Salvinia molesta D. Mitch. (Salviniaceae): impact and control

Abstract

Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitchell (Salviniaceae) (giant salvinia), a floating aquatic fern of Brazilian origin, has been dispersed to much of the tropical and subtropical parts of the world since the mid-1900s, where it is invasive and damaging. Herbicide application and mechanical control of this weed are labor intensive and expensive, but biological control using the host-specific weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae (Calder and Sands), provides an effective and sustainable solution. The weevil was first released as a biological control agent onto S. molesta in Australia in 1980 and has subsequently been released in further 22 countries affected by the weed. The biological control program against S. molesta has been an extraordinary success story where a single weevil species has resulted in the weed no longer being considered invasive in most countries in a relatively short time of under 3 years. Biological control in temperate regions of the world might require more time than in tropical and subtropical regions, and this difference is presumed to be due to greater winter mortality. Nevertheless, inundative releases of the weevil early in the growing season have resulted in more effective control and less dependence on herbicide applications. However, there are new records of infestations of S. molesta in particular in Africa, and these sites must be prioritized for biological control.

Invasieve uitheemse soorten onder klimaatwijziging: een beheergids van prioritaire soorten voor de Vlaamse Waterweg nv

“…Er kan een barrière gebruikt worden om de planten eenvoudiger te verzamelen. De verdubbelingstijd van de plant kan kort zijn, waardoor een regelmatige nacontrole noodzakelijk is (Coetzee & Hill 2020). De soort is in België echter niet winterhard en zal in de winter vanzelf verdwijnen.…”

Effects of Salvinia as a broiler litter material on growth performance, behavior, welfare parameters, litter characters, and ammonia emission

“…Further, its presence leads to ecological degradation, loss of fish stocks, creation of mosquito breeding grounds, obstruction of water-based transportationand release of greenhouse gases, etc. ( Ganeshkumar et al, 2014 ; Coetzee and Hill 2020 ).…”

Limnological Response of Las Curias Reservoir, San Juan, Puerto Rico: Successful Management of the Invasive Aquatic Fern, Salvinia molesta

“…The biological control component involved the introduction of the salvinia weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae [24], a host-specific herbivore that has been released in the United States, South Africa, Australia, and Asia [10]. Management of salvinia using the weevil has resulted in successful control of the plant in tropical and subtropical regions globally [12,25]. Due to the massive public outcry in San Juan, managers used mechanical removal with volunteers and eventually acquired an aquatic weed harvester.…”