Drone deployed to spot signs of elm disease

A drone is being deployed to spot signs of elm disease across Brighton and Hove, home of Britain’s biggest collection of the threatened species.

The new technology has given the arboriculture team at Brighton and Hove City Council another way to look out for the early signs of disease.

Over the past 60 years or so, elm disease – also known as Dutch elm disease – has led to the destruction of thousands of the trees across the country.

Measures taken locally have proved effective at protecting a significant number and Brighton and Hove has become home to the National Elm Collection, with more than 17,000 examples. One, in Preston Park, is believed to be the biggest and oldest elm in Europe.

The council said that the drone was “operated by a qualified and licensed pilot throughout the summer … giving the team a unique bird’s-eye view of the trees, helping them to spot signs of the disease”.

The council said: “It also means they can cover hard-to-reach areas or land that’s not easily accessible, such as woodland or land near railway lines, and provides a cost-effective way of helping us to manage any possible spread.

“By removing infected trees quicker, the council can prevent a wider outbreak.

“The drone’s pilot can take pictures of the infected trees, with all images deleted after four weeks. The drone is also operated under strict data protection guidelines.”

The council’s arboriculture manager Peter Small said: “The drone has been a great addition to the team and is helping us cover those hard-to-reach areas of the city.

“Elm disease symptoms start to show in early June with wilting, browning or yellowing of parts of the foliage.

“The drone means we can spot these symptoms from above and cover large areas in a shorter space of time.

‘We have thousands of elms in Brighton and Hove, both council and privately owned. Spotting diseased trees earlier means we can act quickly to protect as many of them as we can.”

The council added: “If you suspect an elm tree is diseased, please send an email to elmdisease@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

“Include a photograph of the tree, a close up of the symptoms and a location including street name, building, house number/name or park with approximate location.

“We can then take immediate action to inspect the tree and, if infected, remove it and stop the disease spreading.”