PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Effective control of invasive weeds can help attempts at reforestation in Panama

2014-01-28
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Graham D. Bonnett
graham.bonnett@csiro.au
Pensoft Publishers
Effective control of invasive weeds can help attempts at reforestation in Panama

Saccharum spontaneum is an invasive grass that has spread extensively in disturbed areas throughout the Panama Canal watershed, where it has created a fire hazard and inhibited reforestation efforts. The weed originally believed to be originally from India, is perfectly adapted to the conditions in Panama and produces excessive amounts of biomass during the wet season, which impedes reforestation efforts. A new study published in the open access journal NeoBiota proposes an effective method for controlling the growth, based on analysis of its reproductive biology.

Currently physical removal of aboveground biomass is the primary means of controlling the weed, which is largely ineffective and does little to inhibit spread of the species. This is due to the insufficient knowledge about reproduction of the species and this is where science comes to the rescue.

A team of scientists from Australia and Panama provide a detailed examination of a series of studies looking at some of the basic reproductive mechanisms and strategies utilised by S. spontaneum to provide information to support development of better targeted management strategies.

It turns out that S. spontaneum has a very good survival toolkit being able to reproduce through buds on stems that had been dried for up to six weeks. Separate experiments showed that even leftover stem fragments could sprout when left on the surface or buried shallowly and that larger pieces sprouted more readily than smaller pieces.

The study shows that the through better knowledge the panacea of a big problem can turn out to be very simple. A good timing of management actions to prevent flowering would significantly reduce the seed load into the environment and help to prevent spread to new sites. Similarly simple but effective would be cutting stems into smaller pieces allowing them to dry out and reduce the ability of buds to sprout.



INFORMATION:

Original Source:

Bonnett GD, Kushner JNS, Saltonstall K (2014) The reproductive biology of Saccharum spontaneum L.: implications for management of this invasive weed in Panama. NeoBiota 20: 61. doi: 10.3897/neobiota.20.6163



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Melatonin shows potential to slow tumor growth in certain breast cancers

2014-01-28
DETROIT – An early stage study shows melatonin – a hormone that regulates the body's sleep and awake cycles – may have the potential to help slow the growth of certain breast cancer tumors, ...

American Chemical Society podcast: Bringing medical testing to remote locales

2014-01-28
The latest episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS') award-winning Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions podcast series features a small, paper-based device that can monitor ...

EORTC study shows value of HRQOL assessment in small cell lung cancer

2014-01-28
An EORTC study published in Lancet Oncology found that health-related quality of life (HRQOL) assessment in small-cell lung cancer randomized clinical trials provides relevant ...

Research could bring new devices that control heat flow

2014-01-28
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Researchers are proposing a new technology that might control the flow of heat the way electronic devices control electrical current, an advance that could have applications in a diverse ...

Parenting plays key role when african american boys move from preschool to kindergarten

2014-01-28
A new study from UNC's Frank Porter ...

Measuring waist circumference would improve the detection of children and adolescents with cardiometabolic risk

2014-01-28
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 28-Jan-2014 [ | E-mail ] var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more" Share Contact: Marta Calsina mcalsina@imim.es 34-933-160-680 IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute) Measuring waist circumference would improve the detection of children and adolescents with cardiometabolic risk Although abdominal obesity has increased greatly in recent years among children and adolescents, this indicator is not used in ...

NASA spots developing tropical system affecting Mozambique's Nampala Province

2014-01-28
NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared data on a developing area of tropical low pressure known as System 91S that was brushing the Nampala Province of Mozambique on January 28. Nampula ...

NREL study: Active power control of wind turbines can improve power grid reliability

2014-01-28
The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with partners from the Electric Power Research Institute and the University of ...

Aspirin still overprescribed for stroke prevention in AF

2014-01-28
Sophia Antipolis, 28 January ...

UA researchers find culprit behind skeletal muscle disease

2014-01-28
A ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Placental research may transform our understanding of autism and human brain evolution

Mapping the Universe, faster and with the same accuracy

Study isolates population aging as primary driver of musculoskeletal disorders

Designing a sulfur vacancy redox disruptor for photothermoelectric and cascade‑catalytic‑driven cuproptosis–ferroptosis–apoptosis therapy

Recent advances in dynamic biomacromolecular modifications and chemical interventions: Perspective from a Chinese chemical biology consortium

CRF and the Jon DeHaan Foundation to launch TCT AI Lab at TCT 2025

Canada’s fastest academic supercomputer is now online at SFU after $80m upgrades

Architecture’s past holds the key to sustainable future

Laser correction for short-sightedness is safe and effective for older teenagers

About one in five people taking Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro say food tastes saltier or sweeter than before

Taking semaglutide turns down food noise, research suggests

Type 2 diabetes may double risk of sepsis, large community-based study suggests

New quantum sensors can withstand extreme pressure

Tirzepatide more cost-effective than semaglutide in patients with knee osteoarthritis and obesity

GLP-1 drugs shown cost-effective for knee osteoarthritis and obesity

Interactive apps, AI chatbots promote playfulness, reduce privacy concerns

How NIL boosts college football’s competitive balance

Moffitt researchers develop machine learning model to predict urgent care visits for lung cancer patients

Construction secrets of honeybees: Study reveals how bees build hives in tricky spots

Wheat disease losses total $2.9 billion across the United States and Canada between 2018 and 2021

New funding fuels development of first potentially regenerative treatment for multiple sclerosis

NJIT student–faculty team wins best presentation award for ant swarm simulation

Ants defend plants from herbivores but can hinder pollination

When the wireless data runs dry

Inquiry into the history of science shows an early “inherence” bias

Picky eaters endure: Ecologists use DNA to explore diet breadth of wild herbivores

Study suggests most Americans would be healthier without daylight saving time

Increasing the level of the protein PI31 demonstrates neuroprotective effects in mice

Multi-energy X-ray curved surface imaging-with multi-layer in-situ grown scintillators

Metasurface enables compact and high-sensitivity atomic magnetometer

[Press-News.org] Effective control of invasive weeds can help attempts at reforestation in Panama