Integrated Pest Management & Certification Training Aquatic Weed Management

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Integrated Pest Management Certification
Training Aquatic Weed Management

• Richard D. Lee, Ph.D.
• IPM Specialist
• Bureau of Land Management

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Aquatic Plants

• In natural systems such as lakes and ponds, light
  to moderate growths of aquatic plants serve
  useful purposes
• Provide oxygen, food and cover for fish and other
  aquatic organisms, and may stabilize bottom
  sediment.

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Aquatic Plants

• In overabundance, many species become weedy as
  they crowd out desirable plants, adversely
  affecting other aquatic life and our ability to
  use the water
• Recreation
• Creation of foul odors and discoloration
• Fish kills
• Blockage of water flow

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Aquatic Weeds

• My goal this morning is to provide you with the
  necessary background information to allow you to
  understand the procedure for developing an
  aquatic weed management plan.

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Classification of Aquatic Weeds

• Two groups of aquatic plants
• 1. Algae - simple plants without roots, leaves or
  stems.
• They reproduce by cell division, fragmentation,
  or by spore formation.
• 2. Vascular plants - plants having roots, stems,
  leaves, and flowers.
• There are four classes - submersed,
  free-floating, rooted floating, emerged plants.

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Aquatic Weeds - Algae

• Three types
• 1. Microscopic algae - single celled or colonial
  algae. Also referred to as Phytoplankton
  when suspended in water. During the
  daylight - give off oxygen, During night -
  remove oxygen.
• If overabundant - fish kill due to oxygen
  removal from water - referred to as an
  algal bloom - the result of too much
  fertilizer in pond.

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Aquatic Weeds - Algae

• Three types
• 1. Microscopic algae
• 2. Filamentous algae - thread-like filaments
  that form mats on surface of the pond. As
  algae photosynthesize, oxygen gets trapped in
  the body causing them to rise to the surface as
  clumps. Examples - Spirogyra -
  bright green and slimy - Cladophora - cotton
  mat algae, due to texture - Pitophora -
  horsehair coarse

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Aquatic Weeds - Algae

• Three types
• 1. Microscopic
• 2. Filamentous
• 3. Chara - looks more like a plant with leaves
  needle-like and arranged in whorls along the
  stem. Musky odor and gritty surface
  due to calcium deposits. Also called
  stonewort

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Submersed Plants
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Aquatic Weeds - Vascular Plants Submersed Plants

• Four Groups
• 1. Submersed plants - rooted to the bottom and
  completely submersed except for flowers which
  may extend above the water. Often referred to
  as moss.
• Identification based upon
• Leaf arrangement
• Leaf shape

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Aquatic Weeds - Vascular Plants

• Submersed Plants - Alternate Leaves
• One leaf per node
• PONDWEEDS - (Potamogeton sp.)
• Curly Leaf Pondweed
• Sago Pondweed
• Leafy Pondweed

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Aquatic Weeds - Vascular Plants

• Submersed Plants - Opposite Leaves
• Two leaves per node
• NAIADS (Najas sp.)
• Southern naiad
• Brittle naiad

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Aquatic Weeds - Vascular Plants

• Submersed Plants - Whorled Leaves
• Three or more leaves per node, arranged in a
  whorl.
• Most serious submersed aquatic plants fit in this
  group.
• Examples
• COONTAIL - Ceratophyllum demersum
• AMERICAN ELODEA - Elodea canadensis
• EURASIAN WATERMILFOIL - Myriophyllum spicatum
  There are other watermilfoils, including
  parrotfeather.
• HYDRILLA - Hydrilla verticillata

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Got to Know Your Weeds Eurasian Watermilfoil

• Eurasian Watermilfoil
• Myriophyllum spicatum
• Submerged, rooted perennial.
• Grows in depths of up to 15 feet deep.
• Forms dense mats.

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Got to Know Your Weeds Parrotfeather

• Parrotfeather
• Myriophyllum aquaticum
• Submerged, rooted perennial.
• Forms dense mats.
• Whorled leaves.

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Got to Know Your Weeds Hydrilla

• Hydrilla
• Hydrilla verticillata
• Forms dense mats.

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Aquatic Weeds - Vascular Plants Free Floating

• Four Groups
• 1. Submersed plants
• Free-floating Plants - these plants live
  unattached to the soil. There are roots,
  extend only in the water for nutrient uptake.
• Majority of the plant is flattened or
  boat- shaped clusters of leaves with short
  segmented stems.

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Free Floating
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Aquatic Weeds - Vascular Plants

• Free-floating Plants
• Examples
• DUCKWEED - (Lemna sp.) - 0.5 across, with 2 to
  4 leaves.
• WATERMEAL - (Spirodela sp.) - 1/16 diameter
• GIANT SALVINIA (Salvinia molesta)
• WATER HYACINTH - (Eichhornia crassipes) - major
  aquatic weed of concern

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Got to Know Your Weeds Giant Salvinia

• Giant Salvinia
• Salvinia molesta
• Native to South America
• First found in U.S. in 1995 in South Carolina.
• Now found in 24 watersheds in Texas, California,
  Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama,
  Georgia, Florida.
• Southern States most susceptible.

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Got to Know Your Weeds Giant Salvinia

• Giant Salvinia
• Salvinia molesta
• Forms dense mats.

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Got to Know Your Weeds Water Hyacinth

• Water Hyacinth
• Eichhornia crassipes

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Aquatic Weeds - Vascular Plants Rooted Floating

• Four Groups
• 1. Submersed plants
• 2. Free-floating Plants
• 3. Rooted Floating Plants - also referred to as
  Emersed Weeds on some labels.
• Plants are rooted in the bottom sediments in
  shallow water. Leaves are floating or erect.
• Plants identification by leaf shape and
  petiole attachment.

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Rooted Floating
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Aquatic Weeds - Vascular Plants

• Rooted Floating Plants
• Center Attachment of Petiole
• WATER LOTUS
• WATERSHIELD
• Cleft or Edge Petiole Attachment
• WATER LILY
• SPATTERDOCK

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Aquatic Weeds - Vascular Plants Emergent Plants

• Four Groups
• 1. Submersed Plants
• 2. Free-floating Plants
• 3. Rooted Floating Plants
• 4. Emergent Plants - Most of the plant is
  above the water surface.
• Common Examples Purple Loosestrife
  Salt Cedar

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Emergent Plants
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Got to Know Your Weeds Purple Loosestrife
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Aquatic Weeds - Management

• Remembering our four step approach to weed
  management will assist in developing a management
  plan for aquatic weeds
• 1. Prevention
• 2. Early Detection
• 3. Timely Management
• 4. Site Rehabilitation

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Aquatic Weeds - Management

• Prevention
• We need to be aware of the potential threat
  aquatic weeds have for our areas and learn to
  recognize those weeds of concern.
• Giant Salvinia - is a problem in Texas and has
  the potential to make it into this area.
• Purple Loosestrife - a serious problem in the
  Eastern portion of the U.S. and moving our way.

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Aquatic Weeds - Management

• The key here - is we need to be looking at what
  is growing in our ditches and lakes.

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Aquatic Weeds - Management

• Early Detection
• Timely Management
• Biological
• Mechanical
• Cultural
• Proper construction steep slopes keep water
  moving
• Draining/Drying species dependent
• Use of Herbicides

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Aquatic Weeds - Management

• Timely Management
• Biological - the use of living organisms to
  manage other living organisms. Limited
  options available.
• Tilapia plant eating fish
• White Amur plant eating fish, concerns
  regarding its environmental impact.
• Mechanical -
• Cutting, Mowing, Raking, Digging

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Aquatic Weeds - Management

• Herbicides Available
• Algae Copper sulfate
• Submersed Diquat, Endothall, Fluridone,
  2,4-D
• Free Floating Diquat,
• Emersed Glyphosate, Triclopyr

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Aquatic Weeds - Management

• Use of Herbicides - before using a herbicide,
  make sure you have answers for the following
  questions
• 1. What is the use of the treated water?
• 2. Characteristics of the Environment
• 3. Characteristics of the Water
• 4. Characteristics of the Selected Herbicide

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Aquatic Weeds - Management

• Herbicides and Static Water
• Floating and emerged weeds are easy to manage.
• Submerged weeds and algae not real difficult.
• Herbicides and Flowing Water
• Floating and emerged weeds are still easy to
  manage.
• Submerged weeds and algae can only be managed
  effectively through continuous application at a
  particular point to maintain a specified level of
  herbicide concentration - its not easy.

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Aquatic Weeds - Management

• Application of Aquatic Herbicides
• 1. Application equipment - is it in good working
  order.
• 2. Determine area to be treated
• Aquatic Situation Determining Treated
  Area
• --------------------------------------------------
  ----------------------
• Algae Water Volume - acre -ft
• Submersed Plants Water Volume - acre-ft
• Free-Floating Surface Area - acres
• Rooted Floating Plants Surface Area - acres
• Emergent Plants Surface Area - acres

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Aquatic Weeds - Management

• Application of Aquatic Herbicides - Pond
• Surface Area
• Free-floating, rooted-floating, and emerged weeds
• Two dimensional - length X width
• Rate of herbicide application based upon
  amount/acre

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Aquatic Weeds - Management

• Application of Aquatic Herbicides - Pond
• Water Volume
• Algae and submerged
• Three dimensional - length X width X depth
• Rate of herbicide application based upon
  amount/acre-ft or ppm (Parts per million).
  To convert ppm to lbs. product required
  
• 2.7 X PPM wanted X acre-ft lbs. Prod. Req.

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Aquatic Weeds - Management

• Application of Aquatic Herbicides - Canal/Moving
• Herbicide application depends upon
• Water Volume Average width X Average depth
  sq. ft.
• Flow Speed Distance water moves per unit of time
  ft/sec
• FLOW RATE Water volume X Flow Speed cubic
  feet/sec

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Aquatic Weeds - Summary

• 1. Different Types of Weeds
• Algae
• Submersed Weeds
• Free-floating Weeds
• Rooted Floating Weeds
• Emergent Weeds
• 2. Management Plan Development