Tag Archive for: Knotweed

Research into environmental cost of managing knotweed

Research into environmental cost of managing knotweed: Complete Weed Control has part funded New Swansea University research that looked at the long-term environmental impact into different methods to control Japanese knotweed.

The invasive species has been calculated to cost more than £165 million to manage every year in the UK alone. Its presence can blight property purchases for households across the country.

Research into environmental cost of managing knotweed

Research into environmental cost of managing knotweed

This has led to the development of different ways of trying to control it but with sustainability becoming increasingly important, understanding the effect of these management methods is vital.

A new study, led by biosciences lecturer Dr Sophie Hocking and looking at the entire life cycle and long-term impacts of different management approaches, has just been published in online journal Scientific Reports.

Dr Hocking said: “In light of the current climate emergency and biodiversity crisis, invasive species management and sustainability have never been so important.

“Both of these are intrinsically linked – we know that invasive species can cause substantial negative ecological, social and economic impacts, and the way we manage these species should mitigate against this in a sustainable way to ensure we are not doing more harm than good.

“Although there has been more research into how we can best manage the plant, little is known about how sustainable these approaches are.”

Ian Graham, managing director of Complete Weed Control, stressed the significance of using science to inform best practice adding: “Industry is responsible not only for delivering high-quality outcomes but also for doing so in a manner that takes environmental and social factors into account. This new study will help inform us, ensuring our methods remain the most sustainable.”

Complete Weed Control played a significant role in supporting and funding prior research conducted by Professor Dan Eastwood and Dr Dan Jones, which initiated the most comprehensive knotweed control field trial globally in 2012. The trial examined the leading physical, chemical, and integrated methods of managing the knotweed species. The research was conducted in collaboration with Complete Weed Control and Advanced Invasives, a spinout company led by Dr Jones.

This field study provided valuable information for Dr Hocking’s work. Using a life cycle assessment (LCA) – a methodology for assessing environmental impacts associated with all the stages of the life cycle of a commercial process – to find out the relative environmental impacts of a range of chemical and physiochemical knotweed management methods.

The researchers went beyond a focus on the use and end-of life of these methods and assessed the environmental impacts of different management methods including the production of materials and herbicides required to achieve knotweed control; something that is often overlooked when we evaluate sustainability. For the study, the team selected methods commonly used for knotweed management and used real-world data on time consumption, amount of materials used and economic costs to evaluate their relative environmental impacts.

Of the methods tested, they found that the simplest approach – glyphosate-based foliar spray control methods – used the least materials, had the lowest environmental impacts, the lowest economic costs and is, therefore, the most sustainable approach to tackle knotweed management. The findings are of significance to those working with or are affected by the presence of Japanese knotweed on their land.

Dr Hocking added: “Currently there is a big conversation around the sustainability of herbicides and the ecological and human-health impacts of this. Social perceptions of the ways we manage invasive plants are really important, but we need our understanding of sustainability to be rooted in empirical evidence. We hope that this research will contribute to our wider understanding of the sustainability of different approaches in invasive plant management and help to inform current knotweed management practice.”

This research has been mirrored in the real world as Cardiff Council recently conducted an alternative weed control trial comparing glyphosate with the alternative methods of weed control currently available in the UK.

The scientific trial assessed the viability of two alternatives to the glyphosate-based approach used by the majority of local authorities in the UK. Complete Weed Control delivered the services using its WEEDit technology to inform the independent research which found glyphosate has a smaller overall environmental footprint than the two alternatives trialled, which were acetic acid (a highly concentrated vinegar) and a hot foam treatment (a plant-based product which combines hot water with a biodegradable foam).

Ian Graham concluded: “I am proud to say that our organisation is widely recognised for delivering the highest level of service to our customers across the UK and Ireland, with a strong commitment to continuous improvement and meeting environmental requirements.

“This latest partnership with Swansea University and Advanced Invasives aligns with our commitment to investment in research and technology and our dedication to excellence and sustainability within the industry.”

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Rare Japanese knotweed hybrid found

Rare Japanese knotweed hybrid found: A team of Swansea University scientists have discovered a rare Japanese knotweed hybrid in south Wales.

Although this could mean further proliferation of knotweed, the Swansea scientists involved believe the discovery could help them develop new ways of managing the spread of this destructive and notoriously difficult to combat plant.

Rare Japanese knotweed hybrid found

The hybrid knotweed, known as Conolly’s knotweed was discovered during a study led by Sophie Hocking, a PhD student funded through the Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS) scheme at Swansea University.  Sophie’s study formed part of intensive research which Swansea University College of Science researchers have conducted over eight years, including the world’s largest Japanese knotweed field trial.  The research has been undertaken in close partnership with Complete Weed Control and Advanced Invasives, a company that has grown from the research.

Sophie said: “We discovered evidence of Conolly’s knotweed during the study, which took place near Cardiff.  Conolly’s knotweed is a hybrid of Japanese knotweed and the common garden plant, Russian Vine. While Conolly’s knotweed is rare in the UK, records of it are increasing across continental Europe.”

Rare Japanese knotweed hybrid found

Sophie said she and the team were surprised to find evidence of the Japanese knotweed hybrid: “Conolly’s knotweed is a bit of a paradox because although it is rare in the wild, it’s the most frequently produced seed found on Japanese knotweed plants in the UK. We didn’t expect to find Japanese knotweed in the seed bank, because plants in the UK come from a single female clone and cannot reproduce successfully without male plants, unless hybridisation with another member of the knotweed family takes place. We actually didn’t expect to find any type of viable invasive knotweed seeds, because it’s extremely unlikely for any to survive wet UK winters.

The fact we did find evidence of Conolly’s knotweed means that hybridisation took place – this could be an important aspect of the Japanese knotweed invasion that we are overlooking.

Japanese knotweed is capable of producing copious amounts of seed when hybridisation occurs. If future climatic conditions become favourable for these seeds to germinate successfully, our Japanese knotweed problem might get worse. A seed bank full of hybrid knotweed could mean a second wave of invasion following treatment of the initial problem.

Finding Conolly’s knotweed in the soil seedbank means that invasive knotweeds may now find an additional means of dispersal.

We are currently looking at the ecology of our Japanese knotweed site to determine whether native plants will regrow after the knotweed has been tackled or whether we need to add new species to restore the habitat. This will help inform a complete best practice for managing invasive plants such as Japanese knotweed, allowing us to move beyond a reactionary approach that has characterised invasive plant management and restoration to date.”

Rare Japanese knotweed hybrid found

The full article is published in Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland News.

For more information, please contact Complete Weed Control’s national office on 01325 324 277 or visit www.completeweedcontrol.co.uk

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Inquiry Into Japanese Knotweed Impact

Inquiry Into Japanese Knotweed Impact: The Science and Technology Committee are holding an oral evidence session in early 2019, specifically to explore the science behind the effects of Japanese Knotweed on the built environment. To inform that session, written submissions were invited and the Amenity Forum has made a response.

The Amenity Forum welcomed the inquiry. Whilst there has been research and studies on the topic, it is felt more is needed if we are to fully understand the impact and implications. There has been a number of studies observing specific sites where structural damage has been caused but it is felt that more scientific studies are very much required. The Forum also feels that more economic analysis is needed and indeed is vital to establish the financial implications now and in the future. This would assist Government greatly in establishing both its strategy and future plans to combat the issue. It is undoubtedly the case that the presence of Japanese knotweed rhizome within a construction, if left unchecked, can produce significant damage especially within masonry and hard surfaces.Inquiry Into Japanese Knotweed Impact

The Forum also states that what has already emerged, in looking at the range of controls, is the importance of chemical products including those with the active ingredient, glyphosate. Whatever approach has been trialled, chemical treatment remains extremely important and provides the most effective approach in any integrated plan for knotweed management. They go on to say knotweed management is a long term plan and cannot be seen as a quick fix. Clearly it can be controlled by treatments but the point at which such a treatment plan is complete remains uncertain. There would appear to be a need for more research and examination of the rhizome that remains following professional treatment. Establishing the facts relating to the viability of that material when disturbed is key to establishing protocols for sites that have been subjected to a treatment programme.

Professor John Moverley, Chairman of the Amenity Forum, very much welcomed the focus on this topic and emphasised the need to use professionally trained operatives in managing the problem. He said ‘’What is vital is that knotweed control needs to be undertaken properly and by professionally qualified operators and organisations who fully subscribe to the standards and best practice laid down. The Amenity Forum is currently developing an overarching assurance standard for the sector and we would urge all employing any operators to ensure that they can deliver to such a standard and, in so doing, fully support the work and objectives of the Amenity Forum. Bad practice and unqualified operators can make the situation far worse and sadly there is evidence of such practices existing. The need for assured practice and the need for users such as local authorities to adopt these is vital’’

The Amenity Forum is holding a series of half day Updating Events across the UK over the coming months. These are free to attend and will update those attending on current issues and concerns. There will be time for questions and essential networking. For more information on the location and timings of these events, please contact admin@amenityforum.net. Whilst free to attend, it is important that you register in advance.

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