Rhizophagus grandis breeding programme fund

Confederation of Forest Industries (Confor) is collecting funds to support the Rhizophagus grandis breeding programme which is carried out Forest Research. The breeding programme is a biological control success story. R. grandis is a predatory beetle that feeds exclusively on the invasive pest Dendroctonus micans (the Great Spruce Bark Beetle). As R. grandis is an exclusive feeder it is safe to release into the wider environment to reduce the damage done by D. micans, which feeds on Spruce trees. Spruce is an economically important tree for the UK, in high demand from the construction industry plus many others. Follow this link to Forest Research to find out more about D. micans.

https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/research/management-of-great-spruce-bark-beetle/

The reason for this Go Fund Me page is to give people and organisations that wish to support the valuable work of Forest Research an opportunity to do so. Forest Research does not charge for the release of R. grandis however this is a way to support the valuable work they do.

If you own woodland containing spruce you will have benefited from this breeding and release programme either directly with releases on your land or indirectly in suppressing the population of D. micans to reduce the likelihood of the pest reaching your property.

This fund is open to all not just Confor members to contribute to and we strongly urge anyone with a interest in reducing the spread of a invasive pest to support the breeding of R. grandis. The programme requires an annual private sector contribution of £10,000 however we are aiming to raise £30,000 to cover 3 years in one collection. By asking all members to contribute it spreads the burden and reduces the cost considerably. A funding model based on Confor membership category to achieve the £30,000 for 3 years would look like this:

Level 1: Small woodland owner/forestry business with turnover under £500,000 = £100

Level 2: Annual turnover between £500,000 and £5m / Forestry agents employing 2 = £200

Level 3: Annual turnover greater than £5m / Forestry agents employing 3 or more / large woodland owners = £300

Timber processing businesses: £1000

For more information please contact Richard Hunter, Technical and Industry Support Manager, Confor