Defra has admitted it will be impossible to eradicate ash dieback from the UK in its management plan published today.
The plan (see link below) released by the department outlines four key objectives as follows:
- Reducing the rate of spread of the disease
- Developing resistance to the disease in the native ash tree population
- Encouraging landowner, citizen and industry engagement in surveillance, monitoring and action in tackling the problem
- Building economic and environmental resilience in woodlands.
The Government does not offer any specific support for nurseries which have had to discard unsaleable ash.
Defra said it is planting 250,000 ash saplings in the east and south east so Defra scientists and the Forestry Commission and local landowners can monitor the trees for signs of Chalara, paying particular attention to any signs of resistance.
The Government’s Chalara Action Plan, was issued on 26 March more than a year after it first found the disease in the country.
The Government will not support felling of uninfected ash but will retain restrictions on movement of ash. There will be no designated disease-free areas.
Treatments may have a role in protecting individual trees or groups of trees, the department says, or reducing production of spores, level of damage and rate of spread in some circumstances. Defra is trialling Systhane, Alto 100SL, Proline, Indar 5EW, Consul, Amistar, Imtrex, Aviator 235 XPro, Signum, Dithane 945, Scala, Dithianon WG, garlic extract and Cuprokylt FL.
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