NCDOT's Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management

NCDOT has developed a system for coordinating the management of roadside vegetation to maximize the effectiveness of both operations while increasing cycle times between mowing operations.

The Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM) is a decision-making and quality management process for maintaining roadside vegetation that integrates cultural, biological, mechanical, and chemical pest control methods to economically manage roadsides for safety plus environmental and visual quality.

In developing the IRVM system the following factors are also considered:

• needs of local communities and highway users
• knowledge of plant ecology processes
• design, construction, and maintenance considerations
• monitoring and evaluation procedures
• government statutes and regulations
• technology

Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM)is a spin-off of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) concept used in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a term used to describe a system of managing pests whereby all possible methods of reducing pests are combined (integrated) to maintain (manage) pest levels below economically damaging levels. IPM employs proven practical and least costly methods in a plan designed to exclude pests from the management unit.


IVRM is used to manage vegetation by simply applying logical information, communication, technology, planning and research.

An effective IRVM program improves safety for the public and employees, satisfies long-range economic goals, maintains or improves quality, provides aesthetically pleasing facilities, and improves public relations. The highest priority for NCDOT employees is supplying safe transportation corridors with hazard- free safety clear zones, low growing vegetation in the operational zone and open sight distances.

Those involved with the Integrated Vegetation Management Project (IVMP) in Australia are looking to develop a model spcifically suited to Australia's conditions. We welcome your thoughts on the subject and invite you to visit the IVMP website for further information.

University of California - Weeds Day 2008

UC Davis has a prominent & well established weed research team within their plant sciences department who put together the annual Weed Day on campus.

The Department of Plant Sciences has been created by consolidating the four commodity-based departments of Agronomy and Range Science, Pomology, Vegetable Crops and Environmental Horticulture. This pooling of manpower and resources has fostered better focus on the teaching, research and outreach missions of one of the leading academic programs in agricultural and environmental sciences in the United States.

Under the umbrella of Plant Sciences, over 90 faculty members now collaborate on education and research in the emerging programmatic areas of plant and environmental sciences. Fundamental advances in genomics, genetics, plant physiology, evolutionary biology and environmental science are being translated into improvements in crop performance and production, post harvest quality, agricultural sustainability and ecosystem management.

IVMP Project Representatives attended campus for the Annual Weeds Day. There were one hundred and fifty attendees from all over the US, from researchers & government personnel, to practitioners and contractors.

This event was very much like one of our Weed Society forums in Australia. Attendees spent the morning looking at field sites trialling a range of herbicides, both organic and non-organic, from non-crop to in-crop and aquatic areas. A few photos from the day can be viewed in the IVMP image gallery.

The afternoon program consisted of twelve fifteen minute sessions where Researchers presented updates on the weed management projects currently being completed by the University.

Of particular interest was the presentation by Dr Joe Di Tomaso who introduced an online interactive weed identification database that had been developed at UC Davis. This database allowed users to work logically through a series of weed identification options that assisted the user towards accurately identifying the weed species they were researching.

Australia is yet to have a weed identification tool such as this developed and consideration should be given to developing a similar model for Australian weeds with added features such as control options for each weed species.

Project Representatives gathered research information including trial protocols, data and progress reports, along with meeting numerous contacts with industry personnel keen to collaborate with the IVMP Technical Team in the future.

As in Australia, the issue of attracting appropriate levels of funding for research into new uses for older technologies is a problem faced in the United States. There is resistance from chemical companies to reinvest in generic technologies or new technologies where cost outweighs the benefit are not favourable short term.

However, looking at our experience in the USA, if a long term view is taken, the benefit over time can reward those who invest in exploring new opportunities for the older technologies with an integrated vegetation management program.

We are keen to hear from anyone who may be working with or has worked with generic technologies to explore new registration opportunities for common weed problems in your region. We know of a number of promising opportunities that were passed up because the numbers did not stack up…..do you know of similar situations? We welcome your comments and feedback.