Dutch Trig® for cities
Reduce DED
Any government or organization that owns and manages elm trees can benefit by incorporating Dutch Trig® into their elm management program. DED related elm tree losses in cities, villages, golf courses and cemeteries can be reduced from 4-14% per year (ambient natural infection rates) to less than 1% per year.
Choose how to spend the money
Dutch Trig® is a cost effective tool that can easily be integrated into existing DED management plans and budgets. By utilizing induced resistance, treated elms are protected from DED which in turn reduces costs for sanitation and replacement. In many cases the cost of treatment can be completely offset by the corresponding reduction in costs for removal and replacement of dead elms. The net benefit to the community is that fewer mature elms die from the disease. Budgets can then be used to save trees rather than just paying for the removal of dead ones.
How many trees to treat?
Dutch Trig® is effective in both large and small groups of elms allowing for flexibility in how treatments can be incorporated into existing DED management plans. Whether it is applied to large groups of standing elms or in a more targeted capacity for the highest value trees, Dutch Trig® can provide the same degree of protection against DED infection. For example, The Hague treats approximately 9.500 trees per year out of the 24.000 elm street trees they manage and the city of Denver treats about 650 out of 1.800 trees under their care. In addition to the dramatic reduction of disease incidence in the treated group of elms, DED incidence also drops in the non-treated groups of elm trees over a number of years.
Positive message
Much like a flu shot, Dutch Trig® is applied annually in the spring. Because of the annual applications of Dutch Trig® the overall awareness of DED prevention goes up in the community. This can help to strengthen public awareness of the fact that the city is actively trying to prevent DED every year.
Any organization or institution that incorporates Dutch Trig® in their DED management program sends a very positive message to its inhabitants and stakeholders. Some important points are:
- Proactive approach to protecting valuable elm resources and lower costs of sanitation
- Minimally invasive application with very minor wounding
- The treatment is based on a system of vaccination which is easy to explain to people
- The treatment is a non-toxic biological approach that works within the closed system of the tree and therefore reduces any environmental pollution
Complimentary DED check-up
Dutch Trig® treatments are quick and easy to apply. Depending on their locations, hundreds of elms can be treated in one day by a single arborist. The yearly application provides an opportunity to integrate treatment with any ongoing DED detection programs. Furthermore, since the arborist inspects the elm when they are injecting, they can insure that any other actions needed for the health of the tree can be prescribed.
Who can do the injections?
Dutch Trig® can be injected by both City arborists and commercial tree care companies. In many jurisdictions city arborist crews are trained to do injections. Local tree care companies can be contracted to do injections for private or institutional properties.
Community partnership programs
In cities like The Hague , citizens living in untreated areas will often ask their city foresters to include “their” street elms in the Dutch Trig® program. Where budgets allow, the city will agree to do so, because the extra cost of injecting “one more street” is relatively small. In other cases, a partnership between the city and local residents is arranged where the residents agree to pay for the injections and the city provides the treatment. This approach of cities and inhabitants collaborating to protect elm trees has saved many elms around the world !
