New forest research station to combat pests and pathogens

Expert says there is an urgent need to combat emerald ash borer which threatens ash trees, demanding much tighter regulation of imported wood and timber

The new £4 million government-funded Forest Research Alice Holt Research Station in Surrey will better prepare the country to protect Britain’s woods against harmful pests and pathogens threatening trees across the UK.

Climate change is driving a rise in the number of pests seen in recent years; 2,350 tree pests and diseases were reported via the TreeAlert service between April 2023 and March 2024 according to Forest Research statistics.

“Pests and diseases are a threat to our nation’s trees and plants. They cause significant damage, economic losses and in many cases tree death,” said Nicola Spence, Defra Chief Plant Health Officer. “Tackling them is a key part of commitments set out in our world-leading Plant Biosecurity Strategy to protect our nation’s plants and trees.”

Gerard Clover, Forest Research Head of Tree Health added, “We only need to think of diseases like Dutch elm disease and ash dieback to see the impact new diseases can have on our environment. It’s estimated that ash dieback will cost Britain nearly £15bn in the coming decades, from management costs to lost ecosystem services. This new facility will allow us to undertake research and diagnostics in a contained environment to help prevent the entry of new pests and pathogens and to respond effectively should they arrive.”

The research station, which almost doubles the capacity at the existing Holt containment laboratory, will allow scientists to assess pests and pathogens in a contained laboratory, in a safe and controlled manner using cutting-edge technology and equipment. It will also help prepare for known threats not currently seen in the UK, such as emerald ash borer, an exotic emerald coloured beetle from Asia, and Xylella, a ferocious bacterial disease which has devastated olive trees in France and Italy.

“[The facility will go] further in boosting our armoury to combat tree pests and diseases and manage emerging threats.”

Lord Robbie Douglas-Miller, Biosecurity Minister said the facility will go “further in boosting our armoury to combat tree pests and diseases and manage emerging threats. We are committed to protecting the country’s tree health and maintaining biosecurity to ensure our trees and woodlands are resilient to fight climate change. Building on the existing vital work of Alice Holt will be a key part to achieving this.”

Professor James Brown, Research Leader in tree diseases at the John Innes Centre in Norwich said: “The UK's capacity for research on pests and diseases of trees has diminished over the last 20 years. Meanwhile we need to combat a wide range of new threats to natural woodland and commercial forestry. Forest Research's new containment facility will help to rebuild the UK's capacity to study new, destructive insect pests.

“In particular, we must very quickly find ways of combatting emerald ash borer, a beautiful but deadly beetle which could kill most of our ash trees,” he added. “We must try much harder to keep pests such as emerald ash borer out of the UK. This requires much tighter regulation of imported wood and timber and much closer surveillance at ports.”