In Vermont, scientists have been intentionally infecting thousands of trees with Dutch elm disease this summer. The U.S. Forest Service and the Nature Conservancy are conducting this experiment to test a new generation of elms bred from disease survivors for resistance to the fungus spread by bark beetles. The aim is to repopulate areas where majestic elms once thrived, lining city streets and flourishing along riverbanks.
Gus Goodwin, a senior conservation planner at The Nature Conservancy, described the devastating loss of trees over the years due to Dutch elm disease. Researchers in Canada are also working on similar efforts to combat the disease, which is posing a growing threat in new regions.
The Elm Recovery Project in Guelph has been striving for nearly three decades to enhance resilience to Dutch elm disease through crossbreeding and cloning disease-resistant trees. The project involves a gene bank with 109 trees that have been exposed to the disease, aiming to assess the capabilities of the resulting seedlings.
In another initiative in Vermont, researchers have begun injecting thousands of elm seedlings with fungus spores to determine which ones will survive. This long-term experiment involves around 6,000 trees and is part of ongoing efforts to develop disease-resistant elms. If successful, this approach could enable elms to coexist with Dutch elm disease, similar to how European elms have adapted to the disease.