Maple trees in the forests of Kharkiv region are experiencing massive drying. The cause is a fungal disease known as Verticillium wilt, caused by the imperfect fungus Verticillium dahliae Kleb., which has developed due to high humidity from frequent rains.

Employees of the "Zhovtneve Forestry" state enterprise raised the alarm over the widespread drying of maples. To find a solution, representatives from the Kharkiv Regional Forestry and Hunting Department, including Oleksandr Popov, First Deputy Head of the Department, as well as experts from the Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Agroforestry named after H.M. Vysotsky (UkrRILGA), represented by Valentina Meshkova, PhD, Professor, and Head of the Forest Protection Laboratory, and specialists from "Kharkivlisozakhyst," including Director Kateryna Davydenko, PhD in Agricultural Sciences, were invited to inspect trees in the Rokytne Forestry.

Scientists identify the fungal disease as the cause of drying, leading to the blockage of tree vessels. This level of damage has never been observed before in forestry enterprises. The problem began in early summer.

More details in the video report from 9:32.