De Clerck-Floate, R. 2019. Weevils from Serbia show promise in yellow toadflax biological control in Canada.
Citation
De Clerck-Floate, R. 2019. Weevils from Serbia show promise in yellow toadflax biological control in Canada. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Catalogue No. A22-631/2019E-PDF, ISBN No.978-0-660-32854-6, AAFC No. 12990E. 4 pp.
Plain language summary
Yellow toadflax is an aggressive, colony-forming weed of annual and perennial (forage) crops, pastures and native rangelands, especially in Western Canada. It spreads vegetatively (from horizontally-running roots), and sexually (up to 30,000 wind-borne seeds/colony). It outcompetes forages, impacting livestock productivity, and displaces native biodiversity. It can be controlled through tillage and with herbicides, but these are not feasible options on pastures or native grasslands used for cattle grazing.
Since the 1950s, three insect biological control agents have been introduced from Europe and released in Canada for yellow toadflax mitigation, but with limited success. A promising new insect (Rhinusa pilosa), a gall-forming weevil, was discovered in Eastern Europe in the 2000s. Approved for release in Canada in 2014, Dr. Rosemarie De Clerck-Floate has led the Canadian release program. Early results have been very encouraging.
Abstract
Yellow toadflax is an aggressive, colony-forming weed of annual and perennial (forage) crops, pastures and native rangelands, especially in Western Canada. It spreads vegetatively (from horizontally-running roots), and sexually (up to 30,000 wind-borne seeds/colony). It outcompetes forages, impacting livestock productivity, and displaces native biodiversity. It can be controlled through tillage and with herbicides, but these are not feasible options on pastures or native grasslands used for cattle grazing.
Since the 1950s, three insect biological control agents have been introduced from Europe and released in Canada for yellow toadflax mitigation, but with limited success. A promising new insect (Rhinusa pilosa), a gall-forming weevil, was discovered in Eastern Europe in the 2000s. Approved for release in Canada in 2014, Dr. Rosemarie De Clerck-Floate has led the Canadian release program. Early results have been very encouraging.