KPS: Selective bio herbicide to control water hyacint

Rapid spread of water hyacinth in natural water resources hinders water traffic routes. Water quality is lowered, which cannot be utilized to its full capacity. In this regard, people who rely on natural water sources for living and farming are deprived of good quality water sources. This also affects how water animals live and perhaps they are unable to live any longer. Food security declines in terms of producing plants and water animals for food. Currently, chemical herbicides are sprayed to kill water hyacinth plants before collecting them from water sources. From doing this, chemical residues are found in the environment and food chain respectively. If a biological method is adopted to control water hyacinth, it will help reduce environmental effects and create water resource and food security. Myrothecium roridum is a fungal plant pathogen on water hyacinth. It has sensitivity to water hyacinth. When it is used to get rid of water hyacinth in natural water resources, there are no toxic residues left that can affect other living things. It is a choice to get rid of water hyacinth in a sustainable manner. Kasetsart University and researchers aim to use a biological method (Myrothecium roridum) to control water hyacinth, which will help reduce environmental effects caused by toxic residues while creating sustainable water resource and food security.

Innovation relevant to the implementation of the project on how to culture Myrothecium roridum using crude extracts from cellulose, laccase, and ligninase enzymes and spore solution of Myrothecium roridum to control water hyacinth.

Communities have good quality of water resources for household consumption and agriculture, leading to food security (plant and animal production), people have good health and well-being due to a decline of environmental pollutants.

Development guidelines for future sustainability Water hyacinth grows from seed and through vegetative reproduction. The use of Myrothecium roridum to control water hyacinth is a way to get rid of its runners. Water hyacinth seeds were left in water resources. The seeds can survive and grow to be plants within 7 years. The use of fungal plant pathogen Myrothecium roridum consecutively 7-10 years, water hyacinth shall go extinct and its spread will not occur in natural water resources definitely.