Weeds and invasive plants

Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz

Biological invasions

• One out of five main direct drivers for biodiversity changes globally• Causing high costs for society

– $120 billion/annually in the US (Pimentel et al. 2005)

– €2.5 billion/year in the EU (Kettunen et a. 2009)

– £1.7 billion/year in the UK (CABI 2010)

• Closely linked to human activities

Weeds

- if unmanaged - greater yield losses than any other crop pest (Oerke and Dehne 2004)

- Expensive:- £105 million annually in crop losses in Britain- £90 million annually for herbicides

(Williams et al. 2010)

- increasing problems with herbicide control (regulations, resistances)

- great chance to increase research efforts into non-chemical management options!

Using citizen science for weed management

• Project proposal to increase use of non-chemical weed management in arable farming

• Participatory project: workshops with farmers• Farmer/agronomists to collect/report weed and

management data

EpiCollect Software

EpiCollect software – collecting weed data

EpiCollect software – collecting weed data

Case study: Solanum elaeagnifolium

Silverleaf nightshade, tomato weed

perennial weed

reproduction by seeds and root fragments

distributed with contaminated seeds, fodder, hay, soil, machinery, sheep, birds….

prefers warm-temperate regions,, drought tolerant.

l

Case study: Solanum elaeagnifolium

- native in Mexico- currently expanding its range in southern Europe

favoured by climate change- listed species in Europe (EPPO A2)