Science Adapts Arundo in Hungary to Major Biomass Tool

Date:   12/20/2011 2:32:16 AM ( 13 y ago)

BIOLOGY & ECOLOGY Cultivation: A. donax has long been associated with humans and has various uses and cultural significance. In the Mediterranean region, the plant has been used for medicine, lattices, mats, fish poles, and for parts in instruments such as the clarinet (Neal 1965). In Egypt, the giant reed was common and can be identified from temple drawings, often representing the letter "A" (Neal 1965). A. donax was useful for a variety of reasons and was brought from the Mediterranean region to many parts of the world. It does well in sand and is commonly used in seacoast gardens (Greenlee 1992). Today, it is cultivated for roofing material, erosion control, windbreaks, and as an ornamental.


MISSION OF ARUNDO THE FATHERS HAD IN MIND?

Global distribution: A. donax is widely cultivated and now naturalized in warm temperate to tropical areas. It is apparently an ancient introduction to Europe. A. donax was introduced to California by the Spanish mission fathers and planted up and down the state (Greenlee 1992). It was reported as abundant in Los Angeles, California as early as 1820 (Robbins et al. 1951). It now occupies many southern states from the east to the west coast and as far north as Maryland (PLANTS 2001).


Prescribed burns: Flame throwers or weed burner devices can be used as spot treatment to heat girdle stems at the base of plants. This technique is sometimes used instead of chemical girdling as it is cheaper and can be done in wet weather (Hoshovsky 1998). Though, Dudley (1998) does not suggest burning be used as a treatment because it does not kill the underground rhizomes and probably favors giant reed over native plants.
Chemical control:
Foliar application: The most common herbicide used to treat giant reed is glyphosate, mostly in the form of Roundup or Rodeo (in wetlands). The standard treatment is a foliar spray application of 1.5% by volume glyphosate with a .5% v/v non-ionic surfactant (Monsanto 1992). Small patches can be treated using backpack or towed sprayers, and major infestations have been treated using helicopters (Dudley 1998). A common method is to cut or mow a patch to allow regeneration before foliar application is made.
Cut stump: This method reduces herbicide costs and helps to avoid drift to desirable plants. Concentrated glyphosate solution (50% to 100% Rodeo or Roundup, or 27-54% glyphosate) is applied to cut stems (within 5-10 cm) of the substrate. Treat plants immediately after cutting for efficient translocation. In California, this treatment proved more successful than the foliar method. Finn et al. (1990) report, "Foliar spray methods showed a 10 to 90 percent success rate for killing plants, compared to a 100 percent success rate for the cut-stem method."
Follow up: The importance of follow treatment is stressed by Dudley (1998) who reports that some professional applicators suggest 6 return spot treatments over 6 months.
Biological control: No biological controls have been introduced for A. donax and probably won't be in the future due to the commercial value of the plant (Hoshovsky 1998).




http://www.hear.org/starr/hiplants/reports/pdf/arundo_donax.pdf


Hoshovsky, M. 1998. The Nature Conservancy Element Stewardship Abstract: Arundo donax. TNC, Arlington, Virginia.
Monsanto Corp. 1992. Native habitat restoration: controlling Arundo donax. Monsanto Co. Application Guide Circular No. 170-92-06.
Neal, M. C. 1965. In Gardens of Hawai'i. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Special Publication 40, Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, HI.
PLANTS (National Plants Database). 2001. Online database. United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Services, National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA. Available: http://plants.usda.gov
(Accessed: September 12, 2001).
Perdue, R.E. 1958. Arundo donax - source of musical reeds and industrial cellulose. Econ. Bot. 12(4): 368-404.
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Rezk, M.R. and T. Edany. 1979. Comparative responses of two reed species to water table levels. Egypt. J. Bot. 22(2): 157-172.
Riffle, R. L. 1998. The Tropical Look. Timber Press, Inc., Portland, OR. Robbins, W. W., M. K. Bellue, and W. S. Ball. 1951. Weeds of California. Calif. Dept.
of Agric., Sacramento.
Wagner, W.L., D.R. Herbst, and S.H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i. 2 vols. Bishop Museum Special Publication 83, University of Hawai'i and Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai'i.
Wells, M.J., K. Duggan, and L. Henderson. 1980. Woody plant invaders of the central Transvaal. Proc. 3rd National Weeds Conf. South Africa 11-23.

I am feeling vindicated...


 

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