Unreliable information on the Internet is nothing new. It may be surprising, however, that you can’t even trust basic information on weed control. To assess the validity of Internet information, researchers looked at the advice on controlling Japanese knotweed, an invasive plant that has been introduced to the U.K. and much of North America. The advice ranged from sensible to militaristic descriptions of ineffectual methods of control. “Even local government documents revealed conflicting advice regarding the disposal of Japanese knotweed waste material. Confusion about this topic could result in decisions being made that spread Japanese knotweed further and are potentially unlawful.”
As for how to control the weed, it’s probably best to avoid articles with titles such as “Japanese knotweed: Everything you ever wanted to know about the nightmare plant taking over Britain.” The key, according to the scientists, is to find sources that are referenced by many other articles, are updated frequently and have reliable references. Readers should also compare the results of various sources before coming to conclusions.
Perhaps more importantly, municipalities and extension officers should ensure they are releasing accurate information. One source recommended by the authors, Managing Japanese Knotweed on Development Sites: The Knotweed Code of Practice, published by the Environment Agency in the U.K. can be found online although with a disclaimer stating the document is out-of-date. This may, however, be due to changes in regulations regarding herbicide use and land-use policies, rather than inaccurate information about the biology of the plant.
Weeds on the web: conflicting management advice about an invasive non-native plant. Beth S. Robinson, Richard Inger, Sarah L. Crowley, Kevin J. Gaston. Journal of Applied Ecology, July, 2016.
- Janet Wallace