| For 2020 and newer grants, please go to https://grants.ipmcenters.org/ |
|---|
|
|
| Home Current RFAs PD User Guide Projects Login |
|
Funded Project |
|
Funding Program:
Regional IPM Competitive Grants - Northeastern |
|
Project Title:
Biological Control of Swallow-Worts in the Northeast - Part 1 |
Project Directors (PDs):
|
|
Lead State: RI Lead Organization: University of Rhode Island |
| Research Funding: $50,000 |
|
Start Date: Jun-01-2008 End Date: May-31-2009 |
|
No-Cost Extension Date: May-31-2010 |
|
Pests Involved: swallow-wort, swallowwort, weeds |
|
Site/Commodity: landscape |
|
Area of Emphasis: biocontrol, biological control, invasive species |
|
Summary:
This is a research project. Two species of European swallow-worts, Vincetoxicum nigrum (black) and V. rossicum (pale) have invaded the USA and are spreading throughout the Northeast and beyond. Swallow-worts contain a haemolytic glycoside which is toxic to grazing animals. In addition to pastures, swallow-worts invade gardens, lawns, shrubs, hedgerows, forests, ornamental plant nurseries, Christmas tree farms, and pine plantations. The twining climbing plants smother plants, serve as alternate hosts for Cronartium rusts of pines, and induce monarch butterflies to lay eggs on these plants where larvae cannot survive.
Swallow-worts are difficult to control mechanically or chemically and native herbivores have little impact. In response to stakeholder requests, we initiated a biological control program on swallow-worts and in 2006 we collected insect herbivores throughout Europe. We presently have five European insect herbivores of swallow-worts in quarantine where we have made good progress on host range testing and already identified two agents as particularly promising. We seek support to continue host range testing of promising natural enemies and to measure their impact on the target weeds toward the goal of bringing North American swallow-worts under biological control. he objective of this proposal is to evaluate the host range and potential impact of European insect herbivores under consideration for biological control of swallowworts in North America. We anticipate giving several research presentations, submitting five journal articles, and preparing a petition for biological control agent release during the funding period covered in this proposal. This multi-disciplinary, international research project meets NEREAP-IPM goal 3: "...reduce unreasonable adverse environmental effects from pests and pest management practices." As serious weeds in ornamental nurseries and Christmas tree plantations, swallow-worts qualify under NEREAP-IPM priority one for 2006 and priority 3 (minor crop) for 2007. Objectives: The general objective of this project is to evaluate the potential of European insect herbivores to provide biological control of swallow-worts in eastern North America. Our specific objectives for this proposal include: 1) Completing host range testing of agents now in quarantine. 2) Evaluating potential impact of these agents upon swallow-worts. Proposal Note: This project was continued with further funding as a RIPM 2009 project. Please see Part 2 for the final report and link to the USDA CRIS data. |
|
Interim Report: Sep-15-2009 |
|
Outcomes We have given presentations on this research in Albany NY, Harrisburg PA, Syracuse NY, Ottawa Canada, San Diego CA, and at the International Congress of Weed Biocontrol in Montpellier, France. We are presently engaged in late-stage editing of five journal articles that will be submitted following the defense of Aaron Weed's dissertation scheduled for late November 2009. The published results of this research will greatly expand our scientific knowledge and literature base in this area and provide the foundation for a program of swallow-wort biological control in North America. Our research results to date have resulted in a successful research continuation proposal to the Northeast IPM program for the 2009 season and research beyond this season has been funded as a result of our authorship and participation in the Northeast Regional Project on Biological Control (NE1032). |
|
Impacts In the long run, we anticipate that this project will result in favorable impacts such as reduced herbicides, dollars saved, improved environmental conditions, etc. (see Logic Model in Appendix 2), however the interim impacts of our research on the scientific community are also of considerable consequence. For instance, based upon the presentation of our very favorable results at an international meeting in France in April, 2007 and again in Ottawa in October, 2008, Ag. Canada decided to support complementary work which is now underway at Carlton University in Ontario and at CABI in Switzerland. We have also entered into three collaborative research arrangements to assure an expeditious and quality evaluation of these potential biological control agents. In addition to the collaborative research with André Gassmann of CABI in Delémont, Switzerland, we are working with Lindsey Milbrath, a USDA/ARS scientist stationed at Cornell University and Naomi Cappuccino at Carlton University in Ontario -- all of whom will be participating in evaluation of potential swallow-wort biological control agents. |
Report Appendices
|
| Close Window |
|
Northeastern IPM Center 340 Tower Road Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 NortheastIPM.org |
 |
Developed by the Center for IPM © Copyright CIPM 2004-2026 |
|