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Go To Clemson University Website
Since 2000, Applied Biochemists has teamed with Clemson University’s Institute
of Environmental Toxicology and more recently the Dept. of Forestry and Natural
Resources to conduct research on the differences in toxicity and efficacy
between various algaecide formulations. Additional cooperators became
involved to assess control issues at site-specific locations.
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For over 30 years, Applied
Biochemists has maintained its position as a leading manufacturer of specialty algaecides
and aquatic herbicides. Products are registered with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and a number of overseas countries for use in drinking water reservoirs,
irrigation conveyance systems, aquaculture facilities, wastewater, lakes, ponds, and other
sites where aquatic vegetation growth interferes with the functional, recreational and/or
aesthetic value of the water resource. Applied Biochemists' contributions to this
discipline have included numerous innovations including: patented new chemistries;
application technologies; and technical resources on the subject of plant management.
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| Above: Pond before/after treatment with Cutrine-Plus algaecide. |
AQUATIC PLANT PROBLEMS
A wide range of aquatic plants can be found growing in, on, and around a body of water. Based upon their various adaptations, some will be found rooted in swiftly flowing streams while others can only survive in placid, stagnant ponds. Within a natural, well-balanced system, these plants provide food and cover for fish, waterfowl and aquatic invertebrates. They produce oxygen, plus help to stabilize bottom sediments.
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Aquatic Vegetation, interfering with water flow in irrigation and drainage canals, is a world-wide problem. Here, (left), Cutrine-Plus is applied by helicopter to eliminate nuisance growth. |
Like terrestrial plants, aquatic vegetation requires a carbon source, sunlight, and nutrients. Dissolved carbon dioxide, bicarbonates and carbonates, typically quite abundant in water, provide a source of carbon for the growth and food production process known as photosynthesis. The energy driving this process is derived from sunlight. Therefore, the depth of sunlight penetration will limit the depth to which aquatic plants can grow. At the same time, the amount of nutrients available (mainly nitrogen and phosphorous) will limit the quantity of vegetation which can grow.
Aquatic plants derive their nutrients from the sediment and/or the water column. These nutrients are cycled between the sediment and the water on an annual basis. Adding to this nutrient enrichment of lakes and ponds, a process known as eutrophication, are inputs from external sources. Nutrients and sediments are contributed by man's agricultural, domestic and industrial activities through sources such as cropland and feedlot run-off, factory and cannery effluents, domestic waste discharges, construction site erosion, lawn and garden fertilizer run-off and septic tank leachate. The most noticeable symptom resulting from eutrophication is the development of prolific aquatic plant growth.
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The point at which aquatic vegetation becomes a nuisance is closely associated with the primary uses of a body of water. By common usage, all aquatic growth is often clumped under the general heading "weeds". A "weed" has been defined in various ways, depending upon the "eye of the beholder".
A simple definition is a "plant growing out of place". A more optimistic view is "a plant whose true value has not been realized".
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For the purposes of this website, an aquatic plant problem is defined as "undesirable plants that grow so profusely as to crowd out more desirable growth or detract in some way from the usefulness, value, and/or appearance of an area". Therefore, overabundant vegetation that adversely affects aquatic life; impedes industrial, agricultural or domestic water use; interferes with recreational activities and/or destroys aesthetic values, all fall under this definition.
A look at various water-use sites and their specific problems gives some indication of both the economic and environmental impact associated with aquatic plant growth. The degree of control desired will be greatly influenced by these water uses.
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Descriptions and pictures are from the book "How to Identify and Control Water Weeds and Algae", Edited by James C. Schmidt, 5th edition revised 1998, copyright 1976 Applied Biochemists. |
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