservation of the ash tree species under threat.
The FNR provides an overview of the results of the six research teams - including a selection of non-chemical methods to combat the ash dieback pathogen: Priming: Pre-treatment of threatened young ash trees with ash endophytes (organisms from the microbiome of resilient ash trees) or pre-infection of threatened young ash trees with weakly virulent isolates of the ash dieback pathogen Microbiome optimization: Spraying or inoculating ash seedlings with ash dieback antagonists or health-promoting organisms (fungi and bacteria) isolated from healthy ash microbiome Hypovirulence: Combating the ash dieback pathogen with viruses isolated from ash endophytes, which reduce virulence by producing growth-inhibiting substances RNAi: Spraying young ash trees with RNA-interfered substances (a natural component of the plant's defense system) that silence vital genes in the ash dieback pathogen Bacteria: Using antagonistic bacterial strains from healthy ash leaves to displace and inhibit the growth of the ash dieback pathogen
Concrete assistance for forest owners has also emerged from the project, such as training sessions or the Boniturschlüssel for recording damage symptoms or the brochure "Future of the Ash Tree" with silvicultural recommendations for dealing with damaged ash tree populations.
The article "Hope in the fight against ash dieback?" first appeared on forstpraxis.
