Project Number: 5436-22000-011-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Oct 01, 2003
End Date: Aug 31, 2005

Objective:
Develop integrated pest management, with emphasis on biological control of principal rangeland weeds, including leafy spurge, saltcedar, Canada thistle and knapweeds, by coordinating foreign exploration; identifying, evaluating, importing and releasing biological control agents (arthropods and plant pathogens); assessing their establishment and impact; analyzing evnironmental and biotic interactions; and understangind the systematics and phylogeography of target weeds.

Approach:
Assess the establihsment and impact of previously released biological control agents on leafy spurge and knapweeds. Analyze environmental and microbial interactions on the success of different biological control agents to determine site characteristics where each is most effective. Determine which combinations of agents are most effective in different habitats. Develop methods to enhance plant pathogen-insect interactions. Determine the need for and direct foreign exploration for new biological control agents for saltcedar, white top and Canada thistle. Identify potential biological control agents (arthropods and plant pathogens), evaluate their host specificity in a risk analysis context, obtain importation clearances, import via quaratine, and release to control targeted rangeland weeds. Clarify taxonomic relationships among target weeds and closely related species, and document population level interactions with biological control agents. Integrate biological control with other pest management and land management strategies.