The wild ancestors of domestic fruit trees have been put on a “red list” as scientists fear they may become extinct.

Around 90 per cent of the forests in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan have been destroyed in the last 50 years, according to conservation charity Fauna & Flora International.

The trees, in central Asia, are of particular concern as they are disease-resistant and climate-tolerant, which could prove key in ensuring food security.

Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are thought to be the ancestral origins of a number of apple varieties, including Red Delicious and Golden Delicious.

Antonia Eastwood, the lead author of the research, said: “We may need to go back to these species and include them in breeding programmes.”

The US department of agriculture has sponsored expeditions to Kazakhstan to collect samples, with the aim of expanding the genetic diversity of farm-grown apples.

More than 300 wild fruit and nut species, including apple, plum, cherry, apricot and walnut species, are in danger in the region’s forest from human developments on the land.

Fauna & Flora International is working with scientists in Kyrgyzstan to develop methods to harvest the fruit sustainably and carry out research on the threatened trees this year, as part of the UK Darwin Initiative, with help from local scientists and residents.

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