Source: OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
QUANTIFYING MANAGEMENT SUCCESS OF JAPANESE KNOTWEED
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0220604
Grant No.
2010-85320-20344
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
2009-04913
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Dec 1, 2009
Project End Date
Nov 30, 2011
Grant Year
2010
Program Code
[94240]- Biology of Weedy and Invasive Species in Agroecosystems
Recipient Organization
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
CORVALLIS,OR 97331
Performing Department
Crop and Soil Science
Non Technical Summary
This research will identify vulnerabilities in the life cycle of the invasive weed Japanese knotweed and prioritize alternative control measures that reduce its long-term abundance in riparian and agroecosystems. I will record probabilities of moving among three life cycle stages (lateral buds, sprouting buds, and crowns) for this asexually reproducing plant. Data collected collaboratively with landowners will be used to construct a population projection matrix for each: untreated populations, glyphosate, imazapyr, or glyphosate + imazapyr herbicide treatments to project Japanese knotweed densities through time. In addition to differentiating treatments based on long-term growth rates, I will assess which Japanese knotweed life cycle transitions are most susceptible to management. This is critical for land managers to target vulnerable transitions with their control methods. Next, I will determine if the current herbicides used for Japanese knotweed control actually target vulnerable transitions to reduce long-term population densities. Besides data collection landowners will be encouraged to present workshops and research talks to their peers where our recommendations are likely to be considered for implementation. This research will apply cutting edge modeling to a noxious weed that has affected ecosystem functions in Oregon and other states. The recommendations from this work will have local, regional, and national significance for land managers working to reduce Japanese knotweed effects in invaded ecosystems.
Animal Health Component
70%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
70%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
21323001070100%
Knowledge Area
213 - Weeds Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
2300 - Weeds;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
Project Goal: Quantify stages in Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) life cycle that are vulnerable to management, evaluate whether a single herbicide application reduces long-term growth rates of this species, and disseminate the approach and results to management practitioners. Objective 1: Quantify effects of chemical management on Fallopia japonica life cycle transition rates. Objective 2: Utilize local field-based data and literature values to determine Fallopia japonica life cycle transitions potentially sensitive to management and those transitions most affected by chemical treatments. Objective 3: Deliver research results and management recommendations to local, state, and national audiences to improve management of Fallopia japonica.
Project Methods
Observational Studies: The design will be a randomized complete block with at least four blocks. At each site, I will work with the landowner to identify 4 isolated, new ramets. Ramets will be assigned randomly to one of four treatments: no herbicide (control), glyphosate, imazapyr, or glyphosate + imazapyr. All other ramets at the site (not in the experiment) will be sprayed with glyphosate. In spring of year 1 I will visit each plot to record shoot emergence and growth. No additional herbicide applications will be applied in fall of year 2. In spring of year 2 shoot growth and emergence will again be followed. Where multiple year data exist for some transitions I will pool transition rates between years to determine the long-term growth rate. Ramet Population Modeling The mathematical modeling will closely follow modeling efforts of other applied weed ecologists working with invasive species.Raw data from at least the 4 sites will first be pooled to complete a population projection matrix and calculate the observed parameter values. I will use data resampling methods to estimate confidence intervals for parameter and test significance of treatment effects. This will include both perturbation analysis and contribution analysis to determine the prospective effect (long-term growth rate potential) and retrospective effect (where the herbicides had the greatest impact). Outreach and Extension I will present this work at the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board meeting and Oregon Society of Weed Scientist annual meetings, along with the Japanese knotweed working group annual meetings. I will encourage the landowners to participate in presentations and work with them to engage the local and state personnel making management recommendations.

Progress 12/01/10 to 11/30/11

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? PD long gone from University. Unable to obtain reporting information.

Publications


    Progress 12/01/09 to 11/30/11

    Outputs
    Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? PD long gone from University. Unable to obtain reporting information.

    Publications


      Progress 12/01/09 to 11/30/10

      Outputs
      OUTPUTS: The work began in fall 2009 with the treatment of individual Fallopia japonica plants at 3 sites in Oregon: near Hebo, Philomath, and Albany. The Hebo site was disturbed within the past two years for construction work and the population consists of a number of individual F. japonica plants spread over an area of 170 ft2. There is a dense overstory of maple and the F. japonica plants are quite short, ranging from 1-1.5 meters. I identified 8 individual plants to treat in fall 2010, including 3 control (no herbicide) plants, 2 treated with glyphosate, 2 treated with imazapyr, and 1 treated with glyphosate + imazapyr. During spring and summer 2010, I located 14 new shoots. Shoots treated with an herbicide produced no shoots from the original location. Except for the control, all 2010 shoots are stunted (less than 1 meter tall). The Philomath site is located in the landowner's yard in what was previously a garden. The F. japonica either arrived from the neighbor's escaped F. japonica or in soil brought into garden. The area is small, 100 ft2. I identified 8 plants to be treated: 1 control, 4 glyphosate, 1 imazapyr, and 2 glyphosate + imazapyr. I located 14 new shoots in 2010 with nearly all of them clumped near the glyphosate treated plants. As with the Hebo site, stems treated with the herbicides did not produce stems in 2010. The Albany site is located in an old pasture site that is heavily invaded with Himalayan blackberry, poison oak, and F. japonica. This site is experimental because it is an old infestation (greater than 5 years old) with dense forest of stems. Instead of treating individual plants, I elected to spray distinct areas, identify a single emerging plant centered in the area, and use that as the base plant. Therefore, there was a single area for each treatment. The feasibility of this approach will be determined in fall 2010 when I attempt to connect rhizomes to their parentage. This site has proven to further support the methodology called for in the proposal and used at the other two sites. There has been informal dissemination of data to date. I attended the 2010 Ecological Society of America annual meeting and spoke with fellow weed ecologists and discussed my findings. PARTICIPANTS: I am the main participant in this project and perform the research. I am collaborating with 3 landowners who were identified through Andrew Hulting (my mentor) and his connections within the Oregon State Extension service. I was also afforded an opportunity to continue my professional development. I was able be the lead instructor for Introduction to Weed Management (Oregon State University Crop and Soil Science 440/540). I was able to balance the research and teaching requirements which is preparation for my desired job: researching invasive weeds while teaching ecology. TARGET AUDIENCES: The main target audiences for this work are landowners and land managers. This audience will be interested in the applied nature of the work and practical implications for Japanese knotweed management of new infestations. The second audience is plant population ecologists. This audience will find value in the development of matrix population models for a rhizomatous perennial weed. In addition, this work will provide essential baseline data prior to the impending testing of biological control agents. This research will help prioritize biological control agents to reduce ecological risk. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: I am seeking to transfer the grant to my new institution at Michigan State University where I will perform the same research. The focus of the grant will remain the same. The changes in the grant are related to beginning sites and identifying outlets for the results. I have already spoken with colleagues in the weed science group at Michigan State University (including extension), Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and private foundations with land holdings. They all agreed that there are myriad venues for the results of this study and many individuals involved in state lands restoration very interested in management outcomes. An additional outlet also has become possible: developing this work into a teaching unit at the University in the introductory biology course for biology majors and/or non-majors. I will able to develop course material that will be disseminated to hundreds of students each semester.

      Impacts
      I plan to continue the research on the 3 Oregon sites for the second year of the study. After the plants have entered dormancy (early November), I will trace the new shoots to their parentage. Stems that have sprouted independently (from a dormant bud or seed) will be removed from the study. All other plants will be assigned to a parental plant and associated treatment. Repeating the above steps for an additional year will yield data on the number of new shoots produced annually, spatial distribution of new rhizomes, and seed production. Reviewers of my proposal suggested I increase the number of sites to improve the research, and I believe this is possible without additional expenditures. I was unable to locate more than 3 appropriate sites in 2009, but planned to locate more research sites for fall 2010 to re-initiate the study. Locating sites in Michigan instead of Oregon for fall 2010 will only improve the quality of the research since I will be able to quantify a greater range of F. japonica life cycle parameters.

      Publications

      • No publications reported this period


      Progress 12/01/09 to 11/30/10

      Outputs
      Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? PD long gone from University. Unable to obtain reporting information.

      Publications


        Progress 12/01/09 to 10/31/10

        Outputs
        OUTPUTS: PI has left institution PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

        Impacts
        PI has left institution

        Publications

        • No publications reported this period