New Developments in Knotweed Management

[Nature Hannah]

New research paper: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10530-018-1684-5.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3v2FSvO6YCwuDLuOFrXtyxocpYzHJv9apLFd6kEVl4XZXYl2tERyhkSBE

Hi all, I'm Hannah. I've been called "The Knotweed Queen of Kalamazoo" but I've been on hiatus a while with the Pandemic and the death of my mother. I was in Germany for a while but I'm back and things in my Worldwide Japanese Knotweed Support Group on Facebook have been exploding in growth and feedback. (Currently 5.5K people from all over the world, and an admin staff of five from the UK, Germany, Sweden, US, and Canada)

From this 2019 study I have coined the phrase, "Hit It In The Window", or "The F'ing Window", between "Flower Fade and First Frost"... a trimmed down version that laypeople can understand. (Most use ready mix RoundUp or have found an off-brand glyphosate. We remind them "The Label Is The Law" and to wear proper PPE)  So far, we're getting reports back of a 80-90% reduction in the first season of spraying In The Window. Some members are on their 5th season after spraying and reports are still good. I remind everyone to never assume that it is dead; that every year they need to be watching for "scout sprouts" and hit those in the window to "keep the alien asleep" and "send another Trojan Horse down to the roots".

I've used the analogy of a Boss at the end of an old video game to describe what this method is doing. We wait until the Boss shows its weakness (in this case, the plant has been in a huge exhale all summer, but between flowering and frost kill it is IN-haling, and that's where we can slip a Trojan Horse into the roots. Behind enemy lines they'll 'cut the power', so in the spring when the plant tries to roar back to life it will be weakened and not know what hit it. We wait until The Window again, letting the plant think "the coast is clear" and it goes "business as usual" and then we "Hit It In The Window" again. This pattern of waiting and hitting the weakness continues "as long as you own the property", checking diligently for "scout sprouts". (I've also encouraged all my members to be taking detailed notes on their patches, including pictures and measurements annually)

My UK admin, Brian, has also made the observation that spraying the stalks seems to have the same effect as spraying the leaves, which makes the "June Cut" unnecessary. The "June Cut" is primarily to "bring the canopy down to spray reach", but it also triggers growth in the roots/rhizomes and can put the plant into a 'frenzy' mode where it isn't 'in the mood' to take up the herbicide in the fall. 

A great suggestion came from the members to just add the surveying for sprout to the annual yard maintenance "To Do" list so it is not so overwhelming a thought. Another couple members have suggested PAINTING the glyphosate onto the plants to avoid overspray/drift. Still others have shared how they covered their desirable plants with cardboard or plastic to protect them during treatment. 

There HAS been pushback about the "RoundUp causes cancer!", but thankfully we have several herbicide specialists who respond and dispel the fears. (One civilian member said, "It's not like they're telling you to bathe in it or drink it! Just wear proper PPE!!!" which I got a kick out of.)  I just learned today that Bayer/Monsanto is going to be taking RoundUp off the market for domestic use this year in the US. Members have found a product called "Green Shoots" and seem happy with it but I/they'll be looking for some other alternatives.

I really hope the "Nix the Knotweed" campaign isn't getting a foothold in Michigan. The "Constant Cutting" method was proven ineffective decades ago in the UK. "Nix the Knotweed" is ACTIVELY campaigning states to ban glyphosate, too, and I'm not sure what we'll then. One of my guys from the UK (Wales, I think) has shared that he knows people that have been cutting for decades and they are now becoming too old to keep up and the knotweed is taking back the ground.  

I'm working on a series of videos and infographics to help explain how knotweed behaves. Several in the group are working on materials to help #SpreadTheWordNotThePlant I'll share what they come up with here. I'm hoping to really come up with some shareable Knotweed Awareness Campaign material this winter and start building networks in the communities represented in the group. (Massachusetts and Connecticut seem to have the highest representation for the US presently, and Quebec, Canada is starting to show up)

All worthwhile developments and ideas I will share here to help my home state's Invasive Species Network  

Tchuss! 

[Nature Hannah]

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2017/04/18/caffeine-40-times-toxic-glyphosate-herbicide/?fbclid=IwAR15pwMPI4aOy7W7AuPb5_z50WlBVc2vWHTV-8kQ2RFxEFtiVpUczZNOU7g#:~:text=Using RfDs%2C how do caffeine,times more toxic than glyphosate

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/archive/glyphotech.html?fbclid=IwAR2uwN-ZpaLk3VHs6WgElL4uwO0sbrkuw4V2BHK2UxkRwXsBMdGEgYf3qn8#:~:text=Mode of Action%3A&text=In plants%2C glyphosate disrupts the,protein synthesis and plant growth

Edited June 13, 2023 by Nature Hannah