Special problems associated with aquatic weed control
1990
Charudattan, R. | DeValerio, J.T. | Prange, V.J.
For maintaining a stable ecosystem, the presence of a diverse community of aquatic plants is preferred to the absence of plants or the existence of one or two dominant species at nuisance levels. The dominant species tend to be exotic and invasive, and are justifiable targets for microbial control. However, control with microorganisms has proven difficult primarily due to the effective survival strategies of these plants. Indeterminate, rapid growth and vegetative proliferation enable these plants to escape disease pressure by compensating for disease losses. Only a few pathogens capable of curtailing these aggressive weeds have been found. There are technical and environmental limitations to applying inoculum and maintaining its efficacy in water. Demand for quick and complete weed elimination discourages the use of biocontrols. Lack of etiological and epidemiological knowledge of diseases on submerged plants and the potential for adverse side-effects from using large doses of inoculum add to the problems. Despite these limitations, progress has been made towards controlling waterhyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) with Cercospora rodmanii. Attempts at microbial control of hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) and eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) are promising.
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