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We have exciting new research results to share with you.
As you know, the herbivorous hydrilla tip miner occurs naturally in Florida and has shown potential as a biological control agent of hydrilla. Hence, the research team of the UF/IFAS Hydrilla IPM Project tested if this insect can be used in combination with the herbicide imazamox.
Results from short-term aquarium experiments showed that the hydrilla tip miner is compatible with the herbicide imazamox. Furthermore, within only 28 days, the combined treatment had a synergistic effect on hydrilla. It significantly reduced the numbers of hydrilla shoot tips by about 50% when compared with the untreated control. However, individual treatments were not effective.
These results demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of integrated approaches for aquatic weed control. Remember it is not just Pest Management, it is IPM (Integrated Pest Management).
The above figure shows the number of hydrilla shoot tips produced 28 days after application of the hydrilla tip miner and/or imazamox in 55-Liter aquariums. Controls received no treatment. Different letters indicate statistically significant differences when compared with the control (ANOVA and Fisher's LSD test, alpha<0.05).
Experiments were conducted at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, MS. Special thanks to researchers Dr. Shearer and Dr. Cuda for sharing their results.
As always, we acknowledge the funding provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program (grant 2010-02825).
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