The City of Prince Albert announced Tuesday that elm trees in Kinsmen Park would be treated with a protective fungicide. It is part of the City of Prince Albert’s efforts to safeguard its American elm population from Dutch Elm Disease (DED).

The treatment involves injecting Arbotect 20-S, a systemic fungicide, into the base of the trees. Once absorbed, the fungicide moves into the tree’s new growth to provide multi-year protection against DED.

The process is expected to be complete by the end of the day on Friday. The City also plans to expand elm injection treatments to additional trees in 2027.

Meanwhile, the City of Saskatoon says they are currently trialing the Arbotect-20 S fungicide.

Candidate trees have been chosen internally by technical and supervisory staff based on location, size, overall health, and proximity to known DED-positive elms. To date, staff have completed 12 injections, with two in Woodlawn Cemetery.  The City of Saskatoon announced last week one of the trees along the Memorial Avenue of Trees at Woodlawn Cemetery was being removed immediately after testing positive for Dutch Elm Disease. The tree will be replaced.

In an emailed statement, the City added that, “While fungicide infusion provides strong resistance to Dutch Elm Disease, it is not a silver bullet. The process is time-intensive and costly. It requires exposing the tree’s root flare and drilling several shallow holes to allow uptake.”

It adds that the tree may require pre-watering, and the seasonal treatment window is narrow. Additionally, the treatment only provides protection for up to three years and cannot prevent root-to-root disease transmission.