SSFPE "Kharkivlisozakhyst" continues to implement a joint project with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences aimed at preserving common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) in conditions of increasing impact of invasive pests and diseases.

Within this initiative, launched in cooperation with the Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology of the Swedish University and with the participation of the Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Agroforestry (UkrNDILGA), ash clones were created to assess their resistance to ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) and emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis).

In 2024, as part of the experiment, grafted seedlings of Swedish ash clones were planted at the "Zhovtneve Forestry" branch. This year, in 2025, the next stage of work was carried out - grafting scions of Swedish origin onto trees planted last year. The scions were harvested from trees in central Sweden that show increased resistance to these invasive factors.

This project is a practical experiment to study ash resistance to key threats. The cooperation between scientific and production institutions of Ukraine and Sweden makes a significant contribution to the monitoring and management of invasive species, as well as helps preserve biodiversity and valuable genotypes of common ash in Europe.