Content uploaded by Prasanta C Bhowmik
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Prasanta C Bhowmik on Feb 20, 2015
Content may be subject to copyright.
Biology and control of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
... Common milkweed is a confamilial species native to Eastern North America that grows in many of the same habitats as pale swallowwort (Bhowmik 1994). Milkweed is essential for reproduction in the declining monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), as monarch larvae have evolved to withstand and sequester the toxic cardenolides milkweeds produce (Flockhart et al. 2014;Pitman et al. 2018;Malcolm 1994). ...
... Once a majority of the seeds had sprouted, each sprout was transferred to an individual growing plug with Miracle Grow potting mix to allow each plant to develop a root system before the competition experiment began. The greenhouse ambient conditions were set at 26°C, the lamps provided 16 h of light each day, and the soil was kept moist, as both species favor mesic soil conditions (Bhowmik 1994;Pahlevani et al. 2008). ...
... However, our focal species utilize very different growth strategies and we acknowledge that morphology differences between species may have impacted the nature of our results (Gibson et al. 1999). Common milkweed is a large herbaceous species that uses the girth of its rigid stem to support large leaves and tall vertical growth (Bhowmik 1994). Pale swallowwort is a twining herb that wraps its flexible and small stem around other plants, utilizing them as a support to reach sunlight (Denis and Cappuccino 2004, H. Jackson pers. ...
Invasive plants have become an increasingly pressing ecological problem, and the ability of invasive plants to out-compete native plants seriously threatens both biodiversity and ecosystem functionality. One invasive plant species increasing in abundance in temperate regions of the United States is Vincetoxicum rossicum (pale swallowwort), which has been observed to displace native confamilial Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) in habitats where both species overlap. We sought to examine the effects of trait characteristics, trait variation, and density-dependent interactions on the competition between these species. We examined field-grown trait variability across an environmental gradient in western New York and applied a density-based competitive factorial design in a greenhouse setting. Both species grew in a wide range of environmental conditions in the field, but pale swallowwort exhibited more trait variation and greater specific leaf area than common milkweed, potentially reflective of increased efficiency in resource capture. Swallowwort density was a significant predictor of plant traits in the field. In the greenhouse, interspecific competition was more intense than intraspecific competition, with negative impacts of milkweed density on swallowwort growth. Although its trait variability allows it to survive in many environments, on an individual basis at low densities, swallowwort is not a strong competitor. However, this invader gains competitive advantages over native species due to Allee effects, which increase its ecological impact and success as density increases. Swallowwort is likely to remain a successful invader in disturbed temperate ecosystems and continue to have negative impacts on communities where it achieves high densities.
... Asclepias syriaca is a herbaceous, perennial broadleaved species. The main characteristics of the plant are its milky sap, seeds with silky hairs and its propagation by creeping lateral rhizomes (Bhowmik 1994;Dvirna 2018;Figures 1(d) and Figure 6). The species has simple, erect shoots, usually several together, growing up to 60 to 120(150) cm (Bhowmik and Bandeen 1976; Figure 1(a)). ...
... The shape of the follicles is reminiscent of a parrot's beak, a characteristic that is the origin of the common name of the plant in many countries. The seeds are brown and flat and almost 7 mm long and 5 mm wide with a tuft of silky hairs (6 to 10 mm long) coated with wax (Bhowmik and Bandeen 1976;Bhowmik 1994; Figure 1(e)). ...
... At present, it is also abundant on agricultural land and in ruderal habitats, such as roadsides and wasteland (Bhowmik and Bandeen 1976). Bhowmik (1994) stated that the geographical boundary of the distribution of A. syriaca in North America is 35° and 50° north latitude and 60° and 103° west longitude. Asclepias syriaca has been extending its range in particular into the southeastern regions of the United States in recent decades as shown by Wyatt et al. (1993). ...
This work synthesizes all aspects of Asclepias syriaca L. (Apocynaceae) including the taxonomy, distribution, history of introduction and spread, ecology, biology, uses and benefits, impacts on biodiversity and agriculture, legislation, and management. Asclepias syriaca is a perennial broad-leaved species native to North America. Introduced for ornamental and various other purposes, such as a source of fibre and rubber, it has become established in many regions of Europe and it had increasingly spread in the last decades (>1980s). Its reproductive behavior is characterized by a high production of wind-dispersed seeds and by the propagation of creeping lateral rhizomes, which allows the species to proliferate rapidly. The species persists in a wide range of edaphic and climatic environments. It occurs particularly in anthropogenic and (semi-)natural habitats, such as roadsides, agricultural land, abandoned sites and grasslands, open shrubland, and forests, respectively. Studies have demonstrated negative impacts on the biodiversity and ecosystem processes in invaded regions, namely in open sand grasslands in Hungary. Asclepias syriaca occurs as a competitive weed in crop fields. Since 2017, the species is regulated by the European Union (EU) under the Regulation No. 1143/2014, which states that A. syriaca is subjected to restrictions such as a ban on importing, selling, breeding and that EU member states are required to place effective management measures. Awareness raising activities are important to inform the public, farmers and stakeholders about the risks of this invasive alien plant. Effective direct control options include mechanical control as well as herbicide application.
... The leaves are short stocked and smooth margined, and emerge in pairs on alternate sides of the stem. Its flowers are fragrant and purplish to pinkish but may vary in colour from white to deep red [7]. ...
... The root is anodyne, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, expectorant and purgative. It has been used in the treatment of asthma, kidney stones and venereal disease [7].The plant is also said to contain phytochemicals tannins, saponins, glycosides, alkaloids and phenols, which are known to have antimicrobial activities [9]. ...
Antibiotic resistance, as well as the evolution and spread of new strains of disease causing agents are of great concern to the global health community. The high cost of antibiotics has made it inevitable to search for cheaper sources of antimicrobials. There has been considerable interest in the use of plant materials as an alternative method of controlling pathogenic microorganisms. Asclepias syriaca is one of such plants that need to be investigated in view of its acclaimed medicinal uses. It has been reported to contain certain bioactive chemicals which could be antimicrobial in action. This work investigated Asclepias syriaca stem for antimicrobial activity. Cold water, Hot water and Methanolic extracts of Asclepias stem were prepared using standard methods. The extracts were used to carry out susceptibility test, determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the stem extract on Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The extracts were found to be effective on the three test organisms, with the methanolic extract being most active, followed by hot water extract, then cold water extract. Inhibitory zone diameter ranged between15 to 26mm for Methanolic extract, 14 to 23mm for Hot water extract, and 12 to 20mm for Cold water extract. The extracts were most active on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, then Salmonella typhi, and lastly Salmonella typhimurium. The MIC of the extract on Salmonella typhimirium was 200mg/mL for both the Cold and Hot water extracts, but 100 mg/mL for methanolic extract. The MIC of the extract on Salmonella typhi was 12.50mg/mL for Methalonic extract and for both Cold and Hot water extracts. For Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the MIC was 3.125mg/mL for all the extracts, i.e Cold and Hot water extracts, as well as Methanolic extract. MIC of the standard antibiotic was 3.125mg/mL. The MBC result showed no inhibition by all the extracts on Salmonella typhimurium, even at 400 mg/mL. All the extracts had MBC at 400 mg/mL for Salmonella typhi. All the extracts had MBC at 200 mg/mL on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while MBC of the standard control on all test bacteria was 6.25 mg/mL. From our results, it is evident that Asclepias syriaca stem extracts possesses antimicrobial property which can be exploited to treat Salmonella typhi infection as used traditionally, as well as infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
... Cramer and Burnside (1982) found that A. syriaca populations of 11,100 to 36,600 plants ha −1 caused corn stand losses up to 15% and yield losses up to 10%. Shortly before the introduction of glyphosate-tolerant crops, a review article concluded that A. syriaca was an increasing problem in crops including corn, soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], and grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], causing yield losses as high as 10% to 30% (Bhowmik 1994). Although less competitive than other broadleaf weeds, this perennial species was considered difficult to eradicate without nonselective herbicides. ...
Intensive agricultural crop production is typically associated with low biodiversity. Low biodiversity is associated with a deficit of ecosystem services, which may limit crop yield (e.g., low pollination of insect-pollinated crops) at the individual field level or exacerbate the landscape-level impacts of intensive agriculture. To increase biodiversity and enhance ecosystem services with minimal loss of crop production area, farmers can plant desirable non-crop species near crop fields. Adoption of this practice is limited by inefficiencies in existing establishment methods. We have developed a novel seed molding method allowing non-crop species to be planted with a conventional corn ( Zea mays L.) planter, reducing labor and capital costs associated with native species establishment. Common milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca L.) was selected as a model native species because Asclepias plants are the sole food source for monarch butterfly ( Danaus plexippus L.) larvae. Stratified A. syriaca seeds were added to a mixture of binder (maltodextrin) and filler (diatomaceous earth and wood flour) materials in a 3D-printed mold with the dimensions of a corn seed. The resulting Multi-Seed Zea Pellets (MSZP), shaped like corn seeds, were tested against non-pelleted A. syriaca seeds in several indoor and outdoor pot experiments. Molding into MSZP did not affect percent emergence or time to emergence from a 2 cm planting depth. Intraspecific competition among seedlings emerged from an MSZP did not differ from competition among seedlings emerged from a cluster of non-pelleted seeds. These findings demonstrate the potential of MSZP technology as a precise and efficient method for increasing agroecosystem biodiversity.
... Az ellene alkalmazott mechanikai kezelések az eddigi tapasztalatok szerint rövid távon nem megfelelő hatékonyságúak, hiszen a kaszálás vagy szárzúzás után a selyemkóró újra kihajt (Vajda 2015). Egyelőre a kémiai kezelés tűnik a hatékonyabbnak (Bhowmik 1994), amikor glifozát-tartamú szereket használnak tapadást és felszívódást segítő szerekkel kombinálva (Vadász 2015, Zalai et al. 2017. A növényvédőszereket körültekintően szükséges alkalmazni, hiszen a környezetre, a rovar-és növényközösségekre is káros hatással lehet (de Andréa et al. 2003). ...
... Except being common in abandoned arable land and deforested clearings (Szilassi et al., 2019), as well as on the sand grassland (Bakacsy, 2019), this weed species favours fields and plantations of the agricultural crops (Bakacsy and Bagi, 2020). Many scientific papers confirm the problem of the common milkweed presence in agricultural crops, as well as the cause of the yield reduction of the crops such as: great millet, maize, alfalfa, wheat, sorghum and soybean (Cramer and Burnside, 1982;Bhowmik, 1994;Hartzler and Buhler, 2000). In the past decades in Serbia a continuous presence of the weed species A. syriaca has been established in the neglected orchards and vineyards, along the roads and railway lines, as well as on the dams and other ruderal habitats where it most frequently forms uniform associations, or it occurs with other weed species and A. syriaca being the most predominant. ...
Chemical characterization of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) root extracts and their influence on maize (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed germination and seedling growth-4219-APPLIED ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 19(6):4219-4230. Abstract. The Asclepias syriaca L. is an invasive weed species which continuously occurs in numerous populations in the ruderal and agricultural land in Serbia. The aim of the study was to examine the antioxidant capacity of the A. syriaca water and methanol extracts and investigate the effects of the selected extracts towards the seed germination, growth, seedlings development and oxidative stress parameters of maize (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). The water extract exhibited the higher total tannin content and superoxide free radical scavenging activity, while the methanol extract had a higher antioxidant capacity (measured by FRAP, DPPH and ABTS assays). The total tannin content ranged from 0.252 (methanol extract) to 0.805 (water extract) mg GAE/g. The water extract showed a significant germination inhibition in the tested plants, while no inhibition was noted in the case of the methanol extract compared with the control. However, both of the tested extracts types significantly reduced shoot and root length in case of all the tested plants.
Asclepias syriaca L. (ASCSY, fam. Apocynaceae) is a weed originating from the northern parts of the central, northeastern and southeastern America, as well as the vicinal areas of Canada. The common milkweed was introduced to Europe at the beginning of the 19th century as the honey, ornamental and fiber/silk plant. Today, it occurs in many countries of the western and Central Europe (France, Austria, Czech Republic, Belgium, Germany, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Romania, Bulgaria and Russia). The first cases of A. syriaca in Serbia were noted in the 1920s. The common milkweed is the most common on the non-agricultural areas, from where it spreads to the surrounding cultivated areas. This perennial species can grow up to 1.2 m and it has plenty of the underground adventitious buds from which it reproduces vegetatively. The spherical umbels are in the axis of the upper leaves, the flowers of which have a pleasant smell and purple to deep purplish pink color. It is a diploid (2n = 22), self-pollinating plant, with the hybridization between the species of the genus Asclepias being very rare. One plant can produce 1-6 fruits, with every fruit containing 150-425 seeds. This species prefers fertile, well-drained soils, but also thrives in very dry soils. The optimal development is achieved in moderately light and moderately warm, neutral to slightly alkaline habitats, tolerating the soil pH values of 4-5. The seeds germinate at a temperature of 20-30ºC. Late frosts of -1 to -2ºC destroy young seedlings, while adult plants can survive that temperature. A. syriaca has allelopathic properties and a negative impact towards a number of plants, both with crops (maize, soybean, sunflower and cultivated Sorghum) and weeds (Amaranthus retroflexus, Chenopodium album, Lepidium sativum and Ambrosia artemisiifolia). It can affect the seed germination and the development of the crop seedlings, leading to the significant yield reduction when its occurrence is massive. The control measures include: crop rotation, cultivation of competitive crops, mechanical removal of plants along with the roots, while chemical control measures are recommended as a preventive method, using glyphosate and triclopyr on non-agricultural areas to prevent the weeds from entering the fields.
The purpose of this study was to report the presence of Asclepias syriaca in agroecosystems in Romania. The species Asclepias syriaca L. is part of the Apocynaceae or Asclepiadaceae family, since 2018, it has been observed in corn culture, in western part of Romania. The study was conducted in 2019-2021, in eight counties (Alba, Arad, Caraș-Severin, Mureș, Sibiu, Satu-Mare, Sibiu, Timiș) in May-August. The species Asclepias syriaca was present in seven counties (Alba, Arad, Mureș, Sibiu, Satu-Mare, Sibiu, Timiș), both in the plain areas (77 m altitude) and in the hills area (412 m altitude). The study carried out in Romania showed that the species is present in the agroecosystems of: corn, alfalfa, sunflower, wheat, soybean. Up to date, there are no studies in Europe that indicate the presence of Asclepias syriaca in the sunflower agroecosystem. We consider that this species, which is classified by EPPO as an invasive species for Europe, will become a weed problem for Romanian crops, due to its strong competitive capacity, due to the rhizomatic root system and the plant's property to produce allelopathic substances.
The common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is an invasive alien species
of European Union concern, capable to reproduce vegetatively and
generatively in our geographical conditions. From an agronomic
point of view, the common milkweed is dicotyledonous, deep-rooted
perennial, weed and is still one of the difficult-to-control weeds in
cropping system. Common milkweed seedlings become perennial
within 21 days after germination because plants capable of producing new shoots from buds and plants grown from seeds seldom
flower until their second summer. The common milkweed is very
easily recognizable and cannot be confused with any other plant.
It is desirable to use this specificity in its initial, however unique,
occurrence on a plot. The most effective control is to prevent the
occurrence on a new site, which can be achieved by avoiding seed
formation on plants of already existing colonies on neighbouring
plots. Sugar beet as a row crop creates an ideal environment for
seedling growth, germination and seed emergence, mainly due to its
slower growth in the early growth stages. Most milkweed seedlings
can be controlled in the first days of their life, within 21 days of
emergence from the seed by digging, shallow cultivation (5 cm)
or herbicides. In older plants, soil cultivation is considered less
appropriate because of the production and spread of viable roots
fragments. From the viewpoint of herbicidal protection, it is known
to date, that the milkweed is sensitive to only one active substance
authorized for use in sugar beet, to the controversial glyphosate.
Greater accumulation of glyphosate in the dormant root buds can be
achieved by addition of synthetic cytokine – 6-benzylaminopurine
(BAP) 3 days before glyphosate application. Dormant root buds
are stimulated and subsequently killed by glyphosate at the dose
1.1 kg ha–1. Potential efficacy of other active substances authorized for use in sugar beet needs to be verified, or other active substances will need to be authorized by verifying their applicability in sugar beet
stands. Effective surfactants are those with a high hydrophile-lipophile balance (19–20) and cationic character. The use of surfactant
is necessary to enhance the herbicidal toxicity.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.