Ecus is working on an exciting innovation challenge investigating the use of novel techniques to control New Zealand Pigmyweed (NZP, crassula helmsii) in the Caledonian Canal at Inverness. The 8-month study is the next step in a program of work that Ecus kicked off in 2018 by undertaking a baseline mapping exercise on the canal.
New Zealand Pigmyweed is an invasive non-native plant and has been found growing within the canal channel itself, at the margins as well as on the adjacent grassland. The plant is a problem as it poses a threat to biodiversity by out-competing native plants. It also has the potential to clog water-bodies and control features, and has an impact on recreation. The plant can spread extremely rapidly from even the tiniest of stem fragments.
The project is funded by the CAN DO Innovation Challenge Fund and our Scottish ecology team are working with Scottish Canals, investigating a combination of treatment methods on all three environments where the plant grows at test locations at the Caledonian Canal, Inverness.
The aim is that the treatment methods being tested by Ecus will be scalable to develop a commercially viable treatment option to help manage this species.
The project has received media attention with the following articles:
The Invasive Species putting UK Waterways at Risk
Innovative Management of New Zealand Pigmyweed on the Caledonian Canal
