Japanese Knotweed - Finally an anwser perhaps??

[Andy Hamilton]

It looks like scientists might have found an anwser to iradicating Japanese Knotweed. This will entail bringing over another "alien" that will attack the plants. Will it work or are we fighting fire with fire, this insect needs to be tested alongside all UK plants really before it is bought over. Saying that Knotweed is just becoming more and more rampant and it is kept under control by the use of some pretty nasty chemicals, hmm tough one this.

Link for story

[rockchick]

Would love to think this might be an answer as it is such a big problem, there's stacks along the River Usk near us. I am just a bit sceptical about the idea, will introducing another alien, no matter how much they research, end up with another unintended disaster?

[wulf]

As rockchick, I am a touch concerned. Cane toads, anyone? I'm sure they have that kind of precedent in mind and it does sound like they are doing a lot of testing but there is a difference between lab samples and actually letting new critters lose in the countryside.

Wulf

[witch way]

I try really hard not to use chemicals so I've (almost) got rid of mine entirely by hand. Every time a shoot appears I grub out as much as I can. As it's getting no nutrients from above ground the roots are gradually rotting and each time I dig out a shoot I get more rotting root. When we moved here in 2005 we had about 4m x 4m of knotweed. I reckon I pulled maybe just a dozen shoots this summer. However I'm sure if I was poorly or couldn't keep on top of it one summer, it would be back with a vengance ww.

[Shirley]

There is a difference to the cane toad situation. This appears to have been well researched.

http://www.cabi-bioscience.org/html/jap ... liance.htm

[Green Aura]

Is this another case of history repeating itself? When they've eaten all the knotweed, what then? I think as well as these problems, as outlined by everyone else, I have a moral dilemma. They may be 'only' insects but how right can it be to introduce them , to certain starvation (if the scientists are right), to provide an answer for one of our many F/ups?

[wulf]

It sounds like, rather than destroying the knotweed entirely, they just inhibit it so it doesn't outcompete everything else. That's why Japan isn't covered with a knotweed forest. However, there is still the worry about what happens when they discover something else they prefer - we could end up with the knotweed left alone and some other part of the system being disrupted.

Wulf

[MKG]

Damn - does this mean I'm never going to find out if I can make wine from Japanese knotweed?

Hold on - maybe you can make wine from Japanes knotweed beetle! Hmmmm...

[Ellendra]

Don't know about wine, but the young shoots in the spring taste like rhubarb.