Project Number: 5325-22000-017-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Oct 01, 2000
End Date: Aug 30, 2005

Objective:
Explore overseas to discover potential agents for controlling brooms, yellow starthistle, saltcedar & other non-indigenous pest plants. Determine safety of potential agents and obtain approval for release. Establish and evaluate impact of approved agents on target plants. Continue ongoing laboratory and field evaluations of current and previously released agents. Select other weeds as targets for biological control. Evaluate insect biocontrol agents to enable effective suppression of western invasive weeds.

Approach:
Oversee the exploration of the native range of target weeds for potential biological control agents, with emphasis on root and foliage feeding insects. Evaluate the host range and effectiveness of potential biological control agents. Through quarantine testing seek approval & release approved agents in the field, and with the assistance of state agencies and universities, monitor establishment and impact on the target weed. The latter includes quantification of impact on individual plants, but emphasizes the measurement, over many years, of the changes in the populations of target weeds. Continue ongoing studies quantifying the impact of previously released biological control agents on native and endangered species. Conduct limited feasibility studies on other important non-indigenous pest plants to determine their suitability as targets for biological control. Test natural enemies for these new specific targets and conduct detailed biological studies on selected biological control agents & target weed species. FY04 Program Increase $241,566.

Project Team

Carruthers, Raymond - Ray Spencer, David - Dave Smith, Lincoln - Link Balciunas, Joseph - Joe

Project Annual Reports

FY 2003   FY 2002   FY 2001

Related National Programs

Rangeland, Pasture, and Forages (205)   Crop Protection & Quarantine (304)

Related Projects

Biological Control of Saltcedar and Perennial Pepperweed    Biological Based Control for the Areawide Management of Exotic and Invasive Weeds    Integrated Control and Assessment of Knapweed and Cheatgrass on Department of Defense Installations    Biological Control of Saltcedar in Wyoming    Biological Control of Saltcedar in Texas    Biological Control of Saltcedar in New Mexico    Biological Contrl of Saltcedar in Nevada    Promoting Development of Biological Control Agents for Cape Ivy, a South African Vine Threatening California's Natural Areas    Biological Control of Exotic Weeds in the West    Biological Control of Exotic Weeds in the West    Saltcedar Biological Control    Biocontrol of Yst and Tumbleweed (Russian Thistle): Development of New Agents to Release