[APWG] NES: Britain calls on alien parasites to take fight to Japanese knotweed

[Olivia Kwong]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/britain-calls-on-alien-parasites-to-take-fight-to-japanese-knotweed-821127.html

Britain calls on alien parasites to take fight to Japanese knotweed
By Ian Johnston
Monday, 5 May 2008

An army of jumping plant lice is to be released into Britain in the hope 
that they can save the countryside from the ravages of Japanese knotweed.

It is estimated that controlling the plant using ordinary methods, such as 
pesticide, would cost about 1.6bn pounds, so government scientists have 
come up with a plan to bring in the plant's natural predators from Japan. 
If given the go-ahead, it would be the first time an alien species has 
been released into the wild to deal with a weed in the UK.

See the link above for the full article text.