Bamboo is a crop loved by many but not the residents of Virginia who have had enough of invasion of one of its species, Phyllostachys aurea (commonly known as Golden Bamboo). The species has been spreading in the state and people are tired of it appearing in their yards. On February 3, there was a bill passed the House Counties to have authorities control the weed because of its unpleasant nature (Norman, 2017). A similar bill to have the weed combated has already been passed in the Senate. Bamboo is a notorious weed with the ability to wrap its roots to the roots of native crops and taking over massive pieces of land as time goes. The rapid growth and its persistent abilities make it a laborious process to completely remove it. It is also drought resistant and can survive harsh climatic conditions. Experts say that the only way to completely remove the weed is to apply herbicides and dig up the roots, and the process takes years to completely destroy the weed (Norman, 2017).
To understand the nature of plants and their means of survival in the environment, biology concepts form the foundation. Lately, there have been several cases of invasive species, both plant and animal, in the country and I feel it is time for them to be studied, programs put in place to control them and mechanisms put forward to prevent the re-emergence of the same. Virginia is a state where farming is practiced largely. There are farms where crops are grown and people depend on that for income; it is their livelihood. Invasion of the Golden bamboo species in the state spells a hectic course for the farmers because they may lose large tracts of land to the weed. The problem may occur in two ways: the weed spreads in farmlands with crops and destroys many thus reducing the harvest substantially or it occupies land prior to farming making farmers to avoid the farms and in the process reduce the annual crop production in the state and national level. The government and state organs need to establish how they can control the weed without use of chemicals if possible. Chemicals sprayed on the weed to control it may have effects on the crops, animals and people in the state. It also causes massive pollution especially if the weeds have spread to thousands of hectares of land.
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The state and federal governments need to up their funding for research on such weeds and other invasive species in the country. The Golden bamboo may take over large pieces of land and render people jobless as well as forcing them to buy food at a higher cost than before. If it spreads because there is no control today, there may come a time when a lot has to be invested in reclaiming large pieces of land. Taxpayers’ monies should be spent in researching such issues that affect the people directly and have to be controlled fast enough. A research on this weed in Virginia may open the doors to researches in other states, at the national level and on other invasive plants, animals and even pathogens. This may lead to the establishing a solution to prevent the spread of the species rather than combating them when they have already spread in the ecosystem. Research can also establish the crops that are most likely to be destroyed by the weed and provide information for the replacement of the same with those that can considerably resist the weed.
Reference;
Norman, D. J. (2017). Support grows for bills to whack bamboo, other invasive species. WRIC. Retrieved Feb 6, 2017 from: http://wric.com/2017/02/04/support-grows-for-bills-to-whack-bamboo-other-invasive-species/
