Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) in Russia : spread, distribution, abundance, harmfulness and control measures

Sergey Ya. Reznik

Ambroisie, the first international ragweed review, 2009, 26 00

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The present paper is a brief review of common ragweed invasion in Russia. Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. was first recorded in southern part of European Russia in 1918. In the late 1930’s, numerous infestations were rather widely distributed over the North Caucasus. Since the 1940’s common ragweed was considered the most noxious invasive weed in Russia. By the end of 1980’s the heavily infested area increased up to 60,000 km2. However, starting from 1990, the situation was practically stable suggesting that common ragweed had occupied its potential range. Field explorations conducted in European Russia in 2005 – 2007 suggested that the northern limits of common ragweed distribution range were determined by average September temperature of 14 - 15°C, while the total of April – October precipitations less than 250 mm was limiting its spread eastward. Various methods were used to control this weed. In agricultural fields, common ragweed was effectively controlled by various herbicides, by cultural control (particularly, winter crops could suppress the ragweed growth) and by appropriate agricultural practice (timely cultivation, black summer fallow, etc.). In more stable habitats (field borders, roadsides, ruderals, etc.) A. artemisiifolia could be suppressed by sowing of cultured or wild perennial grasses. More than 30 years ago, several phytophagous insect species were introduced to control common ragweed, but all of them either did not establish or have a negligible impact on the target plant.