Thank you for your interest in this story

To continue reading this article, subscribe to the Stray Ferret for as little as £1 a week

Already a subscriber? Log in here.

Jun 2022

Last Updated: 24/06/2022

Environment

Fungus released in Ripon nature reserve to kill alien plant

by Tamsin O'Brien

| 25 Jun, 2022

Himalayan balsam may look pretty but it's a real problem. Now Harrogate Borough Council has teamed up with scientists to fight its spread by introducing a rust fungus that only attacks the balsam.

A new rust fungus has been released at Hell Wath Local Nature Reserve in Ripon to help tackle Himalayan balsam.

Himalayan balsam was first introduced into the UK in 1839 as an ornamental plant but has since become a real problem. It colonises river banks, waste ground and damp woodlands, successfully competing with native plants and reducing biodiversity.

Harrogate Borough Council joined forces with the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), experts in biological control and fighting Himalayan balsam with fungal pathogens.

The council said that until recently, the main way to tackle it has been 'balsam bashing' which involved pulling it up by hand but this is only temporarily effective.

The fungus option followed years of research by CABI scientists and showed that it only infects Himalayan balsam and does not pose a risk to other species.

Alien plant puts Nidderdale beauty spots under threat

Mites to be released to tackle invasive plant at Harrogate nature reserve

The rust fungus won't completely kill off the balsam but it makes the plant less competitive. It infects the stem and leaves throughout the growing season.

Councillor Sam Gibbs, HBC's cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

"This is yet another practical solution to help tackle non-native species, following our trial to release Crassula mites at Rossett Nature Reserve in Harrogate to tackle New Zealand Pygmyweed.

"Himalayan balsam is invasive and to tackle it involves lots of hard work, often carried out by volunteers. By using this ‘bio-superhero’ we have less of an onerous task in the future."

Dr Sonal Varia, project scientist at CABI’s laboratories, said:

"Himalayan balsam has rapidly become one of the UK’s most invasive weed species affecting biodiversity and beauty spots – such as Hell Wath Local Nature Reserve – and traditional methods of control alone are inadequate.

"Results from releases elsewhere in the UK suggest that the rust can perform well under our climate. It adapts to local climatic conditions and spreads from the initial area of release without having a negative impact on other species.

"Good leaf infection is frequently observed in the summer and the rust is able to survive the winter and establish populations in stands of Himalayan balsam the following year."

Thank you for your interest in this story

Fungus released in Ripon nature reserve to kill alien plant

Read More: