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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Lauderdale, Florida » Invasive Plant Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #277030
Title: he land manager’s handbook on integrated pest management of Melaleuca quinquenervia

Author
item SCOLES, JOHN - Former ARS Employee
item Pratt, Paul
item SILVERS, C - Former ARS Employee
item LANGELAND, K - University Of Florida
item MEISENBURG, M - University Of Florida
item FERRITER, A - Boise State University
item GIOELI, K - University Of Florida
item GRAY, C - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Agriculture Handbook
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2006
Publication Date: 4/10/2006
Citation: Scoles, J.C., Pratt, P.D., Silvers, C.S., Langeland, K.A., Meisenburg, M.J., Ferriter, A.P., Gioeli, K.T., Gray, C.J. 2006. he land manager’s handbook on integrated pest management of Melaleuca quinquenervia. Agriculture Handbook. tame.ifas.ufl.edu/publications.shtml.

Interpretive Summary: The adventive Australian tree Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T. Blake is an invasive pest plant in the greater Everglades region of Florida. Public agencies and organizations responsible for natural areas management have developed effective chemical and mechanical strategies for treating infestations, but these methods can be costly and labor intensive. Meanwhile, many infestations on privately held lands remain unmanaged. The melaleuca biological control program, developed to complement conventional removal tactics, reduces reproduction and growth of the tree and functions on unmanaged lands. But the full impacts of the biological control program will only be realized when private land owners and public land managers become familiar with its benefits. An areawide pest management project for melaleuca was initiated in 2001 with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) to promote regional implementation of biological control as the basis for integrated management. Herein, we present tactics and methods of controlling melaleuca over a large geographic landscape.

Technical Abstract: The adventive Australian tree Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T. Blake is an invasive pest plant in the greater Everglades region of Florida. Public agencies and organizations responsible for natural areas management have developed effective chemical and mechanical strategies for treating infestations, but these methods can be costly and labor intensive. Meanwhile, many infestations on privately held lands remain unmanaged. The melaleuca biological control program, developed to complement conventional removal tactics, reduces reproduction and growth of the tree and functions on unmanaged lands. But the full impacts of the biological control program will only be realized when private land owners and public land managers become familiar with its benefits. An areawide pest management project for melaleuca was initiated in 2001 with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) to promote regional implementation of biological control as the basis for integrated management. Herein, we present tactics and methods of controlling melaleuca over a large geographic landscape.