Project

Biological control Dutch Elm disease

Every spring some 30,000 elms in the Netherlands are vaccinated with the biopesticide Dutch Trig® to protect them from Dutch Elm Disease (Ophiostoma ulmi and Ophiostoma novo-ulmi). Wageningen UR produces spores from the fungus Verticillium albo-atrum to make the bio-agent. Dutch Trig® functions by stimulating the natural defence reactions in healthy elms. This Dutch Trig® vaccination has caused the number of infections in treated trees to decrease significantly in the Netherlands.