Media Contact: Catherine Dehdashti, U of M Extension, (612) 625-0237 Sources: Mike Reichenbach, (888) 241-0724, reich027@umn.edu; Gary Wyatt, (888) 241-3214, wyatt@umn.edu

Collect seeds now to keep ash trees in Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (9/15/08)—Emerald ash borer (EAB), an invasive species, threatens to kill Minnesota's ash trees. In response, Andrew David, a University of Minnesota forest genetics researcher, and Mike Reichenbach, forestry educator with University of Minnesota Extension, began a project to protect the genetic diversity of ash in Minnesota. Seed collected from wild-grown ash trees will be sent to a seed storage facility in Colorado. This is a proactive response to the presence of EAB in the upper Great Lakes region and the lack of a viable quarantine method to keep Emerald ash borer out of Minnesota.

Ash seed began ripening in mid-September. Collection of seed has begun and can continue through much of the fall. It may be easier to collect from trees now before the seed is scattered by winds and rain. Persons wishing to collect seed should watch the ash seed collection webinar found listed under the webinars tab at the following website http://forest.nrri.umn.edu/ash. The ash seed collection form can also be downloaded from this site.

Minnesota is host to three species of ash: white ash, green ash and black ash. While white ash is an upland species found along the Mississippi River in southeast Minnesota; both black and green ash are common lowland hardwoods found throughout the majority of the state. Ecologically, black and green ash are the most important hardwoods in the lowland forest community. They represent 51 percent of the lowland hardwood cover type in Minnesota. Black ash is very important in native cultures as a source of wood for ash baskets. Both black and green ash provide a source of pallet, saw and veneer logs. All of Minnesota's native ash species are threatened by EAB.

EAB was most likely introduced to the region when it was transported on wood packaging of an overseas shipment from Asia in 2002 to the Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario area. Within the United States the insect is most often transported on firewood. As of August, EAB has been found in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ontario, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. It has been responsible for the death of over 20 million ash trees despite quarantines on moving nursery stock and firewood out of infected areas.

This conservation effort will preserve the genetic variation for a future point in time when EAB can be controlled and ash species can be reintroduced to Minnesota using locally adapted seed sources.

For more information contact Mike Reichenbach, (888) 241-0724, reich027@umn.edu; or Gary Wyatt, (888) 241-3214, wyatt@umn.edu, both with University of Minnesota Extension.

URL: http:// www.extension.umn.edu./extensionnews/2008/collect-ash-seeds.html  This page was updated Sept. 15, 2008 .
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