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Funded Project |
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Funding Program:
Regional IPM Competitive Grants - Northeastern |
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Project Title:
Implementing Swallow-wort Biocontrol |
Project Director (PD):
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Lead State: Lead Organization: University of Rhode Island |
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Cooperating State(s):
New Hampshire |
| Undesignated Funding: $59,975 |
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Start Date: May-01-2012 End Date: Apr-30-2015 |
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Summary:
This is a research project. Two species of European swallow-wort, Vincetoxicum nigrum and Vincetoxicum rossicum, have become invasive in North America, where there are no effective natural enemies able to suppress populations and deter further spread. Swallow-worts are toxic to mammals, causing reduced grazing in pastures, toxicity, and death. They invade gardens, lawns, shrubs, fencerows, and a variety of forest types as well as ornamental plant nurseries, Christmas tree farms, and pine plantations. The twining climbing plants smother small trees and adversely impact monarch butterflies, inducing oviposition upon plants where larvae cannot survive. These problems will increase as swallow-worts continue to spread throughout the USA. Conventional control methods are largely unsuccessful in managing established infestations, and biological control appears to be the most promising alternative. At the request of local stakeholders, we initiated a program of classical biological control against swallow-worts a decade ago. With Northeast Regional IPM funding in 2008 and 2009, we determined that the European leaf-feeding moth, Hypena opulenta has potential for successful biological control of swallow-worts. Host range testing shows that these larvae are monophagous on swallow-worts, not posing a risk to any native North American plant. This insect causes extensive defoliation of V. nigrum and V. rossicum under laboratory conditions in quarantine and it is expected that it would adversely impact plants under field conditions with repeated defoliation and in the presence of competing plant species. In November, 2011 we petitioned the USDA and Canadian authorities for the open-field release of H. opulenta as a biological control agent for V. rossicum and V. nigrum in the United States and Canada in 2012. This research proposal requests funding to release and monitor this agent in plots carefully selected and pre-monitored to determine its potential for controlling both swallow-wort species in a range of habitats. Grant funding will cover agent release and three years of monitoring in the Northeast. We will also provide this agent to Canadian colleagues who will rear, release, and monitor H. opulenta. By conducting essentially paired experiments in Canada, we will have effectively bracketed the range of climates where swallow-worts grow in North America. This Canadian research, conducted at essentially no cost to this program, will greatly strengthen the value of research conducted in southern New England, allowing us to quickly determine whether to widely distribute this agent or to consider other agents presently under study. Through the permanent establishment and spread of effective biological control agents, we hope to end the use of herbicides against swallow-worts in agricultural enterprises and further control the weeds in natural areas where widespread use of herbicides is not an alternative. This proposal meets 13 of the 14 goals of the current NE Regional IPM program and addresses several priorities established for IPM research in the Northeast. Evaluation includes monitoring establishment, spread, and impact of this biological control agent as well as establishing baseline data on swallow-wort control costs for RI land managers, against which we can measure impact of this biological control project in the future. Objectives: The overall goal of this project is to establish an effective program of classical biological control against swallow-worts in North America. Fulfillment of this goal will permanently reduce populations of black and pale swallow-wort throughout its range, thereby reducing adverse impacts of these weeds in agriculture and in managed and unmanaged landscapes. Successful biological control will also reduce the costs and risks associated with herbicide applications against these weeds. The major objective of this project at present is to release and establish Hypena opulenta and evaluate the utility of this insect in controlling swallow-wort species in North America. This agent presently appears to be the most promising of all the European natural enemies of swallow-worts. Within three years, we will have evaluated it against both weed species under a range of environmental conditions, allowing robust predictions of its value in various ecosystems. We will also know which, if any, additional agents (presently under evaluation) should be released to supplement the activity of H. opulenta. Supporting objectives:
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Interim Report: Oct-23-2013 |
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Outcomes We submitted a release petition for Hypena opulenta against swallow-worts to USDA-APHIS in 2011, expecting approval of this demonstrably host-specific agent for the 2012 season. The TAG (Technical Advisory Group) requested very limited additional testing before release in USA (Canada was OK with immediate release). We performed the requested additional testing in 2012 and resubmitted this request which was approved by TAG in August, 2013. Canada granted immediate release approval and agents were released near Ottawa on September 20, 2013 - imitating the Canadian part of the field study as described in the proposal. USDA has additional steps before granting full approval for release in USA in the summer of 2014. Meanwhile, we have continued pre-release field sampling of release plots on Naushon Island and control plots on Naushon and on the mainland as described in the proposal. Swallow-wort populations continue to expand at these sites with no indication of arthropod herbivory. In quarantine, we conducted the TAG-requested studies on our existing colony of Hypena opulenta and on a new population that we acquired from our original collection site in Ukraine. New populations were determined to be disease-free and we are rearing large numbers of these agents for release in Canada (achieved) and USA (anticipated. The demise of monarch butterfly populations in the northeast lends additional urgency to this project since these butterflies lay a substantial proportion of their eggs on swallow-wort and the resulting larvae perish on this non-host plant. We have also completed host range testing for a second swallow-wort control agent, Abrostola asclepiadis, originally collected in southern Ukraine. As with Hypena, we have supplemented our laboratory colony with additional individuals from the original collection site, tested them for disease, and added them to our colony for rearing. We also arranged for the collection of a second population of this species from Finland and we are presently validating host specificity of this population and comparing it to the Ukraine population to determine which may be best synchronized for release in North America. |
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Impacts Since this biocontrol agent was just field-released in September, 2013, there are no biological impacts as yet. We have made a large effort to inform the public of our research and results through news releases and presentations. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130927182942.htm?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Casagrande presentation to the Western Regional Biological Control Project, Monterrey, CA, October 4, 2012. Casgrande presentation to the Mass Horticulture Society, Boston, MA, May 23, 2013. Casagrande presentation to the Eastern Branch, Entomological Society of America, Harrisburg, PA, March 19, 2013. Casagrande presentation to RI Wild Plant Society, North Kingstown, RI, July 16, 2013. Tewksbbury presentation to USDA-APHIS TAG, Washington DC June, 2013. |
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Interim Report: Oct-15-2014 |
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Impacts What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Attendance by the PI and professional staff at several meetings, including the USDA Invasive Species meeting in Annapolis, MD, the Annual meeting of the Eastern Branch of the Entomological Society of America, and the XIV International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? November 19, 2013: R.A. Casagrande presentation to Invasive Species Council, hemlock adelgid management, Ithaca, NY February 6, 2014: R.A. Casagrande presentation to New England Grows: management of invasive pests, Boston, MA February 27, 2014: R.A. Casagrande presentation to Ecological Landscaping Association, Biocontrol of invasive species, Springfield, MA March 12, 2014: R.A. Casagrande presentation to International Symposium on Weed Biocontrol, South Africa April 7, 2014 R.A. Casagrande presentation at U.Mass, Amherst July 29 R.A. Casagrande presentation to Mid-Atlantic Invasive Species Collaborative in Washington DC What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Continue to encourage APHIS and US Fish and Wildlife to complete their review of our pending release application for the USA. Supply agents to Canadian colleagues for release. Monitor our pre-release plots and possibly make releases this season (if approved) as described in the project description. Complete host-range testing and compare biological attributes of two European populations of Abrostola asclepiadis as a potential second agent for release against swallow-worts. Present results of this research at a meeting of the mid-Atlantic Invasive Species Organization in July, 2014 and additional presentations in Toronto, Canada in August, 2014 and Annapolis, MD in January, 2015. Target Audience Our efforts to control swallow-worts through biological control will benefit agricultural enterprises that manage these species as weeds as well as the conservation-minded organizations and individuals that manage these plants as ecological pests. We explain our progress on this project to these groups through media and live presentations. Our other significant stakeholder, monarch butterflies, will never know about our efforts, but will benefit from reduced abundance of these invasive plants which elicit inappropriate oviposition by adults resulting in death of larvae. Products News Release on successful release of biocontrol agent in Canada. Picked up by news media and agricultural publications throughout US and Canada. Changes/Problems The biggest change in this project is the Canadian approval and release of Hypena opulenta against swallow-worts before we were able to do the same in the USA. This is not a problem because we are closely cooperating with highly qualified colleagues in Canada who are addressing some of our research objectives north of the border while we await and prepare for US approval. We are encouraging US F&WS to expedite their review of our release petition and meanwhile, we are conducting a sixth season of pre-release sampling at potential US release sites. |
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Outcomes The overall goal of this project is to establish an effective program of classical biological control against swallow-worts in North America. Fulfillment of this goal will permanently reduce populations of black and pale swallow-wort throughout its range, thereby reducing adverse impacts of these weeds in agriculture and in managed and unmanaged landscapes. Successful biological control will also reduce the costs and risks associated with herbicide applications against these weeds. The major objective of this project at present is to release and establish Hypena opulenta and evaluate the utility of this insect in controlling swallow-wort species in North America. This agent presently appears to be the most promising of all the European natural enemies of swallow-worts. Within three years, we will have evaluated it against both weed species under a range of environmental conditions, allowing robust predictions of its value in various ecosystems. We will also know which, if any, additional agents (presently under evaluation) should be released to supplement the activity of H. opulenta. Supporting objectives: 1. Determine the role of H. opulenta in sun and shade on black and pale swallow-wort species. Experiments conducted on Naushon Island MA, with controls on nearby islands and the mainland will show us the potential utility of this herbivore against both weeds growing in various habitats. 2. Determine the role of H. opulenta under different climatic conditions. The climate of Naushon Island is greatly moderated by the Atlantic Ocean. By conducting essentially paired experiments in Canada, we will have effectively bracketed the range of climates where swallow-worts grow in North America. This work, done by Canadian collaborators, will greatly strengthen the value of research conducted in southern New England. There are several levels of impacts from this research project. The first level is the impact of the released biological control agent against the target weeds. This impact will be measured by evaluating the post-release status of the swallow-worts in long-term plots where we have already conducted three years of pre-release studies. As described in research approach, we will be monitoring cover, biomass, and reproduction of swallow-worts and other plant species in these plots. Changes in release plots relative to controls will be attributed to the impact of the biological control agent. This impact will be measured through this proposal. Successful biological control of swallow-worts will have myriad beneficial impacts including increased diversity of plants, arthropods, birds, and even more monarch butterflies as described earlier in this proposal. Some background data already exist on these ecosystems and changes are not expected over the next three years. What was accomplished under project goals? We obtained TAG (Technical Advisory Group) support through the USDA-APHIS program of evaluation and approval for weed biological control agents in September, 2013. While the US had additional administrative steps before approval, Canada has a more streamlined process. Canadian officials approved the release of Hypena opulenta in September, 2013 and we provided agents to Canadian colleagues who made field releases near Ottawa in late September, 2013. We made plans for further shipments and releases of this agent in Canada in the 2014 field season. These agents will probably establish in Canada and spread to the USA - possibly before the US review process is completed. As of July 31, 2014, we sent roughly 10,000 larvae of H. opulenta to Canadian colleagues who released them near Ottawa and north of Toronto. These larvae completed development and resulting adults have dispersed, laid eggs, and additional larvae are completing development on swallow-wort (called dog-strangling vine in Canada). |
Report Appendices
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Interim Report: Jun-15-2015 |
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Impacts Impacts of Classical Biological Control projects such as this one are best evaluated over a period of decades. Through this project, Hypena opulenta was established in Canada in 2014 and in the long run we expect it to have myriad beneficial impacts including reduced herbicide use and increased diversity of plants, birds, and arthropods particularly monarch butterflies as described in the proposal. Equally important, through our efforts to release this agent in the USA, we have made significant efforts to solve the regulatory bottleneck in US weed biological control programs ( nothing has been approved for release in the Continental US in over four years). Over the past two years, we have worked with the USDA and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, providing reports to supplement the release permit and we have prepared, distributed, and submitted a letter-of-concern (appendix) to both agencies. Both agencies have acknowledged the concerns of weed biocontrol specialists and are working to determine and clarify data requirements and streamline the evaluation and release process. This effort is in no small part the result of our efforts to seek release approval and conduct the remaining objectives of this proposal. We are hopeful that a revised Biological Assessment sent by APHIS to USFWS in May, 2015 will be approved and we will make releases as soon as we receive approval. Meanwhile, we have made a significant contribution to weed biocontrol in the USA through our efforts to improve the regulatory process. |
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Outcomes We have met the overall goal of this project in establishing Hypena opulenta, a promising biological control agent for swallowworts in North America. Unfortunately, because of bureaucratic delays (primarily in the US Fish and Wildlife Service) these releases have been made only in Canada and not yet in the USA. We wrote and submitted a petition to release this agent in the USA to the USDA in 2012. It was recommended for approval by the USDA's Technical Advisory Committee in September, 2013 and Canadian authorities immediately approved release in Canada which was accomplished. Since then, with our assistance, Canadian cooperators have released tens of thousands of these agents in sites near Ottawa and north of Toronto. This agent appears to be established in Canada and it is presently under evaluation as discussed in the research proposal and our annual reports. We have continued to prepare for release in the USA by conducting pre-release monitoring at anticipated release sites. This agent will eventually be approved for release as it is totally host-specific with no anticipated adverse environmental effects and according to TAG reviewers "one of the cleanest release applications submitted in recent years". |
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Final Report: |
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Impacts Impacts of Classical Biological Control projects such as this one are best evaluated over a period of decades. Through this project, Hypena opulenta was established in Canada in 2014 and in the long run we expect it to have myriad beneficial impacts including reduced herbicide use and increased diversity of plants, birds, and arthropods particularly monarch butterflies as described in the proposal. Equally important, through our efforts to release this agent in the USA, we have made significant efforts to solve the regulatory bottleneck in US weed biological control programs ( nothing has been approved for release in the Continental US in over four years). Over the past two years, we have worked with the USDA and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, providing reports to supplement the release permit and we have prepared, distributed, and submitted a letter-of-concern (appendix) to both agencies. Both agencies have acknowledged the concerns of weed biocontrol specialists and are working to determine and clarify data requirements and streamline the evaluation and release process. This effort is in no small part the result of our efforts to seek release approval and conduct the remaining objectives of this proposal. We are hopeful that a revised Biological Assessment sent by APHIS to USFWS in May, 2015 will be approved and we will make releases as soon as we receive approval. Meanwhile, we have made a significant contribution to weed biocontrol in the USA through our efforts to improve the regulatory process. |
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Outcomes We have met the overall goal of this project in establishing Hypena opulenta, a promising biological control agent for swallowworts in North America. Unfortunately, because of bureaucratic delays (primarily in the US Fish and Wildlife Service) these releases have been made only in Canada and not yet in the USA. We wrote and submitted a petition to release this agent in the USA to the USDA in 2012. It was recommended for approval by the USDA's Technical Advisory Committee in September, 2013 and Canadian authorities immediately approved release in Canada which was accomplished. Since then, with our assistance, Canadian cooperators have released tens of thousands of these agents in sites near Ottawa and north of Toronto. This agent appears to be established in Canada and it is presently under evaluation as discussed in the research proposal and our annual reports. We have continued to prepare for release in the USA by conducting pre-release monitoring at anticipated release sites. This agent will eventually be approved for release as it is totally host-specific with no anticipated adverse environmental effects and according to TAG reviewers "one of the cleanest release applications submitted in recent years". |
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