Novel emerald ash borer tree screening tools within FORSAID Project
2025 - 2027
FinancingThe Europe-wide initiative FORSAID is seeking to build up and firmly establish a novel and comprehensive paradigm for identifying, observing and containing pest proliferations across Europe. As part of it, our project focuses on a particularly urgent and emerging threat: the invasive Asian emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis, EAB).
EAB has killed millions of ash trees in North America over the past 20 years. Since its introduction to Russia in 2003, the beetle has been steadily spreading westward toward Central Europe. While EAB has not yet arrived in Switzerland, its continued advance poses a serious threat—particularly to native European ash (Fraxinus excelsior), one of the country’s most common deciduous tree species. This species holds significant ecological and economic importance and is already severely impacted by ash dieback disease (ADB).
Given the threat posed by EAB, it is essential to implement effective screening and diagnostic methods for early detection in European ash populations. Early detection is critical for containing outbreaks and protecting forest ecosystems. Additionally, developing efficient screening techniques to identify ash genotypes with increased resistance to EAB as well as ADB is vital as breeding and planting resistant ash genotypes could help mitigate the spread of the beetle.
This project aims to explore the potential of reflectance spectroscopy and leaf metabolomic markers to:
- monitor the leaf physiological response of ash trees to EAB infestation,
- distinguish EAB-induced stress from drought-related symptoms, and
- identify genotypes with enhanced resistance to EAB and ADB