While Scotch broom isĪ problem species in many parts of the world, French broom is especially Nitrogen-fixing bacteria found in small nodules on roots. Is competitive in low-fertility soils because of mutualistic relationships with Species in California, it grows reasonably well on alkaline soils with pH 8. Soil moisture conditions, but prefers siliceous soils. This broom is common on coastal plains, mountain slopes, and inĭisturbed places such as river banks, road cuts, and forest clearcuts, but itĬan colonize grassland and open canopy forest. Northern Sierra Nevada foothill counties to 800 meters, and in Kern, San observation).įrench broom is found primarily in centralĬoastal counties from Monterey County north to Mendocino County and inland in Per pod, brown to black, shiny, round to oval, with a cream to yellow eliaosome Fruit: a pod, 0.5-1 in (15-25 mm), covered in dense silky Inch, and only about fifty-five percent of total green tissue as leaves (Bossard Scoparius), which has pods with hairs only at the seam, green stems that areįive-angled and ridged, flowers that are golden yellow and larger than half an This species sometimes is confused with Scotch broom (Cytisus The mostly inch-long pods are covered with hairs. Half-inch) yellow flowers are pea-like and clustered in groups of four to ten. Photosynthetic tissue of French broom is in leaf tissue. The round stems are covered with silvery, silky hair, and the small leaves are Monspessulana) is an upright, evergreen shrub, commonly to ten feet tall. canariensis, Genista monspessulanus, Teline monspessulana EBCL collaborates with scientists in many countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa to explore in regions of origin of the target weeds and insects.French broom, soft broom, canary broom, Montpellier broomĬytisus monspessulanus, C. for further testing as biological control agents. EBCL researchers do this by searching for natural enemies (insects, mites, and pathogens) in their native habitat, determining their identity, testing their host specificity and potential impact in laboratory and field experiments, and shipping promising organisms to the U.S. As the only USDA ARS-operated laboratory outside the United States, EBCL develops biological control technologies which can be used to suppress invading weeds and insect pests of Eurasian origin. EBCL has a satellite laboratory in Thessaloniki, Greece. EBCL was created by the merger of the former European Parasite Laboratory, established in Paris in 1919, and the Biological Control of Weeds Laboratory in Rome. The European Biological Control Laboratory (EBCL) was established in 1991 near Montpellier, France. Lepidapion argentatum (Photo by René Sforza) argentatum could be an efficient and safe candidate for the control of the invasive French Broom. These results, in addition to the double ability of L. argentatum to develop in stems and pods which increases its potential value as a biocontrol agent against French broom, indicate that L. Isolated fungi belong to fungal groups generally described as saprophytic fungi or opportunistic plant pathogens. Using microbial isolation and molecular methods, eight worldwide distributed fungal genera were identified and no insect pathogens. Thus, sampling seedpods, galls and adults from a native population in southern France was performed to check their sanitary status to make sure they are free from pathogens. The sanitary status of biocontrol agents must be investigated because they can carry plant and/or insect pathogens representing a risk to biodiversity and biological control success in the introduced range. However, several steps must be completed prior to release of an invasive weed biocontrol agent into an introduced range to guarantee its safety for the new environment: verification of the taxonomic status, study of the developmental and reproductive characteristics, host specificity tests, and determination of the sanitary status of biocontrol agents. As part of a biological control program in the U.S., the gall-forming and seedpod weevil Lepidapion argentatum is being evaluated as a biocontrol agent.ĭamages caused by Larvae in seedpod. This weed competes with native vegetation and increases the risk of wildfires. EBCL Investigates Microbial Safety of Lepidapion argentatumĪ Biocontrol Agent of the Invasive French Broomīy Mélanie Tannières and René Sforza, European Biological Control Laboratory (EBCL)įrench broom (Genista monspessulana Fabaceae) is a leguminous shrub that is an invasive alien weed in California and nearby US states, but also in South America, Australia and New Zealand.
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