Nelly Bassily | December 10, 2007
The particular weed described in this news article has caused problems for ranchers in all parts of the world, including several African countries. Information on Mimosa pigra’s appearance and how to control an infestation may be very valuable to your listeners if they encounter this weed on their land!
Additional information about Mimosa pigra can be found on these sites:
-a weed management guide for Mimosa pigra produced by the Australian government (includes pictures): http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/documents/wmg_mimosa.pdf-Mimosa pigra’s listing on the Global Invasive Species Database:
http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?fr=1&si=41
Since weed management is always an issue for farmers, you may wish to engage those in your area with questions such as:
-which weeds do they cope with and what methods do they use to manage them?
-what methods do communities use to manage large weed infestations (or other threats to agriculture) that go beyond individual farms?