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USDA / Agricultural Research Service |
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Invasive Weed Management Unit |
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Environment/Bioenergy
Weeds have impact outside of agriculture, and tools used to control weeds can impact the environment. The IWMU is one of the few remaining ARS labs examining herbicide fate.
· The IWMU discovered the mechanism for rain-induced resurgent herbicide activity and showed how herbicide encapsulation can reduce transport. Interactions between costly nitrogen fertilizers and weed growth were discovered, and now form the basis for integrating management of weeds and soil fertility.
· IWMU scientists used demographic models to guide the agent selection and prioritization process for biological control of garlic mustard, an invasive that chokes out native plants in forests across the U.S. As a result, a weevil, Ceutorhynchus scrobicollis, is being considered for release by APHIS-PPQ. The approach also guides biocontrol of pale swallow-wort, another aggressive invader.
· IWMU research identified an approach that can be used to analyze the invasion potential of biofuel species and plan for production of successful candidates.
· Research is needed to predict success of bioenergy crops not presently grown as crops.
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