The money will go towards the ObservaTREE project, led by Forest Research, to identify tree health problems earlier and enable voluntary groups and the public to play a greater role in protecting woodland by reporting incidents.
Over four years this will recruit and train a network of volunteers and people working in forestry to identify and report suspected new cases of disease or infestation.
The UK Forest Products Association (UKFPA) has also called on the Scottish government to focus more resources on tackling the spread of the Phytophthora ramorum disease in larch in south-west Scotland.
The UKFPA expects that 800,000m3 of the timber will have to be harvested in the coming 18-24 months because of the disease, creating a significant challenge for selling the material.
Executive director David Sulman said that the government should provide an enhanced restocking grant to help growers obliged to fell their larch, highlighting that Scottish farmers received £6m to compensate them for livestock lost to the harsh winter.
