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The contributions of biological control to reduced plant size and biomass of water hyacinth populations

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Abstract

Water hyacinth is invasive in many countries, where it reduces aquatic biodiversity and limits water resource utilisation. Biological control of water hyacinth has been successful in South Africa, but has suffered from a lack of empirical data to prove causation. Insect exclusion trials were conducted to quantify the contribution of Neochetina eichhorniae and N. bruchi to the integrated control of water hyacinth on the Nseleni River, South Africa. Insecticide was not expected to induce phytotoxicity, but would prevent weevil damage in water hyacinth plants; and weevil herbivory was predicted to reduce plant petiole length, and above/below surface biomass. Results showed that insecticide had no phytotoxic effects and excluded weevils for 3 weeks, providing a baseline for field applications. Biological control on the Nseleni River directly affected water hyacinth biomass and petiole length, but did not affect plant cover. Plants subject to weevil herbivory demonstrated reductions in above and below surface biomass and had shorter petioles compared to insect-free plants. Dead biomass was also higher in biological control treatments. Biological control strongly affects plant size, biomass and vigour; however, further integrated control is required to facilitate reduction in mat cover, which is the goalpost for successful control of floating aquatic plants.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs: National Resource Management Programme, Working for Water Programme and the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation of South Africa. Logistical assistance was provided by Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife. Funding for this work was provided by the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation of South Africa. Any opinion, finding, conclusion or recommendation expressed in this material is that of the authors and the NRF does not accept any liability in this regard.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa

    Roy W. Jones, Jaclyn M. Hill & Martin P. Hill

  2. Department of Botany, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa

    Julie A. Coetzee

  3. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, PO Box 10416, Meerensee, Richards Bay, 3901, South Africa

    Roy W. Jones

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  1. Roy W. Jones
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Correspondence to Jaclyn M. Hill.

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Jones, R.W., Hill, J.M., Coetzee, J.A. et al. The contributions of biological control to reduced plant size and biomass of water hyacinth populations. Hydrobiologia 807, 377–388 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3413-y

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