Not FL but interesting:INSECT ATTACK PLAN ON KNOTWEED

INSECT ATTACK PLAN ON KNOTWEED
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ADAM WILSHAW

11:00 - 06 May 2008



Scientists have devised a plan to curtail the spread of an invasive plant by releasing tiny sap-sucking insects into the countryside.

The idea to use an army of Japanese psyllids to kill Japanese knotweed has been suggested after research by not-for-profit science group Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International (Cabi).

It is hoped the plan could drastically cut the number of the plants, which thrive in the mild Westcountry climate. It would also be the first time an alien species has been released into the wild to deal with a weed in the UK, although the method has been used elsewhere.



Cabi's principal investigator, Dick Shaw, told the WMN that the earliest the insects could be released would be summer 2009, and only then after a rigorous licensing procedure and peer review by other scientists. He said: "The UK Government is being extremely careful about how they do this."

Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) was introduced to the UK in 1825 as an ornamental plant, but its vigorous growth overshadows native species, hugely reducing biodiversity. Eradication typically costs more than £50,000 per acre and the Government estimates that clearing it from the UK using chemicals and digging could cost £1.5 billion.

Many people in the Westcountry will welcome measures to destroy the weed, which is so powerful it can grow through buildings, including historic mining structures in Cornwall, where there is an ongoing battle to keep the plant in check.

Dr Shaw said: "Japanese knotweed has been described as having the biodiversity value of concrete - it just smothers the ground in a mass. We hope the psyllid will get the plant under control."

To check if the psyllids would stick to their usual diet when released in the wild in Britain, the Cabi scientists tested nearly 100 plants and crops that grow in Britain and found the insects showed only an appetite for the Japanese knotweed.

Most insects usually only feed on certain species of plants so it is relatively easy to predict what they will eat in any given habitat, but conservationists have sounded a note of caution about the plan.

Chris Rostron, of The Wildlife Trusts, said: "Invasive species such as Japanese knotweed pose a serious threat to Britain's biodiversity - particularly wetland habitats. But introducing any non-native species for biological control carries risks and must be thoroughly researched."

The Government has not officially confirmed it will approve the release of the insects. A Defra spokesman said: "We have to look at all possible tools to control these species, and one possible tool is the use of biological controls that target only the invasive species. These would be used only after rigorous testing, and have a number of benefits including the reduced use of chemicals in the environment and lower costs."

oh goody another asian lady beetle thing fixing to go wrong. i fight these every year now. am i gonna have to steel inforce my house do to the gov and its bright ideas?