Ash to ashes

No-one can have failed to notice the recent media frenzy surrounding the discovery of Chalara dieback of ash in Great Britain. If nothing else, media reporting has raised awareness of the threat posed to Britain's trees, woodlands and forests from pests and diseases.

The incidence of tree pests and diseases has increased markedly in recent years, probably aided by increased global trade, let alone any possible climate change effects, and the list of potential pathogens preying on our commercial and non-commercial trees grows ever longer. Sadly, there has not been anything like the same commotion surrounding the economically and commercially more significant diseases decimating our larch and pine, namely, Phytophthora ramorum and Dothistroma needle blight.

The arrival of Chalara in Britain should not come as a surprise; it has been steadily advancing across Europe since being found in Poland in 1992. The time for action, supported by improved resources that recognise the scale of the threat and what is at stake, is now, before we have an even greater and much more commercially significant tree disease disaster on our hands.

While we would in no way belittle the significance of Chalara disease, ash is sadly no longer the major commercial species it once was, although this attractive and useful hardwood has some small, but good markets remaining. It is also a significant landscape feature in some areas, and this outbreak usefully serves to highlight the serious threat facing all our tree species.

If any good can come from this, perhaps it will be a wake-up call for government to take plant health matters far more seriously and provide sufficient resources to what has been a poor relation in government science circles for far too long. They must also act quickly to improve the biosecurity of our borders.

The government's response, via Defra, was relatively quick on this occasion and it is encouraging that reliance is being placed on scientific advice. Although a ban on imported ash plants was introduced quickly, it was a case of too little, too late.