Research: British ash trees more resistant to dieback fungus

British ash trees seem to have better resistance against a deadly fungus which is devastating trees across Europe, according to research which has decoded the DNA of the species for the first time.

The ash dieback fungus has spread rapidly since it first arrived in England in 2012 and the latest data shows it is now found in more than half of the country. It has already affected 90 percent of trees in Denmark and threatens to all but wipe out ash trees, one of Europe’s most common trees.

The new genetic research is now driving efforts to breed ash trees with high resistance to the fungus, although this will take years due to the slow-growing nature of trees.

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Photo: Andrej Kunca, National Forest Centre, Slovakia, Bugwood.org.