AU J.T. 15(2): 77-82 (Oct. 2011) Giant Salvinia – An Invasive Alien Aquatic Plant in Thailand 1/ Narong Chomchalow Ex-Chairman, Aquatic Weed Coordinating Committee Biology Branch, National Research Council of Thailand, and Advisor, Department of Agriculture, Bangkok, Thailand Abstract Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) is an introduced floating aquatic fern native to Brazil. It can reproduce vegetatively and under ideal growing conditions can double its biomass every 3-5 days. It can form mass on the water body, blocks out the sun’s rays from penetrating through, thereby inhibiting photosynthesis of submerged aquatic plants. Water quality is impaired under these masses, especially in areas with restricted water movement. Although the Act banning its introduction and cultivation has been promulgated since 1978, there is still a problem in controlling its distribution as well as in eradicating it. At present, however, only two areas, in which giant salvinia creates some problems, are in restricted areas in the Central and Southern parts of the Thailand. Luckily, the local administrative officers were effective in controlling its widespread distribution through people’s participation program in eradicating the giant salvinia. Chemical control is by the use of paraquat herbicide, but not officially recommended, except for use directly on the plant, or in turbid water. Although not at present troublesome for the waterways, awareness through surveillance should be done by notifying the public to be aware of its danger and not cultivating it. Keywords: Plant introduction, noxious aquatic weed, rapid multiplication, impaired water quality, herbicide spray. Introduced ornamental plants have also 1. Introduction enriched Thai growers with their numerous species and varieties. Orchids introduced from It is well known that plant introduction various lands, after hybridization and selection, plays a key role in development. In an have made Thailand the world‟s largest agricultural country like Thailand, plant exporter of orchid cut flowers. introduction has contributed significantly to An endless list of plant species and agricultural development. Numerous varieties varieties can be made to show that such of many species of cultivated plants have been introduced plants have made significant widely accepted by the growers. Many have economic progress of Thai agriculture such that made Thailand the world‟s largest exporter of Thailand becomes one of the few countries that commodities derived from such introduced feed the world, not only of foods, but various plants, e.g. cassava (Manihot esculenta), other commodities such as ornamentals as well pineapple (Ananas comosus) and para rubber as cosmetic, pharmaceutical and industrial (Hevea brasiliensis) introduced from South products. America. The negative side of plant introduction is ______________________________________ 1/ nd its role in dealing with noxious weeds which Paper presented at the 62 Spring Meeting of have created a lot of problems in their the International Association of Horticultural eradication, most of which are nowhere close Producers (AIPH), Suncheon, Korea, 4-6 to complete winning the war in fighting with October 2010. these alien invasive plants. Review Article 77 AU J.T. 15(2): 77-82 (Oct. 2011) 2. Noxious Invasive Alien Plants in salvinia, commonly known as the floating Thailand in the Past water moss, is the most popular since it is quite beautiful, and as such, used as ornamental plant 2.1 Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in ponds and water gardens as well as in the aquariums. A native of South America, water Salvinia is a free floating aquatic plant hyacinth with its beautiful light blue flowers that is not prone to disease and decay. It is an resembling hyacinth - thus the name water annual plant that floats on the water surface hyacinth, was introduced from Kew Botanic due to the amount of air in the plant‟s tissue. Gardens to be grown in Bogor Botanical This bit of excess air makes the fern look Gardens in Indonesia where it was later spongy in appearance. It is an interesting and introduced into Thailand in 1900. As it escaped easy to grow plant for a water garden and helps cultivation into the waterways and spread to purify waste or contaminated waters because rapidly as it could double its biomass in 5 days, it could remove organic material from an Act was passed in 1904 to ban its eutrophicated water. Floating salvinia can be a cultivation, but until now the war between man wonderful addition to a water garden or pond and water hyacinth is still going on, not only in that has fish or other living creatures due to its Thailand, but in more than 50 tropical and purification capability. It consists of horizontal subtropical countries around the world. stems that float just below the water surface, and produce, at each node, a pair of floating or 2.2 Burmese Grass (Pennesetum pedicellatum) emergent leaves which are green in color and ovate to oblong in shape. Plants bear a third It was introduced from Tropical Africa as leaf that is brown. a forage crop in 1955, but later found out to be It belongs to the plant family invasive as it reproduces and grows very fast. Salviniaceae. The sole genus, Salvinia, to Although it can be used to make pulp and which it belongs, consists of about 12 species. paper, its widespread occurrence created a big There are many differences between the problem for field crop farmers as the seeds species of Salvinia. could be blown far away by the wind and once S. cucullata, a triploid species, has been landed, readily germinate and occupy the found in Thailand for a long time with not farmer‟s fields such that it is difficult to get rid much impact on the environment. It is an of it. annual plant that can be found in ponds and waterways. Its mature leaves are quite different 2.3 African Giant Mimosa (Mimosa pigra) from other species. Its stems are covered with single hairs. Uppermost leaves are entire at the It was introduced from Central America apex, to 1.2 cm long, broader than long with as a covering plant for deserted infertile land margins curving upwards and inwards; upper with the hope that it can be used to improve leaf surfaces with papillae in irregularly curved soil fertility due to its nitrogen fixing ability, rows, the tips not joined. Short and dense after its relative, Mimosa invisa, has been sporocarps are formed on the submerged, root- found to enrich the soil and can be used as a like lower leaves. forage crop. It later turned out to be such a S. natans, or water moss, is used as a noxious invasive plant that its complete free floating ornamental plant for aquariums eradication is impossible. and ponds, features for its decorative nature without invasive characteristics. S. auriculata, is a complex species 3. Salvinia – An Aquatic Fern which includes several other species including S. molesta, or the giant salvinia. S. molesta can It is still a surprise to many people to be an invasive weed that runs rampant in the know that there exist aquatic ferns. Although warmer areas of the world. It is also known in there are many groups of aquatic ferns, many localities as African payal, Kariba weed, Review Article 78 AU J.T. 15(2): 77-82 (Oct. 2011) and salvinia water fern. The characters of S. four hairs at its distal end. Each hair consists of molesta are leaves longer than broad with a single row of cells that are joined together at deeply indented leaf apices; the papillae hairs their tips to form what looks like an inverted are joined at their tips to form a cage-like egg-beater. The cage-like structure of the hair structure (Waterhouse & Mitchell 1998). tip is an effective air trap giving the plant buoyancy. The upper surface of the frond having papillae and hairs is water repellent in 4. The Characteristics of comparison to the under surface, which attracts The Giant Salvinia water. It is this difference in water attraction that maintains the correct orientation of the 4.1 General Characters plant on the water surface. The fronds are light to medium green, often with brownish edges in A pentaploid species, giant salvinia is a mature plants, and with a distinctive fold in the free floating aquatic plant that does not attach center. The submerged fronds function as roots. to the soil. It has no true root system. It thrives The plant exhibits great morphological in slow-moving, nutrient-rich, warm variation depending on the conditions of freshwater. A rapidly growing competitive habitat, such as space and nutrient availability, plant, it is dispersed long distances within a and ranges from a slender floating specimen water body (via water currents) and between with leaves less than 1.5 cm wide to one with water bodies (via animals and contaminated leaves up to 6 cm wide equipment, boats or vehicles). Used as ornamental plant, it is grown in aquariums and 5. Beauty Turns into Beast ponds where it is sometimes released by flooding, or by intentional dumping. It may 5.1 Legislative Act form dense vegetation mass that reduces water flow and lowers the light and oxygen levels in In 1978, the author participated in the the water. This stagnant dark environment Southeast Asian Symposium on Aquatic negatively affects the biodiversity and Weeds in Karang Kates, East Java, Indonesia. abundance of freshwater species, including fish During the study tour to observe the and submerged aquatic plants. It can alter widespread of aquatic weeds in Karang Kates wetland ecosystems and cause the loss of Reservoir and the adjoining rice fields, he saw biodiversity. It also poses a severe threat to the luxuriant growth of the giant salvinia and socio-economic activities dependent on open, observed its mode of distribution.