Author
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Anderson, Lars |
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Submitted to: Pest Management Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 2/25/2003 Publication Date: 2/5/2003 Citation: ANDERSON, L.W. A REVIEW OF AQUATIC WEED BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE. 2003. Interpretive Summary: Increasing demands for water to irrigate crops, support aquaculture, provide domestic water needs and to protect natural aquatic and riparian habitats has necessitated research to reduce impacts from a parallel increase in invasive aquatic weeds, which cost the US an estimated $150 million annually. The USDA- Agricultural Research Service addresses these problems at several regional laboratories and have provided pertinent information to industry, private, federal, state and local stakeholders. This paper summarizes and highlights important contributions by ARS over the past four years to solving these problems through its basic, applied research and technology transfer activities. The paper contrasts cropland and non-cropland environments relative to weed management and provides examples of how flexibility within ARS laboratories has enabled quick responses to meet changes and demands for environmentally safe aquatic weed control practices. Technical Abstract: Ever increasing demands for water to irrigate crops, support aquaculture, provide domestic water needs and to protect natural aquatic and riparian habitats has necessitated research to reduce impacts from a parallel increase in invasive aquatic weeds. This paper reviews the past 3-4 years' research by USDA-ARS covering such areas as weed biology, ecology, physiology, and management strategies including herbicides, biological control, and potential for use of natural products. Research approaches range from field level studies to highly specific molecular and biochemical work, spanning several disciplines and encompassing the most problematic weeds in these systems. This research has led to new insights into plant competition, host-specificity, fate of aquatic herbicides their modes of action, and effects on the environment. Another hallmark of USDA-ARS research has been its many collaborations with other federal, state action and regulatory agencies and private industry to develop new solutions to aquatic weed problems that affect our public natural resources and commercial enterprises. |
