Biological control of Salvinia molesta in South Africa revisited
- Martin, Grant D, Coetzee, Julie A, Weyl, Philip S R, Parkinson, Matthew C, Hill, Martin P
- Authors: Martin, Grant D , Coetzee, Julie A , Weyl, Philip S R , Parkinson, Matthew C , Hill, Martin P
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/103878 , vital:32318 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2018.06.011
- Description: The aquatic weed Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitch. (Salviniaceae) was first recorded in South Africa in the early 1900s, and by the 1960s was regarded as one of South Africa’s worst aquatic weeds. Following the release of the weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in 1985, the weed is now considered under successful biological control. However, the post-release evaluation of this biological control programme has been ad hoc, therefore, to assess the efficacy of the agent, annual quantitative surveys of South African freshwater systems have been undertaken since 2008. Over the last ten years, of the 57 S. molesta sites visited annually in South Africa, the weevil has established at all of them. Eighteen sites are under successful biological control, where the weed no longer poses a threat to the system and 19 are under substantial biological control, where biological control has reduced the impact of the weed. Since 2008, the average percentage weed cover at sites has declined significantly from 51–100% cover to 0–5% cover in 2017 (R2 = 0.78; P < 0.05). Observations of site-specific characteristics suggest that biological control is most effective at small sites and more difficult at larger and shaded sites. Our findings show that S. molesta remains under good biological control in South Africa, however, some sites require intermittent strategic management, such as augmentative releases of C. salviniae.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Martin, Grant D , Coetzee, Julie A , Weyl, Philip S R , Parkinson, Matthew C , Hill, Martin P
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/103878 , vital:32318 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2018.06.011
- Description: The aquatic weed Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitch. (Salviniaceae) was first recorded in South Africa in the early 1900s, and by the 1960s was regarded as one of South Africa’s worst aquatic weeds. Following the release of the weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in 1985, the weed is now considered under successful biological control. However, the post-release evaluation of this biological control programme has been ad hoc, therefore, to assess the efficacy of the agent, annual quantitative surveys of South African freshwater systems have been undertaken since 2008. Over the last ten years, of the 57 S. molesta sites visited annually in South Africa, the weevil has established at all of them. Eighteen sites are under successful biological control, where the weed no longer poses a threat to the system and 19 are under substantial biological control, where biological control has reduced the impact of the weed. Since 2008, the average percentage weed cover at sites has declined significantly from 51–100% cover to 0–5% cover in 2017 (R2 = 0.78; P < 0.05). Observations of site-specific characteristics suggest that biological control is most effective at small sites and more difficult at larger and shaded sites. Our findings show that S. molesta remains under good biological control in South Africa, however, some sites require intermittent strategic management, such as augmentative releases of C. salviniae.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Synergies between research organisations and the wider community in enhancing weed biological control in South Africa
- Martin, Grant D, Hill, Martin P, Coetzee, Julie A, Weaver, Kim N, Hill, Jaclyn M
- Authors: Martin, Grant D , Hill, Martin P , Coetzee, Julie A , Weaver, Kim N , Hill, Jaclyn M
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68452 , vital:29258 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-017-9846-4
- Description: Biological control offers a cost effective and ecologically sustainable tool for the management of invasive alien plants. Its implementation, however, has historically been slow and poorly co-ordinated. In South Africa, as in many other countries, most aspects of biological control programmes were done by researchers, but from 1995 onwards, with the advent of the Working for Water Programme, a more inclusive approach to biological control has been adopted. In this paper, we report on the development of community-based biological control implementation programmes in South Africa, after 1995, and highlight a number of initiatives, including employing persons with disabilities at mass-rearing facilities and in particular, we outline a suite of educational and outreach programmes for the general public and for schools, which have increased capacity, education and employment in the field of weed biological control.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Martin, Grant D , Hill, Martin P , Coetzee, Julie A , Weaver, Kim N , Hill, Jaclyn M
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68452 , vital:29258 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-017-9846-4
- Description: Biological control offers a cost effective and ecologically sustainable tool for the management of invasive alien plants. Its implementation, however, has historically been slow and poorly co-ordinated. In South Africa, as in many other countries, most aspects of biological control programmes were done by researchers, but from 1995 onwards, with the advent of the Working for Water Programme, a more inclusive approach to biological control has been adopted. In this paper, we report on the development of community-based biological control implementation programmes in South Africa, after 1995, and highlight a number of initiatives, including employing persons with disabilities at mass-rearing facilities and in particular, we outline a suite of educational and outreach programmes for the general public and for schools, which have increased capacity, education and employment in the field of weed biological control.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
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