Fungi Research Offers Hope Against the Invasive Buckthorn Species

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- University of Minnesota researchers are studying whether naturally occurring fungi can help control buckthorn.

In a news release, the university says new research recently published reports the findings of fungi collected from dying buckthorn at 19 sites in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

They found 120 fungal species from dying buckthorn, 46 of which are known to be canker or root-rot pathogens of woody plants.

Studies are currently underway to determine how effective they are in causing disease when injected into healthy buckthorn.

Currently, the best way to control buckthorn is through chemical herbicides, which isn't always appropriate for ecologically sensitive areas.

Future testing and larger field studies will be conducted to determine whether these fungi can be used to control the invasive species.

Buckthorn crowds out native species and is known to degrade forests in the Midwest.