A review of the biocontrol programmes against aquatic weeds in South Africa
- Coetzee, Julie A, Bownes, Angela, Martin, Grant D, Miller, Benjamin E, Smith, Rosali, Weyl, Philip S R, Hill, Martin P
- Authors: Coetzee, Julie A , Bownes, Angela , Martin, Grant D , Miller, Benjamin E , Smith, Rosali , Weyl, Philip S R , Hill, Martin P
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406965 , vital:70326 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v29_n3_a18"
- Description: Biological control (biocontrol) against invasive macrophytes is one of the longest standing programmes in South Africa, initiated in the 1970s against water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes Mart. (Pontederiaceae). Since then, 15 agent species (13 insects, one mite and one pathogen) have been released against six weeds, most of which are floating macrophytes, with excellent levels of success. The release of the water hyacinth planthopper Megamelus scutellaris Berg (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) in particular, has improved biocontrol prospects for water hyacinth since 2018. In the last decade, however, a new suite of submerged and rooted emergent invasive macrophytes has been targeted. The first release against a submerged macrophyte in South Africa, and the first release against Brazilian waterweed, Egeria densa Planch. (Hydrocharitaceae), anywhere in the world, was achieved with the release of a leafmining fly, Hydrellia egeriae Rodrigues-Júnior, Mathis and Hauser (Diptera: Ephydridae). Yellow flag, Iris pseudacorus L. (Iridaceae) and Mexican waterlily, Nymphaea mexicana Zucc. (Nymphaeaceae), have also been targeted for biocontrol for the first time worldwide, and are in the early stages of agent development. Post-release evaluations, long term monitoring and controlled experiments have highlighted the need for a more holistic approach to managing aquatic invasive plants in South Africa, whose presence is largely driven by eutrophication, resulting in regime shifts between floating and submerged invaded states.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Coetzee, Julie A , Bownes, Angela , Martin, Grant D , Miller, Benjamin E , Smith, Rosali , Weyl, Philip S R , Hill, Martin P
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406965 , vital:70326 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v29_n3_a18"
- Description: Biological control (biocontrol) against invasive macrophytes is one of the longest standing programmes in South Africa, initiated in the 1970s against water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes Mart. (Pontederiaceae). Since then, 15 agent species (13 insects, one mite and one pathogen) have been released against six weeds, most of which are floating macrophytes, with excellent levels of success. The release of the water hyacinth planthopper Megamelus scutellaris Berg (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) in particular, has improved biocontrol prospects for water hyacinth since 2018. In the last decade, however, a new suite of submerged and rooted emergent invasive macrophytes has been targeted. The first release against a submerged macrophyte in South Africa, and the first release against Brazilian waterweed, Egeria densa Planch. (Hydrocharitaceae), anywhere in the world, was achieved with the release of a leafmining fly, Hydrellia egeriae Rodrigues-Júnior, Mathis and Hauser (Diptera: Ephydridae). Yellow flag, Iris pseudacorus L. (Iridaceae) and Mexican waterlily, Nymphaea mexicana Zucc. (Nymphaeaceae), have also been targeted for biocontrol for the first time worldwide, and are in the early stages of agent development. Post-release evaluations, long term monitoring and controlled experiments have highlighted the need for a more holistic approach to managing aquatic invasive plants in South Africa, whose presence is largely driven by eutrophication, resulting in regime shifts between floating and submerged invaded states.
- Full Text:
The role of mass-rearing in weed biological control projects in South Africa
- Hill, Martin P, Conlong, Desmond E, Zachariades, Costas, Coetzee, Julie A, Paterson, Iain D, Miller, Benjamin E, Foxcroft, Llewellyn, Van der Westhuizen, Liamé
- Authors: Hill, Martin P , Conlong, Desmond E , Zachariades, Costas , Coetzee, Julie A , Paterson, Iain D , Miller, Benjamin E , Foxcroft, Llewellyn , Van der Westhuizen, Liamé
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/407094 , vital:70335 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v29_n3_a22"
- Description: It has been documented that the continual release of high numbers of biological control (biocontrol) agents for weeds increases the likelihood of agent establishment and has been shown to reduce the time between the first release and subsequent control of the target weed. Here we review the mass-rearing activities for weed biocontrol agents in South Africa between 2011 and 2020. Some 4.7 million individual insects from 40 species of biocontrol agent have been released on 31 weed species at over 2000 sites throughout South Africa during the last decade. These insects were produced at mass-rearing facilities at eight research institutions, five schools and 10 Non-Governmental Organizations. These mass-rearing activities have created employment for 41 fulltime, fixed contract staff, of which 11 are people living with physical disabilities. To improve the uptake of mass-rearing through community engagement, appropriate protocols are required to ensure that agents are produced in high numbers to suppress invasive alien plant populations in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Hill, Martin P , Conlong, Desmond E , Zachariades, Costas , Coetzee, Julie A , Paterson, Iain D , Miller, Benjamin E , Foxcroft, Llewellyn , Van der Westhuizen, Liamé
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/407094 , vital:70335 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v29_n3_a22"
- Description: It has been documented that the continual release of high numbers of biological control (biocontrol) agents for weeds increases the likelihood of agent establishment and has been shown to reduce the time between the first release and subsequent control of the target weed. Here we review the mass-rearing activities for weed biocontrol agents in South Africa between 2011 and 2020. Some 4.7 million individual insects from 40 species of biocontrol agent have been released on 31 weed species at over 2000 sites throughout South Africa during the last decade. These insects were produced at mass-rearing facilities at eight research institutions, five schools and 10 Non-Governmental Organizations. These mass-rearing activities have created employment for 41 fulltime, fixed contract staff, of which 11 are people living with physical disabilities. To improve the uptake of mass-rearing through community engagement, appropriate protocols are required to ensure that agents are produced in high numbers to suppress invasive alien plant populations in South Africa.
- Full Text:
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