Tuesday, December 1, 2009

If It Weren't One Thing, It'd Be Another

According to Wikipedia, kudzu was introduced to the United States from Japan in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition.

It was promoted as a forage crop and ornamental and from 1935 to the early 50s, the USDA encouraged farmers in the Southeast to use the plant to control erosion.

The CCC were also enlisted to help the plant spread, but it has since been learned that it's nearly impossible to eradicate in the temperate southern climate. Now, it's considered an invasive plant. It is highly frowned upon and because it spreads at such a fierce rate, it is estimated to cover an area the size of Maryland.

In late October, inquiries and samples of an unknown bug started flowing into the office of Dr. Daniel Suitor at the University of Georgia and though he couldn't initially identify it, a visiting collegue found they were Asian Stink Bugs.

Asian Stink Bugs eat kudzu, but it is also suspected that they would consume its cousin, soybeans. Soybeans are this country's second largest crop and though no problems have been reported thus far, the exotic insects have multiplied at such a prolific rate and have spread over a few counties, so they are likely here to stay.
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