AMBROSIA ARTEMISIIFOLIA AND IVA XANTHIFOLIA SPREAD AND DISTRIBUTION IN VOJVODINA REGION B. Konstantinovic – M. Meseldzija – Bo. Konstantinovic Faculty of Agriculture, Department for Environmental and Plant Protection, Novi Sad, Serbia In the last four years, due to the high influence of Ragweed pollen as allergen to human health and working capability in the region of the City of Novi Sad a project of its control was established. During project accomplishment, Iva xanthifolia Nutt. presence and spread was also confirmed. Therefore, along with Ragweed control in the phase before flowering and it’s mapping, in the frame of the project, the same method was established for allergenic Iva xanthifolia Nutt. Literature Ambrosia artemisiifola L. (Family Asteraceae), commonly called "Ragweed" is weedy ruderal species of fast and intensive spreading. It has been transferred from neighboring European countries into ours (Konstantinovic, 1999). It belongs to adventive floristic elements, and it was introduced from North and Middle America into Europe in 1800 together with clover seed (Priszter, 1960? Hansen, 1976). In USA and Canada it is considered to be one of the most significant weeds and its eradication is regulated by numerous acts of low. While spreading, Ragweed began to adapt also to open vegetation on non-agricultural land, mostly of ruderal type, on degradated meadows. It can be found in almost all crops and plantations. It is fast spreading and becomes cosmopolitan. Due to the wide ecological valence it easily becomes dominant weed in different conditions. In it's life form it is terophyte, which means that unfavourable life period survives in the form of seed (Soó, 1970). It is thermophile species, sprouting through all spring and summer. Emergence begins with favourable soil temperatures and lasts until harvest. However, on ruderal sites it emerges even until September. It fructifies abundantly with 150 000 seeds per plant annually, thus making its control extremely difficult and expensive. Ragweed seed can maintain germination capacity in soil for over 40 years, which indicates extremely high reproductive potential and permanent seed bank in soil (Levente et al., 2003). Iva xanthifolia Nutt. (Family Asteraceae), Marsh elder, False ragweed is annual, termophyl native Canadian weed (Scoggan, 1978). 281 Marsh elder is a robust plant of over 2m in height , highly competitive with abundant seed production of more than 80.000 seeds/plant. During 2nd half of 19th century Marsh elder began to spread in Europe (Hejny, 1958). In 1966 the first report of Marsh elder presence in four localities of Vojvodina, near Novi Sad was issued. During 70th years of the last century, it continued spreding and its presence was recorded in 21 localities, predominantly along roads and tracks (Sajinovic and Koljadzinski, 1978). Since 1990 the first reports on Marsh elder presence were also given for arable crops. (Veljkovic, 1996.). Marsh elder already causes problems in agricultural crops, specially in row ones. Materials and Methods During vegetation period 2004 and 2005, on areas under horticultural plants a combined evaluation of Ragweed and Marsh elder number and coverage was accomplished by Braun-Blanquet method (1951).The most efficient and the lowest toxical measures of chemical control of this allergentic species were established along with use of efficient low toxicity herbicides that are sanitary and environmentally sound, as well as mechanical control measures by mowing. Results Ragweed has been found on both banks of the river Danube, near the suburbs of Petrovaradin, Sremski Karlovci and the city of Novi Sad, as well as in Bogojevo, Odzaci, Bac, Backa Palanka. The weed has also been spreading northwards towards Kula, Begec and Futog of the Backa Region and toward central and south Banat Region. During 2004.godine the studies were performed in the City of Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina (Table 1) on over 90 ha of non-agricultural land. Ragweed has been found on over 100 locations in 21 city zones. Invasive species Iva xanthifolia Nutt. was determined at one locality in the city Zone Salajka with 6 individuals per m2. During 2005 about 400 ha of non-agricultural land was studied in surrounding suburbs of Novi Sad in which Ragweed was recorded in over 200 locations (Table 2), and Iva xanthifolia Nutt. in 23 locations. 282 Table 1. Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. number and coverage in the city of Novi Sad City zone 2004 Liman 2.2 Detelinara 4.4 Donji Ribnjak 1.1 Kej 2.1 Novo Naselje 2.3 Mali Beograd 1.1 Avijatičarsko naselje 4.4 Industrijska zona 4.4 Sremska Kamenica 2.3 Petrovaradin 3.4 Dunavac-Ribarsko ostrvo 4.4 Stari grad 1.1 Gradsko groblje 3.2 Institut za topolarstvo-Kaćka šuma 3.3 Highway Novi Sad-Beograd 5.5 Veternik 4.4 Salajka 3.2 Mišeluk 3.4 Telep 3.3 Kamenjar 2.2 Adice 1.1 283 Table 2. Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. number and coverage in suburbs of the city of Novi Sad City zone 2005 Pejićevi Salaši 4.2 Čenej 5.3 Futog 4.3 Veternik 4.3 Begeč 5.3 Kisač 4.3 Stepanovićevo 4.3 Rumenka 4.3 Bukovac 1.1 Petrovaradin 3.2 Budisava 2.3 Kovilj 3.4 Šangaj 4.4 Kaćka šuma-Kaćki atar 4.3 Kać 3.4 Rafinerija 4.4 Novo Naselje 3.3 Kamenjar 2.3 Industrijska zona 3.3 Nemanovci 3.3 284 In Table 3 number and coverage of Rugweed at the territory in suburbs of the city of Novi Sad during 2006 is presented. Iva xanthifolia presence was recorded at 32 locations. Table 3. Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. number and coverage in suburbs of the city of Novi Sad City zone 2006 Rumenka 3.3 Kisac 3.3 Stepanovicevo 3.3 Cenej 4.4 Sangaj 4.4 Begec 3.1 Pejicevi Salasi 3.2 Crossroad with a highway, approach 3.4 to Novi Sad Kovilj 5.4 Highway / City disposal area 5.2 In last two years systematic monitoring of Rugweed occurrence has been perfomed for the territory of the Community of Zrenjanin in which in 2005 this species was determined and control in the area of 93 090 m2, and in 2006 in the area of 93 750 m2. Discussion Weedy ruderal species Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., is wide spread in whole Vojvodina. It often builds huge, compact communities mostly in ruderal sites. In cooperation with the Administration of the City of Novi Sad, Department for Municipal Business, in the frame of the project, mapping, determination of number and coverage, as well as control of the allergenic species Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. and Iva xanthifolia Nutt. in the city of Novi Sad and it’s suburbs. Occurrence of new generations, i.e., monitoring of this species, as well as retro vegetation which is more frequent after mowing on rough terrains were permanently recorded. During vegetation period, these allergenic species have been controlled by repeated mowing, while in ruderal sites inconvenient for mowing such as road and railway sides and non-agricultural land in suburbs were sprayed by herbicides based on glyphosate in the quantity of 4 l ha-1. Two years of A. artemisiifolia L. monitoring and control resulted in significant reduction in 285 its number. As Ragweed and Marsh elder are weedy ruderal species that also spread in the nearest surrounding of the city on agricultural land under crops, it is necessary to suppress it to fructification. Recommended cultural practices for its control include harrowing in the phase of emergence, keeping crops free of weeds and mowing in non-agricultural land. Depending upon crop variety various herbicides may also be applied. In regard to previous year, in 2005 monitoring of Ragweed pollen quantity in the air showed reduced pollen quantity per 1m3. The average number of pollen grains was 143 per m3, while in 2003 it was 657 grains per m3. In some localities presence of newly introduced ruderal species in our country Iva xanthifolia Nutt., was also been determined and monitored. Danger of this species is perceived in strong concurence, huge seed production, and in immense allergic features. Application of combined mechanical and chemical control measures in the area of the city of Novi Sad and it's suburbs led to reduction of Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.and Iva xanthifolia Nutt. species. However, problem of this invasive species spreading is not permanently solved, for remaining non-agricultural and agricultural land in Vojvodina represents constant seed bank that endangers the city and its surronding. Due to this, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. and Iva xanthifolia Nutt. are necessary to be controled in soybean, sugarbeet, maize and sunflower crops by application of contact herbicides. On non-agricultural land they should be controled by mechanical measures such as mowing or by chemical control. References Braun-Blanquet, J. (1951): Pflanzensoziologie. Wien. Hansen, A. (1976): Ambrosia L. in Tutin, T.G. et al. ed. Flora Europaea, 4.142-143. Cambridge University press. Cambridge. Hejny, S.(1958): Iva xanthifolia Nutt. v CSR. Acta Fac. Nat. Rerum Univ.Comenianae, Botanica, Pracha 2 (7-9): 323-342. Hirst, J.M. (1952): An automatic volumetric spore trap.Ann.App.Biol.39: 257-265. Konstantinovic, B. (1999): Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. (A.elatior). Biljni lekar. 4. 370-372. Poljoprivredni fakultet, Novi Sad. Kiss L., Vajna L.,és Bohár Gy. (2003): A parlagfű (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) elleni biológiai védekezés lehetőségei. Növényvédelem, 39: 319- 331. Priszter Sz. (1960): Adventív gyomnövényeink terjedése. A Keszthelyi Mezőgazdasagi Akadémia Kiadványai. Mezőgazdasági Kiadó, Budapest 286 Sajinovic, B., Koljadzinski, B. (1978): Prilog proucavanju procesa naturaliyacije adventivnih biljnih vrsta Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. 1753. i Iva xantifolia Nutt. 1818 (Asteraceae) u Vojvodini. Biosistematika 14 1 (81/92). Scoggan, H.J. (1978): The flora of Canada Natural Museum Nat. Cci (Ottawa) Publ. Bot. 7 (1)/7 (4): 1711.