UK Invasive Species Week – how can we tackle some of the worst weeds in the UK?
Today marks the beginning of UK Invasive Species Week (24-30 May) – a week to raise awareness about the threat of invasive species in the UK and the significant negative impacts they cause to our environment, our economy and our daily lives.
The ongoing challenge of tackling Himalayan balsam in the British Isles
Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), an invasive species native to the foothills of the Himalayas, is an extremely problematic weed in the British Isles, and one of the species CABI is working to help control in the natural environment.
Controlling Himalayan balsam, one of the UK’s most invasive weeds
Himalayan Balsam’s beautiful pink flowers appear between June and September. We take a look at Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), one of the UK’s most invasive and problematic weed species, and the work CABI is doing to combat its spread. Why is Himalayan balsam such a big problem?
Scientists uncover how invasive plants gain a head start after fire
This article was originally published by the University of Western Australia. Read the original article. New research from The University of Western Australia has shed light on why some invasive plants make a better comeback after a fire, outstripping native species in the race for resources.
Women and Parthenium management in Pakistan
Last year, CABI in Pakistan in collaboration with University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) conducted a series of seminars in rural areas of Pakistan. The aim was to highlight the damages being caused by Parthenium weed to humans, livestock and biodiversity. As part of this, teams ensured inclusiveness of rural women as major stakeholders due to…
Weed biological control: Challenges and opportunities
Michael Day and Arne Witt have just published ‘Weed biological control: Challenges and opportunities’ in the first edition of a new journal, Journal of Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society. Their paper traces the history of weed biological control and points to the many successes.
CABI shares expertise on highly noxious and invasive parthenium weed at international conference on climate smart agriculture
By Dr Kazam Ali, Biocontrol Research Officer – CABI Central and West Asia (CWA) International conferences are priceless opportunities, not only for researchers and scientists but also for experts, policy makers, stakeholders and students, to ‘sharpen your saw’ by learning new skills in a different environment.
CABI publishes recommendations to fight scourge of parthenium weed in Central West Asia
CABI has published a new evidence note highlighting a list of recommendations to fight the highly-invasive parthenium weed which can have significant impacts on human health, the environment, livestock production and health and crop yields. The report ‘Parthenium: Impacts and coping strategies in Central West Asia’, states that the aggressively-spreading weed, now classified as a ‘superior…
Invasive weed could cut crop yields by 30 per cent
By Nicholas Okeya. Originally published on SciDev.Net. A dangerous invasive alien weed known as field dodder could be a serious menace to agriculture and biodiversity across Sub-Saharan Africa, and reduce crop yields, scientists say.
Dangerous waterweed spreading in Southern Africa
By Baraka Rateng’. Reblogged from SciDev.Net. A dangerous waterweed is spreading across water bodies in Southern Africa and could soon strangle life-supporting services such as fishing if it is not controlled, a scientist says. The waterweed called Limnobium laevigatum or South American sponge plant floats on water bodies and has the potential to invade other plants and decrease biodiversity, according…