Kudzu

A detailed Summary of Kudzu

Kudzu is a major threat to Michigan. In this report I will discuss many factors as to why kudzu is a threat, and what we as a state can do about it. The reason I chose this topic was that I have lived in the south for most of my life, and have seen the effects of Kudzu. This plant is very threatening to us agriculturally as well as economically, and we need to deal with this problem now, before it spreads up into the beautiful landscape of Michigan.

Kudzu is a climbing, semi-woody, perennial vine in the legume family. It has deciduous leaves, with three broad leaflets that measure up to four inches across. Its individual flowers are a half inch long, purple, highly fragrant, and are born in large hanging clusters. Flowering occurs in late summer and is soon followed by the production of brown, hairy, flattened, seed pods, each of which contains three to ten hard seeds. It's roots are fleshy, with massive tap roots that are seven or more inches in diameter, six feet or more in length, and weighing as much as four hundred pounds! It is common throughout the southeastern United States and has been found as far north as New York. Kudzu grows well under a wide range of conditions and in most soil types. Preferred hab

So far, like human immigration control, the battle against kudzu has been spotty, expensive, and largely ineffective. Two dozen federal agencies have stitched together crazy ways of detection and eradication efforts with state and local authorities.(Bio-pollution, Internet) Some of the efforts are completely not helping the problem, while others are on the edge of a breakthrough. All of these methods come to one point: for successful long term control of Kudzu, the extensive root system must be destroyed. Any remaining roots can lead to reinfestation of the area. Here are the four best, and different, approaches to the problem. Management approach #1: Dr. James H. Miller of the U.S. Forest Service in Auburn, Alabama has found one herbicide that actually makes kudzu grow better while many have little effect after 18 years of research. Miller recommends repeated herbicide treatments for at least four years, but some kudzu plants may take as long as ten years to kill, even with the most effective herbicides (Amazing, Internet). The problem with this method is that herbicides are very dangerous for the environment, and will most definitely harm our environment with the continuos herbicide treatments. Management approach #2: Mechanical methods involve cutting the vines just above the ground level and destroying all cut material. Close mowing every month for two growing seasons or repeated cultivation may be effective. Cut Kudzu can be fed to livestock, burned, or enclosed in plastic bags and sent to a landfill. If conducted in the spring, cutting must be repeated as regrowth appears to exhaust the plant's stored carbohydrate reserves. Late season cutting should be followed up with immediate application of a systemic herbicide (e.g., glyphosate) to cut stems, to encourage transport of the herbicide into the root system. Repeated applications of several soil-active herbicides have been used effectively on large infestations in forestry situations. It has not yet been used near populated areas. (Bergmann, Internet) This method would take a lot of time, labor, and money to be successful.. The herbicides are also not a very good thing to use near populated areas. Also, cutting up the plant wouldn't solve the problem, it would be more of an "Out of sight, out of mind" situation. The Kudzu will come back. Management approach #3: Dr. Errol G. Rhoden, along with other researchers at Tuskegee University, has successfully raised Angora goats in field of Kudzu which would otherwise be considered wasted land. The goats keep the Kudzu from spreading further while producing profitable milk and wool products. Rhoden says constant grazing will eventually eradicate kudzu. If kudzu is to provide a continuing food source, animals must be removed from the fields occasionally to allow the vine to grow back enough to feed again. (Amazing, Internet) This is a good idea, although it may take many years to do so. Not only is the Kudzu being confined to a small area to be able to feed goats, the goats are producing milk and wool, which would be very profitable to our economy. Management a

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Approximate Word count = 2101
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Science