[APWG] Action

Sat Aug 3 17:54:43 CDT 2024

Invasive Species of the Month: Lesser Celandine (Fig Buttercup) There are currently no biological controls approved for this species, so more research must be done in order to develop working forms. One action you can take is to  <http://click.emails.sierraclub.org/?qs=26a60d0d09b2285a7c02c15c92b7775d7fb576b93d7ba8c5038cead0fc6fecd212234235f2a6e8a4d95d859dbf0d2f8b5cc6a22b8d6e5830> request that your federal legislators allocate funding for a pathogen quarantine facility for research on effective, host-specific, biological control of Lesser Celandine.

May 1, 2019

(From Wikimedia Commons)  <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lesser_celandine_im.JPG> https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lesser_celandine_im.JPG

We have been working hard to remove the invasive plant, Lesser Celandine, from parks near the College Park Sierra Club office, including Magruder Woods, Cherry Hill Park, and Little Paint Branch Park. Local community service volunteers, our stewardship intern, and park rangers have been hand-removing these plants with shovels to get the bulbs out.

Anatomy of Lesser Celandine

Lesser Celandine, Ranunculus ficaria L., also known as Fig Buttercup, is an herbaceous, flowering, perennial plant native to Europe. It was brought to the United States as an ornamental plant. It can be identified by its glossy, dark green, kidney-shaped leaves with its bright yellow flowers blooming in early spring. It spreads using its finger-like tuberous roots and blooms from March through April. Caltha palustris, a.k.a. Marsh marigold, is a native plant that looks very similar to Lesser Celandine. This look-alike tends to grow in much wetter, marshy habitats, and forms in clumps rather than spreading out across the ground. Another way to tell the two apart is that Lesser Celandine typically has 7-12 petals, while Marsh Marigold has 5-9. Be sure that the plant you are looking at is indeed Lesser Celandine before attempting to remove it.

Marsh Marigold, a native look-alike to Lesser Celandine

Lesser Celandine is invasive in 22 states and parts of Canada. It arrives early in the spring, spreading out over the ground, creating a thick carpet, making it virtually impossible for native understory plants to grow and survive there. Native wildflowers are particularly negatively impacted by this invasive species. Lesser Celandine prefers partially shaded areas, but is capable of growing in direct sunlight if it has adequate soil moisture.  

Map of Lesser Celandine’s invasive range in the United States and Canada

>From  <https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=RAFI> https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=RAFI

It can easily escape from private plantings and grow quickly in the wild. Management can be difficult because of the bulbous nature of the plant’s root system. Manual control can lead to bulb fragments being left behind, causing reinfestation. If you are removing plants manually, be sure to put all parts of the plant in a sealed bag and do not attempt to compost it, as this will cause it to continue to spread. Chemical control is possible if timed properly and applied correctly. However, some herbicides are non-selective in nature which can lead non-target species being negatively affected. There are currently no biological controls approved for this species, so more research must be done in order to develop working forms. One action you can take is to  <http://click.emails.sierraclub.org/?qs=26a60d0d09b2285a7c02c15c92b7775d7fb576b93d7ba8c5038cead0fc6fecd212234235f2a6e8a4d95d859dbf0d2f8b5cc6a22b8d6e5830> request that your federal legislators allocate funding for a pathogen quarantine facility for research on effective, host-specific, biological control of Lesser Celandine.

From: Maipc-brd <maipc-brd-bounces at lists.maipc.org> On Behalf Of wildmarcimlay at gmail.com
Sent: Saturday, August 03, 2024 5:02 PM
To: 'MAIPC Board' <maipc-brd at lists.maipc.org>; 'apwg' <apwg at lists.plantconservation.org>; 'Lily Fountain' <lilyfountain2015 at gmail.com>; 'michael wilpers' <mwilpers at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Maipc-brd] [External Email]RE: Update perilla mint biocontrol

Fungal plant pathogen Colletotrichum shisoi identified as a potential biological control agent of invasive Perilla frutescens in the United States: Biocontrol Science and Technology: Vol 34 , No 4 - Get Access (tandfonline.com) <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09583157.2024.2343110> 

ABSTRACT

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton, an annual plant in the mint family, is considered invasive in the United States where it excludes native vegetation in natural areas and can cause respiratory illness in livestock. An effective biological control agent would improve perilla management, but none have been developed or proposed. This study investigated the biocontrol potential of a fungal pathogen, Colletotrichum shisoi, recently found infecting perilla in North America. The growth rates and morphology of seven Colletotrichum shisoi isolates were recorded. A virulence assay was performed on two perilla accessions, and the number and size of foliar lesions produced were used to select a single isolate, Colletotrichum shisoi isolate 21-072, exhibiting consistently high virulence for further evaluation of biocontrol efficacy and host specificity. Treatment with 0.5 mL of 1 × 107 spores/mL H2O caused a 52% reduction in shoot height and 84% reduction in root length of invasive perilla seedlings compared to a control treatment (P < 0.001). Seedlings treated with 1 × 108 spores/mL had a 100% mortality rate. Formulation of inoculum in a 1:1 water:oil emulsion reduced dew period requirements for causing >50% plant mortality from 48 to 24 h, but oil emulsions exhibited a mild phytotoxic effect on seedlings. Four additional perilla accessions were susceptible to C. shisoi, and none of 34 other species included in host range experiments developed disease symptoms following inoculation. These results suggest C. shisoi 21-072 could be an effective antagonist of perilla and likely poses a low risk of non-target impacts.

KEYWORDS: 

*	 <https://www.tandfonline.com/keyword/Invasive> Invasive
*	 <https://www.tandfonline.com/keyword/weed> weed
*	 <https://www.tandfonline.com/keyword/pathogen> pathogen
*	 <https://www.tandfonline.com/keyword/fungus> fungus
*	 <https://www.tandfonline.com/keyword/perilla> perilla
*	 <https://www.tandfonline.com/keyword/Colletotrichum> Colletotrichum

Acknowledgements

The preparation of this manuscript was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service through Project 8044-33000-047-000-D. The findings and conclusions in this publication are those of the authors and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this report is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Pathogen isolates were collected from the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park under permit CHOH-2021-SCI-0023 and in collaboration with A. Landsman and L. Strickler.

Data availability

Data and computer software code used in the preparation of this manuscript will be made available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The preparation of this manuscript was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service through Project 8044-33000-047-000-D.

From: wildmarcimlay at gmail.com <mailto:wildmarcimlay at gmail.com>  <wildmarcimlay at gmail.com <mailto:wildmarcimlay at gmail.com> > 
Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2024 5:44 PM
To: wildmarcimlay at gmail.com <mailto:wildmarcimlay at gmail.com> ; 'MAIPC Board' <maipc-brd at lists.maipc.org <mailto:maipc-brd at lists.maipc.org> >; 'apwg' <apwg at lists.plantconservation.org <mailto:apwg at lists.plantconservation.org> >; 'Lily Fountain' <lilyfountain2015 at gmail.com <mailto:lilyfountain2015 at gmail.com> >; 'michael wilpers' <mwilpers at yahoo.com <mailto:mwilpers at yahoo.com> >
Subject: FW: [External Email]RE: Update perilla mint biocontrol 

From: Fulcher, Michael - REE-ARS <Michael.Fulcher at usda.gov <mailto:Michael.Fulcher at usda.gov> > 
Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2024 1:03 PM
To: Tancos, Matthew - REE-ARS <matthew.tancos at usda.gov <mailto:matthew.tancos at usda.gov> >; Marc Imlay <ialm at erols.com <mailto:ialm at erols.com> >; 'Jil Swearingen' <jilswearingen at gmail.com <mailto:jilswearingen at gmail.com> >
Cc: wildmarcimlay at gmail.com <mailto:wildmarcimlay at gmail.com> 
Subject: Re: [External Email]RE: Update

Hi Marc,

Taking this opportunity to provide an update on perilla mint biocontrol – We have been working with the National Park Service to find additional release and evaluation field sites in our region. The fungal pathogen Colletotrichum shisoi has been redistributed to several locations where it was previously absent, and we are in our second year of field trials. Last year we confirmed that the pathogen can effectively control perilla in small plots under favorable conditions. This year we are evaluating two different release timings, comparing the agent's efficacy to hand removal, and measuring the distance of pathogen spread after initial release. 

Attaching two recent scientific publications on this agent for your reference.

Best,

Mike

Michael R. Fulcher, PhD

Research Plant Pathologist

USDA-ARS-NEA

Foreign Disease Weed Science Research Unit

1301 Ditto Ave.

Ft. Detrick, MD 21702

Tel: 301-619-2343

Fax: 301-619-2880

ADVANCE NOTICE OF LEAVE:

  _____  

From: Tancos, Matthew - REE-ARS <matthew.tancos at usda.gov <mailto:matthew.tancos at usda.gov> >
Sent: Tuesday, July 9, 2024 12:03 PM
To: Marc Imlay <ialm at erols.com <mailto:ialm at erols.com> >; 'Jil Swearingen' <jilswearingen at gmail.com <mailto:jilswearingen at gmail.com> >
Cc: wildmarcimlay at gmail.com <mailto:wildmarcimlay at gmail.com>  <wildmarcimlay at gmail.com <mailto:wildmarcimlay at gmail.com> >; Fulcher, Michael - REE-ARS <Michael.Fulcher at usda.gov <mailto:Michael.Fulcher at usda.gov> >
Subject: Re: [External Email]RE: Update 

Hi Marc,

TAG approval is only required for foreign agents. Domestic ones do not require TAG approval. We require APHIS approval to move native pathogens and perform field trials, but EPA approval would be required to distribute the native pathogen on a wider basis (biopesticide registration). 

We do not have any foreign pathogens targeting East coast/Mid-Atlantic weeds with TAG at the moment. We have foreign pathogens that we recently received (this summer) that target Mid-Atlantic weeds, but they still need to be characterized and tested for host specificity before TAG submission (several years). Foreign pathogens at the TAG stage are currently targeting rangeland weeds in the western U.S. However, Mike Fulcher is performing field trials on his domestic Colletotrichum shisoi pathogen of perilla mint in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C.. 

Hope all is well!

best,

Matt

Matthew A. Tancos, PhD.

Research Plant Pathologist

USDA-ARS-NEA

Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research Unit

1301 Ditto Avenue

Fort Detrick, MD 21702

Tel: 301-619-7386

Fax: 301-619-2880

ADVANCE NOTICE OF LEAVE:

  _____  

From: Marc Imlay <ialm at erols.com <mailto:ialm at erols.com> >
Sent: Saturday, July 6, 2024 4:21 PM
To: Tancos, Matthew - REE-ARS <matthew.tancos at usda.gov <mailto:matthew.tancos at usda.gov> >; 'Jil Swearingen' <jilswearingen at gmail.com <mailto:jilswearingen at gmail.com> >
Cc: wildmarcimlay at gmail.com <mailto:wildmarcimlay at gmail.com>  <wildmarcimlay at gmail.com <mailto:wildmarcimlay at gmail.com> >
Subject: [External Email]RE: Update 

[External Email] 
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Use caution before clicking links or opening attachments.
Please send any concerns or suspicious messages to: Spam.Abuse at usda.gov <mailto:Spam.Abuse at usda.gov>  

So what biocontrols is the TAG considering now for invasives near us?

Wild Marc

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