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Leaf-spotting is something that is a regular part of my job, but the Leaf Spot Fungus is not something I have encountered much. There is a particular variant of this fungus – the (Mycosphaerella polygoni-cuspidati) which has been suggested as a method of natural control for Japanese knotweed. The fungus is one of a few
We have written quite a bit about the Japanese Knotweed Psyllid (aphalara itadori), which has been released in to the wild in the UK as a form of Japanese knotweed controland. I also wrote recently about the form of leaf spot fungus which is under research by CABI for potential release as another bio-control agent.
The spring brings out all kinds of interesting creatures, both human and animal. Fortunately we live in a country where very few of our fauna are poisonous. However, spring does bring out some undesirables – and one species which is currently hitting the news is the Brown tail moth caterpillar. The problem is that the
The Worst Effects of Invasive Species A lot of what we do at Japanese Knotweed Solutions revolves around the construction industry and private gardens. However, we also work alongside organisations like the Environment Agency, Eden Rivers Trust and Cornwall Knotweed Forum, working in areas where Japanese knotweed causes marked and severe effects on native species.
I was sad to speak to somebody yesterday whose colleague – a landscape operative – narrowly avoided hospitalisation after working in a residential garden which contained giant hogweed. He had strimmed the plant, not knowing what it was, and the sap had gone all over his unprotected skin – fortunately missing his eyes. He then
Striga or witchweed, is a group of parasitic weeds found in over a third of cereal crops in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Crops yield at least 40% less when they are parasitised by Striga causing an estimated us $7 billion loss and reducing the food security of millions of people. This weed affects the roots of
As my colleague Dan highlighted last week, we in the UK don’t have the worst problems in the world with invasive species. Japanese knotweed and the Killer Shrimp are causing havoc – but we wouldn’t go so far as to say devastation (although in the case of the Killer Shrimp, this is mostly because their
The government is currently part way through a consultation on Health and Safety law. Cutting back red tape is a good aim – but in this age of global information sharing, we see many countries where workers go without the protections that they deserve because government regulations are too weak to offer meaningful protection to
A $43 million clean-up operation has begun in Vietnam to decontaminate the former US airbase in Da Nang of a chemical called TCDD (a nasty carcinogen often referred to as “dioxin”). The plan revolves around the excavation and thermal treatment of around 73,000 cubic metres of soil in a project which will take approximately four
Japanese knotweed is generally referred to as a herbaceous perennial, as although it leaves behind woody stalks over the winter, it is very rare for the plant to grow new leaves from any part of the previous season’s stems. The crowns and the rhizome (root system) of the plant stay alive over winter, sending up
