CABI shares expertise on hay fever sufferers’ nightmare on US TV
Dr Stefan Toepfer has contributed to WGRZ-TV’s The Outdoors programme on Invasive Species by sharing his expertise on ragweed – the invasive species that is a nightmare for millions of hay fever sufferers across Europe.
Satellite data offers alternative in predicting impact of biological control for hay-fever causing ragweed
New research – published in the journal Ecological Modelling – reveals an alternative method of predicting population trends through temperature of the leaf beetle Ophraella communa, a potential biological control agent of the hay-fever causing ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia in Europe.
A life in science born of investigations into natural enemy for noxious ragweed
A former PhD student co-supervised by CABI’s Dr Urs Schaffner is forging a career as a qualified scientist working at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) after investigating a natural enemy for common ragweed.
Biocontrol: Early season leaf damage could inform us whether a noxious invader produces seeds
CABI scientists suggest a forecasting model could assess the ability of a humble beetle to control Ambrosia artemisiifolia, which causes major crop losses and is a nuisance to human health, as part of a wider management plan that also includes mowing, ploughing or mulching of the fields just before male flower formation.
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…
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.