Britain’s roses could be killed by deadly virus, warns RHS

A ROSE virus which wipes out entire flower populations, and is impossible to get rid of, is likely to come to Britain, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has warned after sponsoring a study into the disease.

Scientists will sequence the genetic code of flowers affected by the rose rosette virus in a bid to find a cure and ensure it does not spread to the UK.

Recent advances in techniques, such as next-generation sequencing – a quicker and cheaper high-throughput form of DNA sequencing – provide new opportunities to future-proof against the notorious disease.

Considered one of the biggest threats to roses, the virus causes them to become deformed and eventually kills the plants it infects.

It is transmitted by a four-legged microscopic mite transported via plants, insects, wind or contaminated clothing.

Once the virus strikes it is often no longer possible to grow roses in that area, and famous rose gardens in the US have had to be grassed over. The virus has already spread to India. Gerard Clover, head of plant health at the RHS, warned that British gardens could be at risk, adding: “The virus is on the move and was most recently reported from India in 2017. The global size and scale of the rose trade only exacerbates the risk.”

The research into the disease, sponsored by the RHS and being conducted by Newcastle University and Fera Science Limited, is due to be published next year.

Nicola Spence, the Government’s chief plant health officer, said: “We want to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it and protecting our plants, such as roses, from pests and diseases is a key part of that ambition.”