RESEARCH PAYS OFF: WEEVILS HELP TENNESSEE DOT CONTROL MUSK THISTLE

Musk thistle, introduced into the United States from Europe more than 100 years ago, is classified as a noxious weed in Tennessee, where it infests thousands of acres of land. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has been mandated by the state to control musk thistle along roadways. Until 1990, TDOT relied heavily on herbicide applications and mowing to control it. However, because of increasing public concern about potential groundwater contamination and the use of chemicals in general, coupled with increasing costs for herbicides, TDOT began to reevaluate their strategies for managing musk thistle. As a result of a research project by TDOT and the University of Tennessee on biological controls, two plant-feeding weevil species are being used to control musk thistle. In addition to reducing annual expenditures for control of musk thistle, the use of the weevils provides (a) a nontoxic, nonpolluting means of controlling thistle area wide, (b) a control method that is compatible with other means of control, such as mowing and herbicides, (c) permanent, self-perpetuating means of control, (d) reduction in dependency on herbicide use for thistle control, and (e) reduction in labor-intensive methods for thistle control.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trnews/rpo/rpo.trn158.pdf
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07386826
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Publication Date: 1992-1

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 22-23
• Serial:
  • TR News
  • Issue Number: 158
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0738-6826

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Biological control; Cost effectiveness; Environmental impacts; Measures of effectiveness; Roadside; Weed control
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Geographic Terms: Tennessee
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00622292
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: May 31 1992 12:00AM