Distribution and abundance of an allergenic weed, common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), in rural settings of southern Quebec, Canada

Abstract

. 2010. Distribution and abundance of an allergenic weed, common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), in rural settings of southern Que´bec, Canada. Can. J. Plant Sci. 90: 549{557. Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) is an important weed of urban and rural settings in eastern Canada. Where the species is abundant, its wind-dispersed pollen is responsible for most cases of allergic rhinitis or ''hayfever'' in August and September. Despite its adverse health effects, there is little information on the actual abundance or distribution of ragweed plants in rural settings. Ragweed surveys were therefore done in July and August (after herbicide application) in corn and soybean fields, field borders and along rural roadsides surrounding two cities in southern Quebec. Based on zero-inflated Poisson regression models, ragweed density averaged 4.1 plants m (2 (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu area) and 16.1 plants m (2 (Salaberryde-Valleyfield area) along roadsides. Ragweed density in field borders (1.3 plants m (2 ) and fields was lower than on roadsides. Conventionally tilled fields and fields where tillage was reduced had equivalent densities of ragweed. Ragweed abundance in fields was likely related to the efficacy of herbicides used in transgenic vs. conventional crops. Transgenic herbicide-resistant corn fields had higher ragweed densities than conventional fields (0.44 vs. 0.07 plants m ). Field borders located closer to roadsides had slightly higher ragweed counts, while roadside densities did not depend on the proximity of a field entrance. This suggests that roadsides are currently potential sources of spread into fields more than the opposite. Further research on the pollen production and dispersal of these rural populations is needed. ).Une le´ge`re augmentation du nombre de plants d'herbe a`poux en bordure de champ e´tait associe´e a`la proximite´d'une route alors que la densite´de l'herbe a`poux le long de la route ne de´pendait pas de la proximite´d'une entre´e de champ. Ceci sugge`re que les bords de route sont actuellement les foyers potentiels de propagation dans les champs plus que l'inverse. Des travaux permettant d'e´valuer la production et la dispersion de pollen des populations rurales d'herbe a`poux seraient ne´cessaires.

Development of a Remote Sensing-Based Method to Map Likelihood of Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) Presence in Urban Areas

“…This conclusion validates the hypothesis that a spectral proximity between Common Ragweed in urban settings and Common Ragweed in agricultural settings exists within the green band (500-590 nm). This conclusion is sustained by the results of Nádor et al [14] and Simard and Benoit [7] in rural settings. The response curve of Common Ragweed in Montreal (WV2) is very similar to that of the study conducted by Nádor et al [15] in rural cultivated fields in Hungary and also using WV2 imagery.…”

“…However, at the opposite of the present study their inquiries revealed the importance of the Yellow band (585-625 nm). Simard and Benoit [7] studied the distribution of Common Ragweed in the rural areas of Valleyfield; they concluded that the density of Common Ragweed was higher by paved roads than by cultivated fields and inside the fields themselves. Their study was conducted at the same period of the present one (summer 2009).…”

“…Even for agricultural fields a coarser spatial resolution could be a limiting factor depending on the types of culture and the fact that chemicals or other treatments against weeds were applied. The conclusions of Simard and Benoit [7] suggest that a better detection of Common Ragweed presence likelihood is possible with the use of sensors having high spatial resolutions, since Common Ragweed was confined to rural roadsides and fields borders. Thus and at the opposite of the conclusion of Burai [29], using low spatial resolution images such as MODIS could be of a negligible interest for the surveillance of Common Ragweed spatial extension within agricultural fields.…”

“…It has been estimated in 2005 that the pollen of this plant is involved in about 75% of rhinitis cases in Québec, with about $155 million (CAD) in yearly health costs. Common Ragweed therefore constitutes an important public health concern in Quebec and elsewhere [3], [7]- [9].…”

Effectiveness of management interventions for control of invasive Common ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia: a systematic review protocol

“…Attempted control of Ambrosia artemisiifolia has employed a range of physical, chemical and biological management techniques [19] that might also be combined. Ambrosia artemisiifolia tolerates substantial physical damage such as removal of the stem apex and leaves, because the plants regenerate from buds from the base or increase growth of existing lateral stems [30][31][32][33]. Cutting of vegetative plants is reported to delay the initiation of flowering but does not prevent reproduction [31], whereas hand pulling is reported to be most effective but very laborious [34,35].…”