Release of biological control agent rust at locations in the River Camel

Natural England has been controlling Himalayan Balsam in the River Camel catchment for a number of years, in collaboration with the Westcountry Rivers Trust. This has involved pulling up the balsam or strimming the larger patches, primarily in the upper and middle reaches of the river. While the control work has been successful in reducing the amount of Himalayan Balsam in the upper catchment, it is very time consuming and costly, making this method of control unsustainable in the long-term. Consequently we have been looking into other options, and this year, in addition to our normal programme of pulling/strimming, we would like to release the biocontrol agent, Puccinia komarovii, into the catchment, in the hope that it will help control the spread of this invasive plant.

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