Examine individual changes

'{{short description|Species of plant}} {{other uses}} {{redirect| 葛|the surname|Ge (surname)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} [[File:Kudzu on trees in Atlanta, Georgia.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Kudzu smothering trees in [[Atlanta|Atlanta, Georgia, USA]].]] [[File:Flowering kudzu.jpg|thumb|right|Flowers of ''[[Pueraria montana]]'']] '''Kudzu''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ʊ|d|z|uː}}; also called '''Japanese arrowroot''' or '''Chinese arrowroot''')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=pumo|title=USDA PLANTS profile}}</ref><ref name=GRIN>{{GRIN | ''Pueraria montana'' var. ''lobata'' | 314966 | access-date = 11 December 2017}}</ref> is a group of climbing, coiling, and trailing perennial vines native to much of [[East Asia]], [[Southeast Asia]], and some Pacific islands,<ref name=GRIN/> but [[invasive species|invasive]] in many parts of the world, primarily [[North America]]. Kudzu is a plant which is named after Kudzy, Kudzy was a human born quite long ago that has disappointed many people. The D in Kudzy stands from deceiver or disappointments. Many has been deceives by Kudzy before and till today she is still deceiving people The vine densely climbs over other plants and trees and grows so rapidly that it smothers and kills them by heavily blocking sunlight.<ref name="alabama"/> The plants are in the genus ''[[Pueraria]]'', in the pea family [[Fabaceae]], subfamily [[Faboideae]]. The name is derived from the [[Japanese language|Japanese]] name for the plant [[East Asian arrowroot]] (''Pueraria montana'' var. ''lobata''), {{lang|ja|クズ}} or {{Nihongo2|葛}} (''kuzu'').<ref>{{cite Merriam-Webster|kudzu|access-date=2017-10-05}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|Despite the English name, the Japanese word {{Nihongo2|葛}} was always spelled {{lang|ja|くず}} in [[kana]] (''kuzu'' in [[Romanization of Japanese|romanization]]) and pronounced {{IPA-ja|kɯzɯ|}}; it is the word {{Nihongo2|屑}} ("scrap") that used to be spelled {{lang|ja|くづ}} (''kudzu'') and pronounced {{IPA-ja|kɯdzɯ|}}. Both words are now spelled {{lang|ja|くず}} (''kuzu''), and most speakers of Japanese no longer make the [[Phonemic contrast|distinction]] between {{IPA|[zɯ]}} and {{IPA|[dzɯ]}} (a [[phonemic merger]]), so the two words are [[homonym]]s for them.<ref>{{cite book|last=Vance|first=Timothy J.|year=2008|title=The Sounds of Japanese|publisher=Cambridge University Press|pages=85–6|isbn=978-0-5216-1754-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Labrune|first=Laurence|year=2012|title=The Phonology of Japanese|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=64–5|isbn=978-0-19-954583-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%8F%E3%81%9A|title=くず|work=[[Daijirin]]|publisher=[[Weblio]]|access-date=2017-10-05}}</ref>}} Where these plants are [[Naturalisation (biology)|naturalized]], they can be [[invasive species|invasive]] and are considered [[noxious weed]]s. The plant is edible, but often sprayed with herbicides.<ref name="alabama"/> ==Taxonomy and nomenclature== [[File:Kudzu seedpods 6580.JPG|right|thumb|Kudzu seedpods]] The name kudzu describes one or more species in the genus ''[[Pueraria]]'' that are closely related, and some of them are considered to be [[Variety (botany)|varieties]] rather than full species. The morphological differences between them are subtle; they can breed with each other, and introduced kudzu populations in the [[United States]] apparently have ancestry from more than one of the species.<ref name="jewett2003">{{Cite journal| title = Characterizing Specimens of Kudzu and Related Taxa with RAPD's | jstor = 4034173 |author1=D. K. Jewett |author2=C. J. Jiang |author3=K. O. Britton |author4=J. H. Sun |author5=J. Tang | journal = Castanea | volume = 68 | issue = 3 |date=1 September 2003| pages = 254–260 | issn = 0008-7475 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal| doi = 10.1111/j.1365-3180.2005.00462.x | title = Genetic diversity of Pueraria lobata (kudzu) and closely related taxa as revealed by inter-simple sequence repeat analysis | first6 = X-J | last6 = Ge | first5 = W H | last5 = Ye | first4 = K O | last4 = Britton | first3 = D K | last3 = Jewett | first2 = Z-C | year = 2005 | last2 = Li | last1 = Sun | first1 = J H | journal = Weed Research | volume = 45 | page = 255 | issue = 4 }}</ref> They are: *''[[Pueraria montana|P. montana]]'' *''[[Pueraria edulis|P. edulis]]'' *''[[Pueraria phaseoloides|P. phaseoloides]]'' *''[[Pueraria tuberosa|P. tuberosa]]'' ==Propagation== {{More citations needed|section|date=May 2020}} Kudzu [[Plant propagation|spreads]] by [[vegetative reproduction]] via [[stolon]]s (runners) that [[root]] at the [[node (botany)|nodes]] to form new plants and by [[rhizome]]s. Kudzu also spreads by [[seed]]s, which are contained in pods and mature in the autumn, although this is rare.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} One or two viable seeds are produced per cluster of pods. The hard-coated seeds can remain viable for several years, and can successfully germinate only when soil is persistently soggy for 5–7 days, with temperatures above 20&nbsp;°C (68&nbsp;°F). Once germinated, saplings must be kept in a well-drained medium that retains high moisture. During this stage of growth, kudzu must receive as much [[sunlight]] as possible. Kudzu saplings are sensitive to mechanical disturbance and are damaged by chemical fertilizers. They do not tolerate long periods of shade or high water tables. ==Uses== ===Soil improvement and preservation=== Kudzu has been used as a form of [[erosion control]] and to enhance the soil. As a legume, it increases the [[nitrogen]] in the soil by a symbiotic relationship with [[Nitrogen fixation|nitrogen-fixing]] [[bacteria]].<ref name="appalachia">{{cite web|url=http://www.a-spi.org/tp/tp55.htm|title=Kudzu in Appalachia|access-date=20 August 2007|publisher=Appalachia -- Science in the Public Interest|year=2000|author=Amanda Allen|work=ASPI Technical Series TP 55|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928071603/http://www.a-spi.org/tp/tp55.htm|archive-date=28 September 2007}}</ref> Its deep taproots also transfer valuable minerals from the subsoil to the topsoil, thereby improving the topsoil. In the deforested section of the central [[Amazon Basin]] in [[Brazil]], it has been used for improving the soil pore-space in clay [[latosol]]s, thus freeing even more water for plants than in the soil prior to deforestation.<ref name="brazil">{{cite journal|title=Changes in soil pore-space distribution following deforestation and revegetation: An example from the Central Amazon Basin, Brazil |year=1991|author1=Chauvel, A |author2=Grimaldi, M |author3=Tessier, D |journal=Forest Ecology and Management |doi=10.1016/0378-1127(91)90147-N |volume=38 |issue=3–4 |pages=259–271|url=http://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/divers16-03/38584.pdf }}</ref> ===Animal feed=== Kudzu can be used by grazing animals, as it is high in quality as a [[Fodder|forage]] and palatable to [[livestock]]. It can be grazed until [[frost]] and even slightly after. Kudzu had been used in the southern United States specifically to feed goats on land that had limited resources. Kudzu [[hay]] typically has a 22-23% crude protein content and over 60% total digestible nutrient value. The quality of the leaves decreases as [[vine]] content increases relative to the [[leaf]] content. Kudzu also has low forage yields despite its rate of [[cell growth|growth]], yielding around two to four tons of dry matter per acre annually. It is also difficult to bale due to its vining growth and its slowness in shedding water. This makes it necessary to place kudzu hay under sheltered protection after being baled. Fresh kudzu is readily consumed by all types of grazing animals, but frequent grazing over three to four years can ruin even established stands. Thus, kudzu only serves well as a grazing crop on a temporary basis.<ref name="alabama">{{cite web|url=http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0065/|title=Kudzu in Alabama: History, Uses, and Control|access-date=20 August 2007|publisher=Alabama Cooperative Extension System|year=1999|author1=John Everest |author2=James Miller |author3=Donald Ball |author4=Mike Patterson|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616073734/http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0065/|archive-date=16 June 2012 }}</ref> ===Basketry=== Kudzu fiber has long been used for fiber art and basketry. The long runners which propagate the kudzu fields and the larger vines which cover trees make excellent weaving material. Some basketmakers use the material green. Others use it after splitting it in half, allowing it to dry and then rehydrating it using hot water. Both traditional and contemporary basketry artists use kudzu.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jSQzR6_h9yEC&q=kudzu+basket|title=The book of kudzu: a culinary & healing guide|author1=William Shurtleff |author2=Akiko Aoyagi |publisher=Soyinfo Center|year=1977|isbn=9780394420684}}</ref> ===Phytochemicals and uses=== [[File:KudzuLeaves.JPG|thumb|Kudzu leaves near [[Canton, Georgia]]]] Kudzu contains [[isoflavones]], including [[puerarin]] (about 60% of the total isoflavones), [[daidzein]], [[daidzin]] (structurally related to [[genistein]]), [[mirificin]], and [[salvianolic acid]], among numerous others identified.<ref name="mol">{{cite journal|pmid=28353641|pmc=6154678|year=2017|last1=Wang|first1=F. R.|title=Rapid Determination of 30 Polyphenols in Tongmai Formula, a Combination of Puerariae Lobatae Radix, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and Chuanxiong Rhizoma, via Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry|journal=Molecules|volume=22|issue=4|pages=545|last2=Zhang|first2=Y|last3=Yang|first3=X. B.|last4=Liu|first4=C. X.|last5=Yang|first5=X. W.|last6=Xu|first6=W|last7=Liu|first7=J. X.|doi=10.3390/molecules22040545}}</ref> In [[traditional Chinese medicine]], where it is known as ''gé gēn'' (gegen), kudzu is considered one of the [[50 Fundamental Herbs|50 fundamental herbs]] thought to have therapeutic effects, although there is no high-quality [[clinical research]] to indicate it has any activity or therapeutic use in humans.<ref name="drugs">{{cite web|url=https://www.drugs.com/npc/kudzu.html|title=Kudzu|publisher=Drugs.com|date=2017|access-date=28 June 2017}}</ref><ref name="msk">{{cite web|url=https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/kudzu|title=Kudzu|publisher=Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center|date=2017|access-date=28 June 2017}}</ref> [[Adverse effect]]s may occur if kudzu is taken by people with hormone-sensitive cancer or those taking [[tamoxifen]], antidiabetic medications, or [[methotrexate]].<ref name=msk/> ===Food=== [[File:Kudzu starch cake,katori-city,japan.JPG|thumb|right|''[[Kuzumochi]]'' (葛餅), Japanese-style kudzu starch cake [[Katori, Chiba|(Katori City, Japan)]]]] [[Kuzuko|The roots]] contain [[starch]], which has traditionally been used as a food ingredient in East and Southeast Asia. In [[Vietnam]], the starch called ''bột sắn dây'' is flavoured with [[pomelo]] oil and then used as a drink in the summer. In [[Japan]], the plant is known as ''kuzu'' and the starch named ''[[kuzuko]]''. ''Kuzuko'' is used in dishes including ''[[kuzumochi]], mizu [[manjū]]'', and ''[[kuzuyu]]''. It also serves as a thickener for sauces, and can substitute for cornstarch.<ref name="ShurtleffAoyagi1977">{{cite book|last1=Shurtleff|first1=William|last2=Aoyagi|first2=Akiko|title=The Book of Kudzu: A Culinary & Healing Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jSQzR6_h9yEC|year=1977|publisher=Soyinfo Center|isbn=978-0-394-42068-4|page=9}}</ref> The flowers are used to make a [[Jelly (fruit preserves)|jelly]] that tastes similar to grape jelly.<ref name=Burney/><ref name="connoisseur">{{cite book|title=The Honey Connoisseur|last1=Marchese|first1=C. Marina|last2=Flottum|first2=Kim|publisher=Black Dog & Leventhal|year=2013|isbn=9781603763325}}</ref><!-- pg 84 --> Roots, flowers, and leaves of kudzu show antioxidant activity that suggests food uses.<ref name=Burney>{{cite web|url=http://sun.library.msstate.edu/ETD-db/theses/available/etd-03292010-130857/|title=Determination of antioxidant and total phenolic content of ''Pueraria lobata'' and evaluation of novel food products containing kudzu|author=Sandra Lynn Burney|year=2010|publisher=Mississippi State University}}</ref> Nearby bee colonies may forage on kudzu nectar during droughts as a last resort, producing a low-viscosity red or purple [[honey]] that tastes of grape jelly or bubblegum.<ref name="connoisseur" /><!-- pg 85 --> ===Herbal medicine=== Kudzu has also been used for centuries in East Asia to make [[herbal tea]]s and [[tincture]]s.<ref name="Kudzu: Love It or Run">{{cite magazine|magazine=Smithsonian Magazine|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/kudzu-love-it-or-run-68095358/|title= Kudzu: Love It or Run|date = 30 September 2000|author=Doug Stewart}}</ref> Kudzu powder is used in Japan to make an herbal tea called ''[[kuzuyu]]''. Kakkonto ({{cjkv|c=葛根湯|p=gégēntāng|j=葛根湯|r=kakkontō|l=Kudzu Root Soup}}) is a herbal drink with its origin in [[traditional Chinese medicine]], intended for patients with a group of symptoms and signs including [[fever]], [[headache]], [[neck stiffness]], no [[perspiration]], and in some cases, [[diarrhea]]. It is made from a mixture containing the main ingredient, dried kudzu roots, and sliced fresh [[ginger]], [[cinnamon]] twigs, [[Chinese peony]], [[licorice]], [[jujubes]], and [[ephedra]]. Together these plants are used to create a drink containing [[puerarin]], [[daidzein]], paenoflorin, [[cinnamic acid]], [[glycyrrhizin]], [[ephedrine]] and [[gingerol]].<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/S0003-2670(97)00349-8 |title=Determination of puerarin, daidzein, paeoniflorin, cinnamic acid, glycyrrhizin, ephedrine, and &#91;6&#93;-gingerol in Ge-gen-tang by micellar electrokinetic chromatography |year=1997 |last1=Huang |first1=Hsi-Ya |last2=Hsieh |first2=You-Zung |journal=Analytica Chimica Acta |volume=351 |issue=1–3 |pages=49–55}}</ref> ===Other uses=== Kudzu fiber, known as ko-hemp,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ko-hemp|title=Merriam-Webster Dictionary}}</ref> is used traditionally to make clothing and paper,<ref>{{Cite journal| title = Kudzu (''Pueraria lobata'' (Willd.) Ohwi) | author = Larry W. Mitich | journal = Weed Technology | volume = 14 | issue = 1 | date = Jan–Mar 2000 | pages = 231–235 | doi = 10.1614/0890-037X(2000)014[0231:KPLWO]2.0.CO;2 | jstor = 3988532 }}</ref> and has also been investigated for industrial-scale use.<ref>{{Cite journal| title = Kudzu (Pueraria Lobata): Potential agricultural and industrial resource | journal = Economic Botany | issn = 1874-9364 | volume = 33 | issue = 4 |date = October 1979| doi = 10.1007/BF02858336 | pages = 400–412 |author1=Robert D. Tanner |author2=S. Shahid Hussain |author3=Lindsey A. Hamilton |author4=Frederick T. Wolf | s2cid = 2680987 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal| title = The effect of fermentation (retting) time and harvest time on kudzu (''Pueraria lobata'') fiber strength | journal = Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology | issn = 1559-0291 | volume = 57–58 | issue = 1 | date = March 1996 | doi = 10.1007/BF02941690 | pages = 75–84 |author1=Sibel Uludag |author2=Veara Loha |author3=Ales Prokop |author4=Robert D. Tanner | s2cid = 189908496 }}</ref> It may become a valuable asset for the production of [[cellulosic ethanol]].<ref>Richard G. Lugar, R. James Woolsey. The New Petroleum. Foreign Affairs. 1999. Vol. 78, No 1. p. 88.</ref> In the [[Southern United States]], kudzu is used to make [[soap]]s, [[lotion]]s, and [[compost]].<ref name="basket">{{cite web|url=http://www.dukeemployees.com/offthewall2.shtml|title=If You Can't Beat Kudzu, Join It|access-date=20 August 2007|publisher=Duke Energy Employee Advocate|year=2003|author=Jeffrey Collins|work=Off the Wall}}</ref> ==Invasive species== [[File:Kudzu graveyard (40580p).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|A large woodland area smothered by kudzu]] [[File:KudzuPlants.JPG|thumb|Kudzu plants near Canton, Georgia]] ===Ecological damage and roles=== Kudzu's environmental and [[Environmental degradation|ecological damage]] results from its outcompeting other species for a resource. Kudzu competes with native flora for light, and acts to block their access to this vital resource by growing over them and shading them with its leaves. Native plants may then die as a result.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Cain|first1=Michael L.|last2=Bowman|first2=William D.|last3=Hacker|first3=Sally D.|title=Ecology|publisher=Sinauer Associates, Inc.|year=2011|page=246}}</ref> Changes in leaf litter associated with kudzu infestation results in changes to decomposition processes and a 28% reduction in stocks of soil carbon, with potential implications for processes involved in climate change.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Plant litter chemistry and microbial priming regulate the accrual, composition and stability of soil carbon in invaded ecosystems |first1=Mioko |last1=Tamura |first2=Nishanth |last2=Tharayil |journal=New Phytologist |doi=10.1111/nph.12795 |volume=203 |issue=1 |pages=110–124 |date=July 2014 |pmid=24720813|doi-access=free }}</ref> ===United States=== {{Main|Kudzu in the United States}} Kudzu was introduced from Japan into the United States at the Japanese pavilion in the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.<ref name="Kudzu: Love It or Run"/> In the 1930s and 1940s, the vine was rebranded as a way for farmers to stop soil erosion. Workers were paid $8 per acre to sow topsoil with the invasive vine. The cultivation covered over one million acres of kudzu.<ref>Kudzu: The Vine that Ate the South; PorterBriggs.com http://porterbriggs.com/the-vine-that-ate-the-south/</ref> It is now common along roadsides and other disturbed areas<ref>{{cite web|title=SPECIES: Pueraria montana var. lobata|url=http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/vine/puemonl/all.html|publisher=US Forest Service - United States Department of Agriculture|access-date=29 September 2015}}</ref> throughout most of the southeastern United States as far north as rural areas of [[Pulaski County, Illinois]]. Estimates of its rate of spreading differ wildly; it has been described as spreading at the rate of {{convert|150000|acre|km2|abbr=on}} annually,<ref name="scidai">{{cite web| url= https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090719185107.htm | title=Controlling Kudzu With Naturally Occurring Fungus | website=[[ScienceDaily]] | date=20 July 2009 | access-date=2009-07-20}}</ref> although in 2015 the United States Forest Service estimated the rate to be only 2,500 acres per year.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Bill Finch|title=Legend of the Green Monster|magazine=Smithsonian Magazine|volume= 46|number= 5|date=September 2015|page=19|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/true-story-kudzu-vine-ate-south-180956325/}}</ref> ===Canada=== A small patch of kudzu was discovered in 2009 in [[Leamington, Ontario]], the second warmest growing region of Canada after south coastal British Columbia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ckdp.ca/kudzu-invasion-of-the-killer-vines-or-a-tempest-in-a-teapot/|title=Kudzu: Invasion of the killer vines or a tempest in a teapot?|publisher=Chatham-Kent Daily Post|date=27 September 2009|access-date=2010-04-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Wingrove|first=Josh|title='Vine that ate the South' has landed in the Great White North|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/vine-that-ate-the-south-has-landed-in-the-great-white-north/article4287178/|access-date=14 October 2013|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=24 September 2009}}</ref> ===Other countries=== During [[World War II]], kudzu was introduced to [[Vanuatu]] and [[Fiji]] by [[United States Armed Forces]] to serve as [[Military camouflage|camouflage]] for equipment and has become a major weed.<ref>{{cite book|last=Walker|first=Timothy|title=Plant Conservation: Why it matters and how it works|year=2013|publisher=Timber Press|isbn=978-1604692600|page=157}}</ref> Kudzu is also becoming a problem in [[Queensland|northeastern Australia]], and has been seen in [[Switzerland]] and in isolated spots in [[Northern Italy]] ([[Lake Maggiore]]).<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1111/epp.12172|title = Ecology and distribution of the Southeast Asian invasive liana Kudzu, Pueraria lobata (Fabaceae), in Southern Switzerland| journal=Eppo Bulletin| volume=44| issue=3| pages=490–501|year = 2014|last1 = Gigon|first1 = A.| last2=Pron| first2=S.| last3=Buholzer| first3=S.}}</ref> In [[New Zealand]], kudzu was declared an "unwanted organism" and was added to the Biosecurity New Zealand register in 2002.<ref>{{cite journal|date=1 August 2002|title=Kudzu vine an unwanted organism|journal=Biosecurity|issue=37|issn=1174-4618|url=http://planet.botany.uwc.ac.za/nisl/Biosecurity/biosecurity-37.pdf|last=Gill|first=George}}</ref> ==Control== ===Crown removal=== For successful long-term control of kudzu, destroying the underground system, which can be extremely large and deep, is not necessary. Only killing or removing the kudzu [[root crown]]<ref name="kokudzu">{{cite web|url=http://kokudzu.com|title=Kudzu Control Without Chemicals|access-date=20 August 2007|publisher=kokudzu.com|year=2007}}</ref> and all rooting runners is needed. The root crown is a fibrous knob of tissue that sits on top of the roots. Crowns form from multiple vine nodes that root to the ground, and range from pea- to basketball-sized.<ref name="kokudzu" /> The older the crowns, the deeper they tend to be found in the ground. 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. Mechanical methods of control involve cutting off crowns from roots, usually just below ground level. This immediately kills the plant. Cutting off the above-ground vines is not sufficient for an immediate kill. Destroying all removed crown material is necessary. Buried crowns can regenerate into healthy kudzu. Transporting crowns in soil removed from a kudzu infestation is one common way that kudzu unexpectedly spreads and shows up in new locations. Close mowing every week, regular heavy [[grazing]] for many successive years, or repeated [[Tillage|cultivation]] may be effective, as this serves to deplete root reserves.<ref name="kokudzu" /> If done in the spring, cutting off vines must be repeated. Regrowth appears to exhaust the plant's stored [[carbohydrate]] reserves. Cut kudzu can be fed to livestock, burned, or composted. In the United States, the city of [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]] undertook a trial program in 2010 using [[goat]]s and [[llama]]s to graze on the plant. Similar efforts to reduce widespread nuisance kudzu growth have also been undertaken in the cities of [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina]]<ref name="WXII12.com">{{cite web|url= http://www.wxii12.com/news/24828912/detail.html|title= Winston-Salem Using Goats To Attack Problem Kudzu Vines|access-date= 2010-09-08|publisher= Wxii12.com|date= 2010-08-31|first= Betsy|last= Bramlett|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306092331/http://www.wxii12.com/news/24828912/detail.html|archive-date=2012-03-06}}</ref> and [[Tallahassee, Florida]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Neofotis|first=Peter|title= Kudzu (Pueraria montana)|url=http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/Pueraria_montana.html|work=Introduced Species Summary Project|publisher=Columbia University|access-date=17 September 2011}}</ref> [[Prescribed burning]] is also used on old extensive infestations to remove vegetative cover and promote seed germination for removal or treatment. While fire is not an effective way to kill kudzu,<ref name="kokudzu" /> equipment, such as a [[skid loader]], can later remove crowns and thereby kill kudzu with minimal disturbance of soil.<ref name="kokudzu" /><ref name="washington">{{cite web|url=http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weed_info/Pueraria_lobata.html|title=Written Findings of the State Noxious Weed Control Board|access-date=20 August 2007|publisher=Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board|year=2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927090123/http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weed_info/Pueraria_lobata.html|archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref> ===Herbicide=== A systemic [[herbicide]], for example, [[glyphosate]],<ref name=SE>[http://www.se-eppc.org/manual/kudzu.html Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual]</ref> [[triclopyr]],<ref name=SE /> or [[picloram]],<ref name=MDC>[http://mdc.mo.gov/landwater-care/plant-management/invasive-plant-management/kudzu Missouri Department of Conservation - Kudzu] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526102822/http://mdc.mo.gov/landwater-care/plant-management/invasive-plant-management/kudzu |date=26 May 2011 }}</ref> can be applied directly on cut stems, which is an effective means of transporting the herbicide into the kudzu's extensive root system.<ref name=NPS>[http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pumo1.htm National Park Service - Kudzu]</ref> Herbicides can be used after other methods of control, such as mowing, grazing, or burning, which can allow for an easier application of the chemical to the weakened plants.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bugwood.org/crp/kudzu.html |title=Bugwood Network (Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health) |access-date=27 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308055202/http://www.bugwood.org/crp/kudzu.html |archive-date=8 March 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In large-scale forestry infestations, soil-active herbicides have been shown to be highly effective.<ref name=NPS /> After initial herbicidal treatment, follow-up treatments and monitoring are usually necessary, depending on how long the kudzu has been growing in the area. Up to 10 years of supervision may be needed after the initial chemical placement to make sure the plant does not return.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kokudzu.com/Shared/PDF/HerbicideTreatmentsForKudzu.pdf|author=Matt Nespeca|date=August 2007|publisher=kokudzu.com|title=Kudzu Control Methods and Strategies }}</ref> ===Fungi=== Since 1998, the [[United States Department of Agriculture]], [[Agricultural Research Service]] (ARS) has experimented with using the [[fungus]] ''[[Myrothecium verrucaria]]'' as a biologically based herbicide against kudzu.<ref name="scidai" /> A [[diacetylverrucarol]] spray based on ''M. verrucaria'' works under a variety of conditions (including the absence of [[dew]]), causes minimal injury to many of the other woody plants in kudzu-infested habitats, and takes effect quickly enough that kudzu treated with it in the morning starts showing evidence of damage by midafternoon.<ref name="scidai"/> Initial formulations of the herbicide produced toxic levels of other [[trichothecene]]s as byproducts, though the ARS discovered growing ''M. verrucaria'' in a [[fermenter]] on a liquid diet (instead of a solid) limited or eliminated the problem.<ref name="scidai"/> ==See also== * [[Megacopta cribraria|Kudzu bug]] * [[Kudzu tea]] * [[kudzu powder]] ==Notes== {{reflist|group=note}} ==References== {{Reflist}} * ''This article was based in part on content from [[public domain]] web pages from the [[United States National Park Service]] and the [[United States Bureau of Land Management]]'' ==External links== {{Commons|Pueraria montana|Kudzu}} * {{cite web|url=https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/profile/kudzu|title=Species Profile - Kudzu (''Pueraria montana var. lobata'')|publisher=National Invasive Species Information Center, [[United States National Agricultural Library]]}} * {{cite web|url=https://www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/unwantedlettersKudzuPRINT1.pdf|title=Kudzu Vine - One of Ontario's Most Unwanted Invasive Plant Species|publisher=Ontario Invasive Plant Council}} * {{cite book|url=http://d.lib.ncsu.edu/collections/catalog/ua100_012-002-hb0002-003-000|title=Kudzu in Rotation with Corn and Small Grain|publisher=NCSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences|year=1953|author1=T. L. Copley|author2=Luke A. Forrest}} [[Category:Edible thickening agents]] [[Category:Japanese cuisine]] [[Category:Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine]] [[Category:Fiber plants]] [[Category:Pueraria]] [[Category:Starch]] [[Category:Plant common names]]'