Two scientists from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have possibly found the genes for resistance to Dutch elm disease within a hidden population of American elms. According to Science Daily, botanist Alan T. Whittenmore and geneticist Richard T. Olsen have discovered a certain population of American elms that are very resistant to Dutch elm disease exists in the wild.
The trees they have discovered are diploids, meaning they have two copies of chromosomes. These trees are believed to have the genes that aid in a tree’s resistance to Dutch elm disease. Whittenmore and Olsen tested elm trees in the eastern and central United States, discovering that roughly 21% of wild elms sampled were diploids.
Dutch elm disease is a very aggressive tree disease which first attacks individual branches of a tree, eventually killing the entire tree within a few years of it being infected.
We find this news to be very interesting and can’t wait to hear more on the findings of this study. Don’t forget that Cartwright Tree Care can tree your elm trees that have been infected with Dutch elm disease. Contact us today to learn more!
Photo credit: Extension.umn.edu.