The Fast-Track Tree Breeding Method that Is Restoring European Ash to the Landscape

Trees being destroyed by disease could be saved by breakthrough discovery

Researchers have developed a fast-track method of breeding disease-resistant ash that could save the species

The fast-track tree breeding method that is restoring European ash to the landscape

A fast-track method of breeding disease-resistant ash trees has been developed by researchers leading efforts to conserve the species. Researchers at the John Innes Center, who have adapted the embryo extraction method, found that it rapidly speeds up the germination of European ash seeds. A process that can take up to six years in nature now takes around one week in the lab.

Fast-Track Tree Breeding Revives European Ash Populations Across the

Scientists at the renowned John Innes Centre have pioneered a groundbreaking technique to accelerate the breeding of disease-resistant European ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior), offering hope for the conservation and restoration of this ecologically vital yet imperilled species. At the heart of this advancement lies a refined adaptation of the embryo extraction method, which drastically reduces ash seed germination time from natural periods spanni…