| Effectiveness of the Control of Ragwort (Senecio) Species:
Are Currently Recommended Herbicides Effective for Control of Ragwort
Species? |
What is the aim of the review?
To systematically collate and synthesise published and unpublished
evidence in order to evaluate the effectiveness of herbicides
used for the control of ragwort (Senecio) species, by the use
of datasets concerning measures of mortality rates and/or population
density, following herbicide application.
The secondary objective was to explore,
when possible, the following reasons for heterogeneity among the
datasets:
- Species of ragwort
- Dosage of the herbicide
- Month of treatment
- Time period between treatment and recording of
results.
Who's in the review team?
At what stage is the review?
This review is now complete.
What is the rationale?
Ragwort species are widespread throughout Europe
and North America, Southern Australia and New Zealand, and are
known to be toxic to grazing animals; whether freshly grazed by
the animal or consumed within feed or foliage, they can cause
morbidity and mortality to livestock and equestrienne species.
Senecio jacobaea is so invasive that it is listed under
the UK Weeds Act 1959 and the recent UK Ragwort Control Bill 2003.
Numerous herbicides (such as 2,4-D, Dicamba, Clopyralid and MCPA)
and application methods (such as weed wiping, spraying and granules)
have been used in an attempt to control ragwort species. No clear
recommendations as to which interventions are the most effective
currently exist, and thus it is possible that resources are being
wasted by conservation agencies, farmers and land-owners, which
could be allocated elsewhere.
How were the results
obtained?
A number of electronic databases were searched for relevant studies
using a range of search terms. Bibliographies of retrieved articles
were checked for additional relevant references. The websites
of several major UK conservation organisations were also searched
for useful publications. 38 studies containing information on
the herbicide control of ragwort species,26 fulfilled the inclusion
criteria for meta-analysis, providing 106 data points for meta-analysis.
What
did the review find?
To read more about this review, its findings, and the implications for conservationists and researchers, please see the Summary or Full Report.
Comments?
If you would like to comment on any aspect of this review, please email us. Your feedback is appreciated.
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