Author
Rees, Norman | |
Quimby Jr, Paul | |
Coulson, Jack |
Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/1995 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Millions of dollars are spent each year in the United States to control weeds by chemical or cultural means. Biological weed control is a relatively new concept with most established biological control agents having been introduced within the last twelve years. The procedures for conducting biological control introductions and programs are also new, and the knowledge is not readily available, except in training sessions. Therefore, this publication addresses these problems by providing instruction related to biological weed control, the precautions used in selecting and importing natural enemies from foreign locations, the permitting process, the selection of the best agents for each situation, and guidelines on how to release, monitor, document, and redistribute agents. With this knowledge and understanding, land mangers can conduct biological and integrated weed control programs correctly Technical Abstract: An overview is presented describing the procedures used by USDA, Agriculture Research Service for locating, testing, and obtaining permission to introduce biological weed control agents into the United States. Information is also provided for obtaining permits, selecting release sites, and monitoring the population increase of the weed's natural lenemies. Procedures for proper documentation are given, and precautions are rendered for avoiding problems in setting up and working a biological weed control program |