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OMAFRA: Testing herbicide options in the fight against phragmites

Phragmites are a widespread weed issue in wetlands across Ontario and North America more broadly. While there is a native type of phragmite (also called common reed), races from Europe have been introduced over the years and act as an invasive weed, choking out native plants, disrupting wildlife habitats and developing into monocultures. Traditional management methods – cutting or burning – are not very effective, as they do not address the perennial’s extensive rhizome network underground.

François Tardif and Peter Smith, professors in the University of Guelph’s department of plant agriculture, and Mike Cowbrough, weed specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), conducted field trials in 2019 and 2020 to evaluate herbicide effectiveness against phragmites. |READ MORE