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Kudzu

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Kudzu is sometimes called gé gēn<a href="#cite_note-zooscape-0">[1]</a> (<a title="Chinese language" href="/wiki/Chinese_language">Chinese</a>: 葛根), and (due to its out-of-control growth in the <a title="Southeastern United States" href="/wiki/Southeastern_United_States">Southeastern United States</a>) has earned such pejorative <a title="Nickname" href="/wiki/Nickname">nicknames</a> as the "foot-a-night vine", "mile-a-minute vine"<a href="#cite_note-zooscape-0">[1]</a>, and "the vine that ate the <a title="Southern United States" href="/wiki/Southern_United_States">South</a>" (of the United States).<a href="#cite_note-scidai-1">[2]</a>

In <a title="Vietnam" href="/wiki/Vietnam">Vietnam</a>, it is called sắn dây.<a href="#cite_note-2">[3]</a>

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~~<h2>Contents</h2>~~

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~~<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#Taxonomy_and_nomenclature">1 Taxonomy and nomenclature</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="#Propagation">2 Propagation</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="#Uses">3 Uses</a>~~

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<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="#Soil_improvement_and_preservation">3.1 Soil improvement and preservation</a></li>

~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="#Animal_feed">3.2 Animal feed</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6"><a href="#Medicine">3.3 Medicine</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7"><a href="#Starch">3.4 Starch</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8"><a href="#Other_uses">3.5 Other uses</a></li>~~

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~~<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9"><a href="#Ecological_invasion">4 Ecological invasion</a>~~

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~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10"><a href="#United_States">4.1 United States</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11"><a href="#Canada">4.2 Canada</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-12"><a href="#Other_countries">4.3 Other countries</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-13"><a href="#Negative_effects">4.4 Negative effects</a></li>~~

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~~<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-14"><a href="#Control">5 Control</a>~~

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~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-15"><a href="#Crown_removal">5.1 Crown removal</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-16"><a href="#Mowing">5.2 Mowing</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-17"><a href="#Grazing">5.3 Grazing</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-18"><a href="#Fire">5.4 Fire</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-19"><a href="#Herbicide">5.5 Herbicide</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-20"><a href="#Fungi">5.6 Fungi</a></li>~~

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~~<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-21"><a href="#See_also">6 See also</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-22"><a href="#References">7 References</a></li>~~

~~<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-23"><a href="#External_links">8 External links</a></li>~~

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<h2~~>[<a title="Edit section: Taxonomy and nomenclature" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=1">edit</a>]</span~~> Taxonomy and nomenclature</h2>

Five species in the genus <a title="Pueraria" href="/wiki/Pueraria">Pueraria</a> are closely related and the name kudzu describes one or more of them. They are P. montana, P. lobata, P. edulis, P. phaseoloides and P. thomsoni[<a title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed">citation needed</a>]. The morphological differences between the five species are subtle, they can breed with each other, and it appears that introduced kudzu populations in the United States have ancestry from more than one of the species.<a href="#cite_note-3">[4]</a><a href="#cite_note-4">[5]</a> The name Pueraria thunbergiana is a synonym for Pueraria montana var. lobata.<a href="#cite_note-5">[6]</a><a href="#cite_note-6">[7]</a>[<a title="Wikipedia:Please clarify" href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify">clarification needed</a>]

<h2~~>[<a title="Edit section: Propagation" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=2">edit</a>]</span~~> Propagation</h2>

Kudzu <a title="Plant propagation" href="/wiki/Plant_propagation">spreads</a> by vegetative expansion, via <a title="Stolon" href="/wiki/Stolon">stolons</a> (runners) that <a title="Root" href="/wiki/Root">root</a> at the <a class="mw-redirect" title="Node (botany)" href="/wiki/Node_(botany)">nodes</a> to form new plants and by <a title="Rhizome" href="/wiki/Rhizome">rhizomes</a>. Kudzu will also spread by <a title="Seed" href="/wiki/Seed">seeds</a>, which are contained in pods and mature in the autumn, although this is rare.[<a title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed">citation needed</a>] One or two viable seeds are produced per cluster of pods. The hard -coated seeds may not <a class="mw-redirect" title="Germinate" href="/wiki/Germinate">germinate</a> for several years, which can result in the re-appearance of the species years after it was thought eradicated at a site.[<a title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed">citation needed</a>]

<h2~~>[<a title="Edit section: Uses" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=3">edit</a>]</span~~> Uses</h2><h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Soil improvement and preservation" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=4">edit</a>]</span~~> Soil improvement and preservation</h3>

Kudzu has been used as a form of <a title="Erosion control" href="/wiki/Erosion_control">erosion control</a> and also to enhance the <a title="Soil" href="/wiki/Soil">soil</a>. As a <a title="Legume" href="/wiki/Legume">legume</a>, it increases the <a title="Nitrogen" href="/wiki/Nitrogen">nitrogen</a> in the soil via a <a class="mw-redirect" title="Symbiotic relationship" href="/wiki/Symbiotic_relationship">symbiotic relationship</a> with nitrogen-fixing <a title="Bacteria" href="/wiki/Bacteria">bacteria</a> in the soil.<a href="#cite_note-appalachia-7">[8]</a> Its deep <a title="Taproot" href="/wiki/Taproot">taproots</a> also transfer valuable <a class="mw-redirect" title="Minerals" href="/wiki/Minerals">minerals</a> from the <a title="Subsoil" href="/wiki/Subsoil">subsoil</a> to the <a title="Topsoil" href="/wiki/Topsoil">topsoil</a>, thereby improving the topsoil. In the deforested section of the Central <a title="Amazon Basin" href="/wiki/Amazon_Basin">Amazon Basin</a> in <a title="Brazil" href="/wiki/Brazil">Brazil</a>, it has been used to improve the soil pore-space in <a title="Clay" href="/wiki/Clay">clay</a> latosols and thus freeing even more <a title="Water" href="/wiki/Water">water</a> for plants than in the soil prior to <a title="Deforestation" href="/wiki/Deforestation">deforestation</a>.<a href="#cite_note-brazil-8">[9]</a>

<h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Animal feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=5">edit</a>]</span~~> Animal feed</h3>

Kudzu can be used by grazing animals as it is high in quality as a <a title="Fodder" href="/wiki/Fodder">forage</a> and greatly enjoyed by <a title="Livestock" href="/wiki/Livestock">livestock</a>. It can be enjoyed up until <a title="Frost" href="/wiki/Frost">frost</a> and even slightly after. Kudzu <a title="Hay" href="/wiki/Hay">hay</a> typically has a 15–18% crude protein content and over 60% total digestible nutrient value. The quality of it decreases, however, as <a title="Vine" href="/wiki/Vine">vine</a> content increases relative to the <a title="Leaf" href="/wiki/Leaf">leaf</a> content. Kudzu also has low forage yields despite its great deal of <a title="Cell growth" href="/wiki/Cell_growth">growth</a>, yielding around two to four tons of dry matter per <a title="Acre" href="/wiki/Acre">acre</a> annually. It is also difficult to bale due to its vining growth and its slowness in shedding <a title="Water" href="/wiki/Water">water</a>. This makes it necessary to place kudzu hay under sheltered protection after being baled. Kudzu is readily consumed by all types of grazing animals, yet frequent grazing over 3 to 4 years can ruin stands. Thus kudzu only serves well as a grazing crop on a temporary basis.<a href="#cite_note-alabama-9">[10]</a>

<h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Medicine" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=6">edit</a>]</span~~> Medicine</h3>

Kudzu leaves</div>

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In <a title="Traditional Chinese medicine" href="/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_medicine">traditional Chinese medicine</a>(TCM), where it is known as gé gēn (<a title="Chinese language" href="/wiki/Chinese_language">Chinese</a>: 葛根), kudzu is considered one of the <a title="Chinese herbology" href="/wiki/Chinese_herbology#50_fundamental_herbs">50 fundamental herbs</a>. It is used to treat <a title="Tinnitus" href="/wiki/Tinnitus">tinnitus</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" title="Vertigo (medical)" href="/wiki/Vertigo_(medical)">vertigo</a>, and Wei syndrome (superficial heat close to the surface).[<a title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed">citation needed</a>]

Kudzu has been traditionally been used as a remedy for alcoholism and hangover in China.<a href="#cite_note-14">[15]</a> The root was used to prevent excessive consumption, while the flower was supposed to detoxify the liver and alleviate the symptoms afterwards.<a href="#cite_note-15">[16]</a> Some TCM hangover remedies are marketed with kudzu as one of their active ingredients (e.g. Hangover Busters.)

<h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Starch" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=7">edit</a>]</span~~> Starch</h3>

Kudzu starch cake</div>

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The roots contain <a title="Starch" href="/wiki/Starch">starch</a>, which has traditionally been used as a food ingredient in East Asia.

In <a title="Vietnam" href="/wiki/Vietnam">Vietnam</a>, the starch called bột sắn dây is flavoured with <a title="Pomelo" href="/wiki/Pomelo">pomelo</a> oil and then used as a drink in the summer.

<h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Other uses" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=8">edit</a>]</span~~> Other uses</h3>

In the <a title="Southern United States" href="/wiki/Southern_United_States">Southern United States</a>, kudzu is used to make <a title="Soap" href="/wiki/Soap">soaps</a>, <a title="Lotion" href="/wiki/Lotion">lotions</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" title="Jelly (fruit preserves)" href="/wiki/Jelly_(fruit_preserves)">jelly</a>, and <a title="Compost" href="/wiki/Compost">compost</a>.<a href="#cite_note-basket-16">[17]</a> It has even been suggested that kudzu may become a valuable asset for the production of <a title="Cellulosic ethanol" href="/wiki/Cellulosic_ethanol">cellulosic ethanol</a>.<a href="#cite_note-17">[18]</a>

The fiber is used traditionally<a href="#cite_note-18">[19]</a> and has also been investigated for potential uses such as clothing, wallpaper, and paper.<a href="#cite_note-19">[20]</a><a href="#cite_note-20">[21]</a>

<h2~~>[<a title="Edit section: Ecological invasion" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=9">edit</a>]</span~~> Ecological invasion</h2>

<h3>[<a title="Edit section: United States" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=10">edit</a>] United States</h3>

Kudzu growing on trees</div>

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Kudzu was introduced from <a title="Japan" href="/wiki/Japan">Japan</a> into the <a title="United States" href="/wiki/United_States">United States</a> in 1876 at the <a class="mw-redirect" title="Philadelphia Centennial Exposition" href="/wiki/Philadelphia_Centennial_Exposition">Philadelphia Centennial Exposition</a>, where it was promoted as a forage <a title="Agriculture" href="/wiki/Agriculture">crop</a> and an ornamental plant. From <a title="History of the Southern United States" href="/wiki/History_of_the_Southern_United_States">1935 to the early 1950s</a>, the <a title="Natural Resources Conservation Service" href="/wiki/Natural_Resources_Conservation_Service">Soil Conservation Service</a> encouraged farmers in the <a title="Southeastern United States" href="/wiki/Southeastern_United_States">southeastern United States</a> to plant kudzu to reduce soil <a title="Erosion" href="/wiki/Erosion">erosion</a> as explained <a href="#Soil_improvement_and_preservation">above</a>. The <a title="Civilian Conservation Corps" href="/wiki/Civilian_Conservation_Corps">Civilian Conservation Corps</a> planted it widely for many years.

Kudzu growing on shrubs</div>

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It was subsequently discovered that the southeastern US has near-perfect conditions for kudzu to grow out of control — hot, humid summers, frequent rainfall, temperate winters with few hard freezes (kudzu cannot tolerate low <a title="Freezing" href="/wiki/Freezing">freezing</a> <a title="Temperature" href="/wiki/Temperature">temperatures</a> that bring the <a title="Frost line" href="/wiki/Frost_line">frost line</a> down through its entire root system, a rare occurrence in this region), and no natural predators. As such, the once-promoted plant was named a <a title="Weed" href="/wiki/Weed">pest weed</a> by the <a title="United States Department of Agriculture" href="/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture">United States Department of Agriculture</a> in 1953.

Infestation of Kudzu in the <a title="United States" href="/wiki/United_States">United States</a>.</div>

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Kudzu is now common throughout most of the southeastern United States, and has been found as far northeast as <a title="Paterson, New Jersey" href="/wiki/Paterson,_New_Jersey">Paterson, New Jersey</a>, in <a title="List of counties in Illinois" href="/wiki/List_of_counties_in_Illinois">30 Illinois counties</a> including as far north as <a title="Evanston, Illinois" href="/wiki/Evanston,_Illinois">Evanston</a>,<a href="#cite_note-Illinois-21">[22]</a> and as far south as <a title="Key West, Florida" href="/wiki/Key_West,_Florida">Key West, Florida</a>.[<a title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed">citation needed</a>] It has also been found growing in <a title="Clackamas County, Oregon" href="/wiki/Clackamas_County,_Oregon">Clackamas County, Oregon</a> in 2000 with no known source. This is the first infestation west of <a title="Texas" href="/wiki/Texas">Texas</a>.<a href="#cite_note-oregon-22">[23]</a> Kudzu has naturalized into about 20,000 to 30,000 square kilometers (7,700–12,000 sq mi) of land in the United States and costs around $500 million annually in lost cropland and control costs.<a href="#cite_note-23">[24]</a>

<h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Canada" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=11">edit</a>]</span~~> Canada</h3>

Kudzu was discovered July 2009 in a small patch, 110 metres wide and 30 metres deep, on a south-facing slope on the shore of Lake Erie near <a title="Leamington, Ontario" href="/wiki/Leamington,_Ontario">Leamington</a>, <a title="Ontario" href="/wiki/Ontario">Ontario</a>, about 50 kilometres southeast of <a title="Windsor, Ontario" href="/wiki/Windsor,_Ontario">Windsor</a>.<a href="#cite_note-24">[25]</a>

Ecologist Gerald Waldron made the Leamington find while walking along the beach. He spotted the kudzu instantly, having read about its destructive expansion in the southeastern United States.[<a title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed">citation needed</a>]

<h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Other countries" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=12">edit</a>]</span~~> Other countries</h3>

During <a title="World War II" href="/wiki/World_War_II">World War II</a>, kudzu was introduced to <a title="Vanuatu" href="/wiki/Vanuatu">Vanuatu</a> and <a title="Fiji" href="/wiki/Fiji">Fiji</a> by <a class="mw-redirect" title="Military of the United States" href="/wiki/Military_of_the_United_States">United States armed forces</a> to serve as <a title="Military camouflage" href="/wiki/Military_camouflage">camouflage</a> for equipment.[<a title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed">citation needed</a>] It is now a major weed.

Kudzu is also becoming a problem in <a title="Queensland" href="/wiki/Queensland">northeastern Australia</a>, and has been seen in isolated spots in <a title="Northern Italy" href="/wiki/Northern_Italy">Northern Italy</a> (<a class="mw-redirect" title="Lago Maggiore" href="/wiki/Lago_Maggiore">Lago Maggiore</a>).

<h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Negative effects" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=13">edit</a>]</span~~> Negative effects</h3>Scientists at the <a title="University of Virginia" href="/wiki/University_of_Virginia">University of Virginia</a> and <a title="Columbia University" href="/wiki/Columbia_University">Columbia University</a> have discovered that the kudzu vine activates <a title="Isoprene" href="/wiki/Isoprene">isoprene</a>, <a title="Nitric oxide" href="/wiki/Nitric_oxide">nitric oxide</a>, and <a title="Nitrogen" href="/wiki/Nitrogen">nitrogen</a> in a chemical reaction which produces <a class="mw-redirect" title="Ground-level ozone" href="/wiki/Ground-level_ozone">ground-level ozone</a>. <a class="external autonumber" rel="nofollow" href="http://sync.sympatico.ca/News/ContentPosting_CBC?newsitemid=kudzu-ozone-study&feedname=CBC-TECH-SCIENCE-V3&show=False&number=0&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=True~~" rel="nofollow~~">[1]</a><h2~~>[<a title="Edit section: Control" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=14">edit</a>]</span~~> Control</h2>

According to <a class="mw-redirect" title="ScienceDaily" href="/wiki/ScienceDaily">ScienceDaily</a>, kudzu has been spreading in the southern U.S. at the rate of 150,000 acres (61,000 ha) annually, "easily outpacing the use of herbicide spraying and mowing, as well increasing the costs of these controls by $6 million annually."<a href="#cite_note-scidai-1">[2]</a> Its introduction has produced devastating environmental consequences.<a href="#cite_note-blaustein-25">[26]</a>

<h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Crown removal" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=15">edit</a>]</span~~> Crown removal</h3>

For successful long-term control of kudzu, it is not necessary to destroy the entire root system, which can be quite large and deep. It is only necessary to use some method to kill or remove the kudzu root crown<a href="#cite_note-kokudzu-26">[27]</a> and all rooting runners. The root crown is a fibrous knob of tissue that sits on top of the root (rhizome). Crowns form from vine nodes that root to the ground, and range from pea-size to basketball-size.<a href="#cite_note-kokudzu-26">[27]</a> The older the crown, the deeper they tend to be found in the ground, because they are covered by sediment and plant debris over time. Nodes and crowns are the source of all kudzu vines, and roots cannot produce vines. If any portion of a root crown remains after attempted removal, the kudzu plant may grow back.

Small kudzu crown severed from root using flexible pruning saw.</div>

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Mechanical methods of control involve cutting off crowns from roots, usually just below ground level. This immediately kills the plant. Cutting off vines is not sufficient for an immediate kill. It is necessary to destroy all removed crown material. Buried crowns can regenerate into healthy kudzu. Transporting crowns in soil removed from a kudzu infestation is one common way that kudzu "miraculously" spreads and shows up in unexpected locations.

<h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Mowing" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=16">edit</a>]</span~~> Mowing</h3>

Close mowing every week, regular heavy <a title="Grazing" href="/wiki/Grazing">grazing</a> for many successive years, or repeated <a title="Cultivation" href="/wiki/Cultivation">cultivation</a> may be effective, as this serves to deplete root reserves.<a href="#cite_note-kokudzu-26">[27]</a> If done in the spring, cutting off vines must be repeated as regrowth appears to exhaust the plant's stored <a title="Carbohydrate" href="/wiki/Carbohydrate">carbohydrate</a> reserves. Cut kudzu can be fed to livestock, burned, or composted, strides have been made in using it for vehicle fuel as <a title="Ethanol" href="/wiki/Ethanol">ethanol</a>.[<a title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed">citation needed</a>]

<h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Grazing" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=17">edit</a>]</span~~> Grazing</h3>The city of <a title="Chattanooga, Tennessee" href="/wiki/Chattanooga,_Tennessee">Chattanooga, Tennessee</a> has undertaken a trial program using <a title="Goat" href="/wiki/Goat">goats</a> and <a title="Llama" href="/wiki/Llama">llamas</a> that graze on the plant. The llamas serve double-duty as defense against predators due to their aggressive nature. As of 2007<a class="external text" rel="nofollow" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit~~" rel="nofollow~~">[update]</a> the goats are grazing along the <a title="Missionary Ridge" href="/wiki/Missionary_Ridge">Missionary Ridge</a> area in the east of the city.<a href="#cite_note-chattanoogan-27">[28]</a><h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Fire" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=18">edit</a>]</span~~> Fire</h3>

<a class="mw-redirect" title="Prescribed burning" href="/wiki/Prescribed_burning">Prescribed burning</a> is also used on old extensive infestations to remove vegetative cover and promote seed germination for removal or treatment. It is usually done to prepare for treatment of the root crowns.<a href="#cite_note-washington-28">[29]</a> Landscape equipment, such as a <a title="Skid loader" href="/wiki/Skid_loader">skid loader</a> ("Bobcat"), can also remove biomass. While fire is not an effective way to kill kudzu,<a href="#cite_note-kokudzu-26">[27]</a> equipment, such as skid loaders, can remove crowns and thereby kill kudzu with minimal disturbance of soil.<a href="#cite_note-kokudzu-26">[27]</a>

Kudzu infestation along the <a title="Kanawha River" href="/wiki/Kanawha_River">Kanawha River</a> in <a title="West Virginia" href="/wiki/West_Virginia">West Virginia</a>.</div>

</div>

<h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Herbicide" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=19">edit</a>]</span~~> Herbicide</h3>

To properly manage kudzu, stem cutting should be immediately followed with the application of a systemic <a title="Herbicide" href="/wiki/Herbicide">herbicide</a>; for example, <a title="Glyphosate" href="/wiki/Glyphosate">glyphosate</a>,<a href="#cite_note-SE-29">[30]</a> <a title="Triclopyr" href="/wiki/Triclopyr">Triclopyr</a>,<a href="#cite_note-SE-29">[30]</a> or <a class="mw-redirect" title="Tordon" href="/wiki/Tordon">Tordon</a>,<a href="#cite_note-MDC-30">[31]</a> directly on the cut stem.<a href="#cite_note-NPS-31">[32]</a> This process is an effective means of transporting the herbicide into the kudzu's extensive root system. The usage of herbicides can be combined with other methods of eradication and control, such as mowing, grazing, or burning, which can allow for an easier application of the chemical to the weakened plants.<a href="#cite_note-32">[33]</a> When it comes to large-scale forestry infestations, soil-active herbicides have been shown to be highly effective.<a href="#cite_note-NPS-31">[32]</a>

After initial herbicidal treatment, follow-up treatments and monitoring are usually necessary, depending on how long the kudzu has been growing in the area. It may require up to ten years of supervision, after the initial chemical placement, to make sure the plant does not return in the future.<a href="#cite_note-33">[34]</a>

Herbicides which have been proven to be effective to control kudzu are claimed to be "rather safe to humans, but generally lethal on most plants."<a href="#cite_note-ACES-34">[35]</a>

<h3~~>[<a title="Edit section: Fungi" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=20">edit</a>]</span~~> Fungi</h3>

Since 1998, the <a title="United States Department of Agriculture" href="/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture">United States Department of Agriculture</a>, <a title="Agricultural Research Service" href="/wiki/Agricultural_Research_Service">Agricultural Research Service</a> (ARS) has experimented with using the <a title="Fungus" href="/wiki/Fungus">fungus</a> <a title="Myrothecium verrucaria" href="/wiki/Myrothecium_verrucaria">Myrothecium verrucaria</a> as a biologically-based herbicide against kudzu.<a href="#cite_note-scidai-1">[2]</a> A <a title="Diacetylverrucarol" href="/wiki/Diacetylverrucarol">diacetylverrucarol</a> spray based on M. verrucaria works under a variety of conditions (including the absence of <a title="Dew" href="/wiki/Dew">dew</a>), causes minimal injury to many of the other woody plants in kudzu-infested habitats, and takes effect fast enough that kudzu treated with it in the morning starts showing evidence of damage by mid-afternoon.<a href="#cite_note-scidai-1">[2]</a> Initial formulations of the herbicide produced toxic levels of <a title="Trichothecene" href="/wiki/Trichothecene">trichothecene</a> as a by-product, though the ARS discovered that growing M. verrucaria in a <a class="mw-redirect" title="Fermenter" href="/wiki/Fermenter">fermenter</a> on a liquid instead of a solid diet limited or eliminated the problem.<a href="#cite_note-scidai-1">[2]</a>

<h2~~>[<a title="Edit section: See also" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=21">edit</a>]</span~~> See also</h2>

<ul>

<li><a title="Chinese herbology" href="/wiki/Chinese_herbology#50_fundamental_herbs">Chinese herbology</a></li> <li><a title="Daidzein" href="/wiki/Daidzein">Daidzein</a></li> <li><a title="Daidzin" href="/wiki/Daidzin">Daidzin</a></li> <li><a title="Puerarin" href="/wiki/Puerarin">Puerarin</a></li>

</ul>

<h2~~>[<a title="Edit section: References" href="/w/index.php?title=Kudzu&action=edit&section=22">edit</a>]</span~~> References</h2>

<ul>

<li>Part of this article[<a title="Wikipedia:Citing sources" href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources">specify</a>] was based on content from <a title="Public domain" href="/wiki/Public_domain">public domain</a> web pages from the <a class="mw-redirect" title="United States National Park Service" href="/wiki/United_States_National_Park_Service">United States National Park Service</a> and the <a class="mw-redirect" title="United States Bureau of Land Management" href="/wiki/United_States_Bureau_of_Land_Management">United States Bureau of Land Management</a></li>

</ul>

</div>

~~<li id="cite_note-zooscape-0">^ <a href="#cite_ref-zooscape_0-0"><strong~~ <li id="cite_note-zooscape-0">^ <a href="#cite_ref-zooscape_0-0"><strong

</ol>

</div>

<h2>External links</h2>

<ul>

<li><a class="external text" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/plants/kudzu.shtml~~" rel="nofollow~~">Species Profile - Kudzu</a>, National Invasive Species Information Center, <a title="United States National Agricultural Library" href="/wiki/United_States_National_Agricultural_Library">National Agricultural Library</a></li> <li><a class="external text" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pumo1.htm~~" rel="nofollow~~">Kudzu</a> from the U.S. <a title="National Park Service" href="/wiki/National_Park_Service">National Park Service</a> website</li> <li><a class="external text" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-724~~" rel="nofollow~~">Kudzu in Georgia</a> from the <a title="New Georgia Encyclopedia" href="/wiki/New_Georgia_Encyclopedia">New Georgia Encyclopedia</a></li> <li><a class="external text" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.register-herald.com/news/local_story_238235547.html~~" rel="nofollow~~">Pesky vine is invading southern West Virginia</a>, an August 2006 article from <a title="The Register-Herald" href="/wiki/The_Register-Herald">The Register-Herald</a> of <a title="West Virginia" href="/wiki/West_Virginia">West Virginia</a></li>

</ul>

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