Parthenium weed causes harm to the environment, health, as well as the economy.
CABI has launched a comprehensive action plan aimed at combating the scourge of Parthenium, a highly invasive species of weed, prevalent and spreading in Pakistan.
Biocontrol
Breathe easy with biocontrol
One in four people in Europe suffer from hay fever, affecting the quality of life of millions. The average cost of hay fever related diseases amounts to around €600 per patient per year from treatment costs and lost time working.
One of the worst offending invasive plants for hay fever sufferers is the North American common ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia.
Tiny mite could prove a ‘mighty’ weapon in the fight against one of the UK’s most invasive weeds
CABI scientists are stepping up the fight against one of the UK’s most invasive non-native aquatic weeds.
Approval has been given for the release of a novel biological control agent – the mite, Aculuscrassulae – to assess its ability in the real-world environment to suppress Australian swamp stonecrop (Crassula helmsii), also known as New Zealand pigmyweed. This follows carefully controlled laboratory testing to ensure the safe, controlled release of the mite in the UK.
Giant Hogweed: Biology, Impacts and Management
Edited by Corin Pratt and Marion Seier.
Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) is a monocarpic perennial herb, native to the Caucasus region. Since the late 1800s, giant hogweed has spread extensively across Europe and in eastern and western parts of North America following its likely initial introduction to the continent as an ornamental curiosity as early as 1917. Hogweed is an extremely successful invader in part due to its prolific seed production and growth rate. These attributes coupled with its large size allow giant hogweed to significantly alter natural environments and plant community structures. In addition, the plant is hazardous to humans and leaves riparian banks susceptible to erosion as it dies off in autumn.
Scientists debate how best to tackle invasive plants across Europe
Some of the world’s leading scientists in the field of alien invasive plants are to debate how best to tackle the scourge of a range of alien invasive plants – some of whose pollen can cause severe irritation in humans and threaten native ecosystems.
New Trial Eradicated 80% of a Disease-Carrying Mosquito Population
A new trial experiment undertaken in Australia has been shown to successfully eliminate 80% of the disease-bearing mosquito Aedes aegypti.
Protecting Carnaúba Palm Trees in Brazil from Devil’s Claw
Called the “White Forest” by native populations, the Caatinga ecosystem covers an estimated 11% of Brazil and is spread across the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, northern Minas Gerais, Maranhão Paraíba, Piau, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe. This dry forest is home to the largest populations of Carnaúba palms in the world. It also has some of the world’s most diverse plant life and its biodiversity is critically important to maintaining the variety of animals native to the region, such as the emblematic three-banded armadillo.
