Floating pennywort
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KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE DEVELOPMENT projects Floating pennywort is a strong contender for the title of worst aquatic weed in the UK. Originating from Central and South America, the plant arrived in the UK in the late 1980’s as an oxygenating ornamental plant for the aquatic trade. It didn’t take long however, for it to escape cultivation and spread rapidly across Southern England, as well as other European countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium in particular. It now over-runs water bodies and is threatening habitats, native plants and the fish and insects within them. so what’s the problem? It’s able to grow up to 20cm per day, and can regenerate from tiny fragments. With restrictions on chemical use near water, management has to rely on manual clearance which is expensive and unreliable. Floating pennywort has already cost millions of euros/pounds to control across Europe and Great Britain. Costs linked to management and the impact on tourism and recreational activities are estimated to exceed £25 million per year. Furthermore, impacts on biodiversity and habitats, through degradation of important wetland ecosystems and competition with native species are equally important, though harder to quantify. The EU requirements of the Water Framework Directive which aims to improve the way water bodies in Europe are managed means that a sustainable, environmentally friendly and economic solution to the growing invasion of floating pennywort is required. In a bid to protect vulnerable habitats, the UK Government have recently included Floating pennywort in a list of non-native aquatic plants to be banned from sale as of April 2014. controlling floating pennywort in a safe and sustainable way Locations Argentina Brazil The Netherlands UK Dates of project April 2011 – ongoing CABI project team Djamila Djeddour Dick Shaw Marion Seier Kate Jones Suzy Wood
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Floating pennywort
Transcript of Floating pennywort
KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE
development projects
Floating pennywort is a strong contender for the title of worst aquatic weed in the UK. Originating from Central and South America, the plant arrived in the UK in the late 1980’s as an oxygenating ornamental plant for the aquatic trade. It didn’t take long however, for it to escape cultivation and spread rapidly across Southern England, as well as other European countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium in particular. It now over-runs water bodies and is threatening habitats, native plants and the fish and insects within them.
so what’s the problem?It’s able to grow up to 20cm per day, and can regenerate from tiny fragments. With restrictions on chemical use near water, management has to rely on manual clearance which is expensive and unreliable. Floating pennywort has already cost millions of euros/pounds to control across Europe and Great Britain. Costs linked to management and the impact on tourism and recreational activities are estimated to exceed £25 million per year. Furthermore, impacts on biodiversity and habitats, through degradation of important wetland ecosystems and competition with native species are equally important, though harder to quantify.
The EU requirements of the Water Framework Directive which aims to improve the way water bodies in Europe are managed means that a sustainable, environmentally friendly and economic solution to the growing invasion of floating pennywort is required. In a bid to protect vulnerable habitats, the UK Government have recently included Floating pennywort in a list of non-native aquatic plants to be banned from sale as of April 2014.
controlling floating pennywort in a safe and sustainable way
LocationsArgentinaBrazilThe NetherlandsUK
Dates of projectApril 2011 – ongoing
CABI project team Djamila DjeddourDick ShawMarion SeierKate JonesSuzy Wood
contactCABI, Bakeham Lane, Egham, Surrey, TW20 9TY, UK T: + 44 (0)1491 829080 E: [email protected] www.cabi.org/uk
what is this project doing?The project aims to identify the safest and most effective biocontrol agent for floating pennywort through comprehensive host range testing in CABI’s UK quarantine facilities. The ultimate aim is to have a Pest Risk Analysis completed and be able to apply for its release in the UK. To do this, the CABI team will collaborate with Argentinian and Brazilian institutes to enable further surveys in the native range and export of insects and pathogens.
Two surveys were undertaken in 2010 indicated that a number of highly promising insects and pathogens kept the weed in check in its native range of South America so were worthy of further investigation as biocontrol agents.
A weevil (Listronotus elongatus) has been found to successfully damage floating pennywort, causing considerable damage to the weedy species but posing no threat to the native European Hydrocotyle vulgaris (Marsh pennywort). To complete initial host range testing on this promising weevil, CABI needs to export this and other potential agents from their native range in Argentina and Brazil.
Other agents under consideration include a fly (Eugaurax sp.) which builds up to high numbers in the field with devastating consequences for the target weed, as well as a relatively uncommon rust fungus which is likely to be highly specific.
CABI needs to source, propagate and test an agreed test plant list, to ensure the weevil and other agents don’t attack related species or important native species. CABI also needs to complete the host range testing in the UK and find the most climatically suited populations of the weevil to ensure its efficiency if release is approved.
In addition to the research work, it is also of vital importance that awareness of non-native species and their deleterious impact continues to be raised across Europe so that the public and their elected representatives and government agencies are aware of the risks posed and the potential solutions available to tackle these growing problems.
results so farSo far, CABI has undertaken surveys with collaborators in Argentina and Brazil and identified a number of very promising insects and fungi. In consultation with a Steering Committee, a comprehensive test plant list has been approved for the UK and sourcing/propagation of test plants is ongoing. Whilst correct protocols and permissions for export of species from Argentina and Brazil have been investigated and are in train, a shipment of Eugaurax fly sp. from the USA has been received and research is currently ongoing to rear and test their specificity.
www.cabi.org/hydrocotyleID
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Djamila Djeddour, Project Manager
PartnersFUEDEI Argentina
UNESP/FEPAF (Sao Paulo)
SponsorDefra
