Bellyache Bush Research Articles

Penapisan Fitokimia dan Efek Penyembuhan Luka Insisi Daun Jarak Merah (Jatropha gossypiifolia) pada Mencit (Mus musculus)

Bellyache Bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia) is a plant registered as one of the plants withvarious medical properties due to its Flavonoids, Alkaloids, Tannins, and Terpenoids. Bellyache Bush plays a significant role in accelerating wound healing and cell regeneration. This research aims to determine the effectiveness of the ethyl acetate fraction from Bellyache Bush leaves (Jatropha gossypiifolia) on male mice (Mus musculus). Bellyache Bush leaves was extracted using a multistage maceration method using n-hexane and ethyl acetate as solvents. This effectiveness of incision wound healing was tested by divided the test animals into five experimental groups, and each consisting of 3 male mice. All mice were treated according to their respective experimental groups : Group 1 (negative control), Group 2 (positive control with 10% povidone iodine), Group 3 (5% Bellyache Bush extract), Group 4 (10% Bellyache Bush extract), Group 5 (15% Bellyache Bush extract), until the wounds healed or white scar tissue was observed. The results indicate that at a concentration of 15% the ethyl acetate fraction of Bellyache Bush extract was more effective compared to the positive control, povidine iodine.

First Report of Macrophomina euphorbiicola Causing Charcoal Rot of Stevia in Paraguay.

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana [Bertoni] Bertoni) is a perennial plant originating in Paraguay. Stevia is primarily cultivated for the production of non-caloric sweeteners. In December 2018, wilted stevia cv. 'PC4' were recovered from two separate fields of 0.3 ha (24.66 S 56.46 W) and 0.5 ha (24.69 S 56.44 W), both with 3 years history of stevia production in San Estanislao County, San Pedro, Paraguay. The wilted plants were randomly distributed in beds covered with plastic mulch and a 30% disease incidence was recorded. Dark brown septate hyphae and microsclerotia were observed on stem bases and black necrotic roots of the wilted plants. Root and crown regions were washed, cut into 0.5 to 1.0 cm pieces, and then surface-disinfested with 0.6% NaOCl before placing them in Petri dishes containing acidified potato-dextrose-agar. Plates were incubated for one week at 25 ± 5°C under fluorescent light with a 12 h photoperiod yielding five isolates SP1PY, SP2PY, SP3PY, SP4PY and SP5PY with gray-black colonies without conidia but showing numerous microsclerotia. Twenty microsclerotia from pure cultures of five isolates were measured, with mean width 38.8 ± 4.7 µm and length 68.8 ± 15.5 µm. Fungal DNA was extracted from mycelia of five isolates for PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α) using ITS4/ITS5 and EF1-728F/EF-2 primers (Machado et al. 2019). The resultant amplicons were sequenced at Eton Bioscience (Research Triangle Park, NC) and deposited in the NCBI GenBank database (ITS: MT645815, OM956150, OM956151, OM956152, OM956153; and TEF1-α: MT659121, OM959505, OM959506, OM959507, OM959508). Sequences were aligned with several isolates of Macrophomina spp. previously reported (Huda-Shakirah et al. 2019; Machado et al. 2019; Santos et al. 2020; Poudel et al. 2021) using ClustalW. Alignments (ITS and TEF-1α) were concatenated to generate a maximum likelihood tree using MEGA7. The novel isolates grouped into the M. euphorbiicola clade with 95% of bootstrap support. Stevia plants cv. 'Katupyry' were grown in 10 cm-diameter nursery bags containing autoclaved sandy soil and kept under greenhouse conditions (28 ± 5°C; 16 h photoperiod). Fifteen plants per isolate (n=75) were inoculated by adding 20 g of rice infested with M. euphorbiicola to each plant. Infested grains were distributed around the crown of the plant at a depth of 0.5 cm; non-infested rice was added to four control plants. Lower-stem lesions and microsclerotia of M. euphorbiicola developed on all inoculated plants. No lesions or microsclerotia were observed on control plants. The M. euphoribiicola fungus was re-isolated from inoculated stevia plants but not from the non-infested rice treated plants. Koch's postulates were repeated twice with similar results. Previously, M. phaseolina was reported causing charcoal rot on stevia in Egypt (Hilal and Baiuomy 2000), and in North Carolina, USA (Koehler and Shew 2017). However, Paraguayan isolates grouped with isolates of M. euphorbiicola based on the combined sequences of the ITS and TEF-1α regions. Machado et al. (2019) reported M. euphorbiicola causing charcoal rot on castor bean (Ricinus communis) and bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypifolia) in Brazil, which borders northeast Paraguay, a major stevia production area. This pathogen has a significant impact on stevia production during hot, dry weather by reducing the number of harvestable plants and increasing replanting costs in perennial production systems.

Predicting future distribution patterns of Jatropha gossypiifolia L. in South Africa in response to climate change

Invasive alien species such as Bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia L.) pose immense threats to global food security, biodiversity, ecosystem integrity and provision of ecosystem services. The Bellyache bush has generally been naturalised in Africa but poses vast management challenges in the African Savannah, yet there is little knowledge of its spatial distribution and future potential invasion risk.In this study, we modelled the spatial distribution of Bellyache bush in South Africa as a function of key biophysical factors using maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and estimated its potential invasion risk into native environments because of climate change.Results show that temperature seasonality, mean annual temperature range and mean temperature of the coldest month are the key factors explaining Bellyache bush distribution in South Africa.The response of the occurrence of Bellyache bush to the temperature variables demonstrated that the suitable habitat for Bellyache bush ranged between 10° and 30 °C while the tolerance to precipitation range is very wide (400 mm – > 2500 mm/year−1). The total area suitable for Bellyache bush propagation in South Africa is ∼129 034 km2 (10% of the total land area of South Africa) in the current and will increase because of climate change to ∼510 914 km2 (40% of the total land area of South Africa).Our results suggest that we can estimate the spatial distribution and Bellyache bush invasion risk areas in South Africa. This implies that policies and management strategies for further Bellyache bush invasions in South Africa can now informatively be targeted to high priority areas.

Review on Medicinal Properties of Jatropha gossypiifolia L.

Jatropha gossypiifolia L. broadly addressed as bellyache bush, refers to therapeutic plant utilized all through Asian countries. A few human and veterinary utilizations in conventional medication are portrayed for various specifics and arrangements dependent on aforementioned plant. This paper give a cutting-edge review of conventional uses, pharmacology, and toxicology of J. gossypiifolia species, taking into account examination of its therapeutic worth and potential application in integral and elective medication. Pharmacological examinations have exhibited noteworthy activity of various concentrates elements as anti-microbial, mitigating, anti-diarrheal, anti-hypertensive, and anti-cancerous specialists, among different, supporting a portion of famous employments. No clinical preliminary was distinguished to date. Moreover investigations are important to test significant society utilizations, just as to discover naive bioactive atoms with pharmacological pertinence dependent on the well-known cases. Toxicological investigations related with phytochemical examination are critical to comprehend the possible lethal impacts that could lessen its restorative worth. The current review gives bits of knowledge to future research focusing on both ethnopharmacological approval of its famous use and its investigation as another wellspring of home grown medications and additionally bioactive characteristic items.

Biology, distribution and management of the invasive Jatropha gossypiifolia (Bellyache bush): A global review of current and future management challenges and research gaps

AbstractJatropha gossypiifolia (Bellyache bush) is an evergreen, perennial, invasive woody shrub that globally threatens agricultural and native landscapes. The species is native to North and South America, but is currently found in over 52 countries; in many of these countries, it is listed as invasive, due to its aggressive and competitive growth. These behaviour traits are characterised by its quick flowering and seed production that make the species difficult to contain and control, as it forms dense monocultures and restricts the growth of many native and pastoral species through aggressive competition for resources, such as soil moisture and nutrients. Infestation by J. gossypiifolia results in a loss of biodiversity in the affected area and disrupts the maintenance of sustainable land systems. It has been reported that J. gossypiifolia is used in many countries as a traditional medicine to treat a range of diseases, illnesses and injuries. However, despite these claims of its positive use, J. gossypiifolia leaves, seeds and stems are highly toxic to grazing animals and humans, leading to disruption and significant increases in the cost of agricultural production through the loss of production and the instituting of necessary management efforts. Around the world, there have been various attempts to control J. gossypiifolia, but these have widely varied in their success. The most common and successful treatments to control J. gossypiifolia, including herbicide application (cut stump application), fire management and mechanical control; however, when each is applied as a single treatment, long‐term success is often limited. Consequently, this review explores the biology and distribution of J. gossypiifolia, together with previous and current control attempts, and synthesises potentially useful approaches to control this noxious weed, whilst identifying areas of future research to improve effective and long‐term sustainable management strategies for this noxious species.

Venomous animal accidents and phytotherapeutic measures adopted by the rural population in Alagoas backlands (Brazil)

Objectives: evaluate the epidemiological aspects of accidents with venomous animals, focusing on snakebites and phytotherapic measures adopted by the rural population in municipalities in the interior of Alagoas. Materials and methods: this is a quantitative, descriptive research, carried out between 2016 and 2017 in the Alagoas backlands. To select the participants, the “snowball” method was used. For data collection, a semi-structured questionnaire was used. The data were analyzed using Excel 2007 software, and the relationship between the variables was evaluated by Spearman's correlation. Results: of the 600 accidents with venomous animals reported, the most prevalent were caused by snakes (47.00%) and scorpions (31.44%), while 21.56% by other animals. A weak correlation (r = 0.33) was observed between the municipality and the occupation of the job. Of the 282 registered snakebites, the Viperidae family was predominant with 74.46% of the cases. Most accidents were with Bothrops/ Bothrocophias (36.52%) and Crotalus (28.37%) genus. The medicinal plants used were barbatimão (52.00%), paratudo (21.00%), bellyache bush (15.00%) and sweet potato (12.00%), applied as leaf maceration (60.00 %), tea compress (29.50%) and use of garrafada (10.50%). Conclusion: in the region of Alagoas, medicinal plants are used as a phytotherapic alternative to minimize the symptoms and effects of snake venom.

Local anaesthetic activity of Jatropha gossypifolia l. On frogs

The plant Jatropha gossypifolia (Eurphorbiaceae) is known as belly ache bush. The plant originated from Brazil and it is now cultivated in Tropical countries throughout the world. The roots, stems, leaves, seeds and fruits of the plant have been widely used in traditional folk medicine in many parts of West Africa. The young stem of the plant is used as tooth brush as well as to clean tongue, in the treatment of thrush. The tuber of the plant grinded into a paste is also locally used in the treatment of haemorrhoids. The literature survey claims that there was no local anaesthetic activity was reported. Hence this study was under taken to evaluate the local anesthetic activity of the aqueous extract and methanolic extract of Jatropha gossypifolia by plexus anaesthesia in frogs. The mean onset of anaesthesia were found with the test drugs were 9.33 ± 0.33 and 5.33 ± 0.33mins compared to 2.75 ± 0.33 min for the standard drug in plexus anesthesia model. The results revealed the significant local anesthetic activity with the control group.

Effect of simulated herbivory on bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia L.) growth and implications for biological control

Understanding the ability of invasive plants to compensate for herbivory damage is crucial for their management, but this has been poorly studied in weed biological control. Bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia L.) is an invasive weed and a target for biological control in Australia. To understand the response of bellyache bush to herbivory, we simulated herbivory damage, under field conditions, at a site in north Queensland. Two size classes, that is, seedlings and mature plants were subjected to either defoliation, shoot damage or a combination of both, and the damage was inflicted once, twice or thrice at 6–7 weeks interval. All herbivory types significantly reduced growth and biomass when herbivory was inflicted twice or thrice, whereas the single application had limited impact. Shoot damage alone and defoliation + shoot damage had a greater negative impact than defoliation treatment on plant height, basal stem diameter, the number of leaves, root length and the number of shoot tips produced while increasing the number of dead shoot tips. Defoliation alone and defoliation + shoot damage had a greater negative impact on the number of flowers and fruit pods produced than shoot damage. The greater negative effects noticed when herbivory was inflicted twice or thrice suggest that multivoltine biological control agents that can inflict shoot damage and defoliation should be sought for the biological control of bellyache bush.

Isolation and Characterization of two New Flavonoids Derived from Leaves of Jatropha gossypifolia Linn.

Jatropha gossypifolia L. (Euphorbiaceae), widely known as “bellyache bush,” is a medicinal plant largely used throughout Africa and America for treatment of inflammatory analgesic antidiarrheal diseases. In spite of some published data on its efficiency, there are still few toxicological data unfolding the safety of this plant. The plant was extracted with many solvents (pet. ether, ethanol, and water). The preliminary phytochemical outcomes revealed that flavonoids and other glycosides as active constituents in ethanol extract of Jatropha gossypifolia. The ethanol extract of Jatropha gossypifolia was undertaken column chromatography with dissimilar solvent fractions. Two compounds were isolated from ethanol extract of Jatropha gossypifolia with the compound 1 was eluted with benzene: Chloroform 90:10 v/v and compound 2 were eluted with eluted with ethyl acetate: ethanol 80:20 v/v. The structures of the two isolated compounds were characterized by using FT-IR, NMR and Mass spectrophotometric methods. Thus, the compound 1 was characterized as 2-8 -4,5 –dihydroxy -6- (hydroxymethyl) – tetrahydro - 2H - pyran-2-yl) -2,5,6-trimethoxy -4-oxo-3,4 -dihydro-2H-chromen-7-yl) -6- (3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) -7- ethoxy -5-hydroxy-8-3-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl) - 4,5 dimethoxy-tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)-4H-chromen-4-one(C43H50O20) and compound 2 was characterized as 2 -(2, 4-diethoxy-5-hydroxyphenyl)-7-(5-ethoxy-4-oxo-2-phenylchroman-7-yloxy)-5-hydroxy-8-6-(hydroxymethyl)-5-methoxy-tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)-4H-chromen-4-one(C43H44O13). Consequently, additional biological investigations essential to be carried out isolated compounds present in this plant.

Jatropha gossypiifolia L. (Euphorbiaceae): A Review of Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology of This Medicinal Plant

Jatropha gossypiifolia L. (Euphorbiaceae), widely known as “bellyache bush,” is a medicinal plant largely used throughout Africa and America. Several human and veterinary uses in traditional medicine are described for different parts and preparations based on this plant. However, critical reviews discussing emphatically its medicinal value are missing. This review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the traditional uses, as well as the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity data of J. gossypiifolia species, in view of discussing its medicinal value and potential application in complementary and alternative medicine. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated significant action of different extracts and/or isolated compounds as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, antihypertensive, and anticancer agents, among others, supporting some of its popular uses. No clinical trial has been detected to date. Further studies are necessary to assay important folk uses, as well as to find new bioactive molecules with pharmacological relevance based on the popular claims. Toxicological studies associated with phytochemical analysis are important to understand the eventual toxic effects that could reduce its medicinal value. The present review provides insights for future research aiming for both ethnopharmacological validation of its popular use and its exploration as a new source of herbal drugs and/or bioactive natural products.

Chirurgie réglée et unité de surveillance continue (USC) – Quel score pour une meilleure adéquation patients/USC

To evaluate the anti inflammatory activity of leaves extracts of Jatropha gossypifolia (J. gossypifolia) L.The plant J. gossypifolia L. (Eurphorbiaceae) is known as belly ache bush. The plant originated from Brazil and it is now cultivated in tropical countries throughout the world. The roots, stems, leaves, seeds and fruits of the plant have been widely used in traditional folk medicine in many parts of West Africa. The young stem of the plant is used as tooth brush as well as to clean tongue in the treatment thrush. The tuber of the plant grinded into a paste is also locally used in the treatment of hemorrhoids. The present study aimed to evaluate the anti inflammatory activity of aqueous and alcoholic extract of J. gossypifolia leaves by in vitro HRBC membrane stabilization method.The in vitro method showed significant anti inflammatory property of different extracts tested.The aqueous extract at a concentration of 200 μg/mL showed significant activity when compared with the standard drug Diclofenac sodium.

Can competition with pasture be used to manipulate bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia L.) population biology?

Bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia L.) is an invasive weed that poses economic and environmental problems in northern Australia. Competition between pasture and bellyache bush was examined in North Queensland using combinations of five pasture treatments (uncut (control); cut as low, medium, and high pasture; and no pasture) and four bellyache bush densities (0, 2, 6 and 12 plants m−2) in a buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) dominated pasture. The pasture treatments were applied approximately once per year but no treatments were applied directly to the bellyache bush plants. Measurements of bellyache bush flowering, seed formation, and mortality were undertaken over a 9-year period, along with monitoring the pasture basal cover and plant species diversity. Maximum flowering rates of bellyache bush occurred after 9 years (97%) in plots containing no pasture, with the lowest rates of 9% in uncut control plots. Earliest flowering (322 days after planting) and seed formation (411 days) also occurred in plots with no pasture compared with all other pasture treatments (range 1314–1393 days for seed formation to occur). No seeds were produced in uncut plots. At the end of 9 years, mortality rates of bellyache bush plants initially planted averaged ≥73% for treatments with some pasture compared with 55% under the no-pasture treatment. The percentage of herbaceous plant basal cover in uncut plots was increased 5-fold after 9 years, much greater than the average 2% increase recorded across the low, medium, and high pasture treatments. The number of herbaceous species in uncut plots remained largely unchanged, whereas there was an average reduction of 46% in the cut pasture treatments. Buffel grass remained the species with the greatest basal cover across all cut pasture treatments, followed by sabi grass (Urochloa mosambicensis (Hack.) Dandy) and then red Natal grass (Melinis repens (Willd.) Ziska). These results suggest that grazing strategies that maintain a healthy and competitive pasture layer may contribute to reducing the rate of spread of bellyache bush and complement traditional control techniques such as the use of herbicides.

Anti-inflammatory activity of leaves of Jatropha gossypifolia L. by hrbc membrane stabilization method

ObjectiveTo evaluate the anti inflammatory activity of leaves extracts of Jatropha gossypifolia (J. gossypifolia) L. MethodsThe plant J. gossypifolia L. (Eurphorbiaceae) is known as belly ache bush. The plant originated from Brazil and it is now cultivated in tropical countries throughout the world. The roots, stems, leaves, seeds and fruits of the plant have been widely used in traditional folk medicine in many parts of West Africa. The young stem of the plant is used as tooth brush as well as to clean tongue in the treatment thrush. The tuber of the plant grinded into a paste is also locally used in the treatment of hemorrhoids. The present study aimed to evaluate the anti inflammatory activity of aqueous and alcoholic extract of J. gossypifolia leaves by in vitro HRBC membrane stabilization method. ResultsThe in vitro method showed significant anti inflammatory property of different extracts tested. ConclusionsThe aqueous extract at a concentration of 200 μg/mL showed significant activity when compared with the standard drug Diclofenac sodium.

Persistence of bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypifolia L.) soil seed banks

Bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypifolia L.) is an invasive shrub that adversely impacts agricultural and natural systems of northern Australia. While several techniques are available to control bellyache bush, depletion of soil seed banks is central to its management. A 10-year study determined the persistence of intact and ant-discarded bellyache bush seeds buried in shade cloth packets at six depths (ranging from 0 to 40 cm) under both natural rainfall and rainfall-excluded conditions. A second study monitored changes in seedling emergence over time, to provide an indication of the natural rate of seed bank depletion at two sites (rocky and heavy clay) following the physical removal of all bellyache bush plants. Persistence of seed in the burial trial varied depending on seed type, rainfall conditions and burial depth. No viable seeds of bellyache bush remained after 72 months irrespective of seed type under natural rainfall conditions. When rainfall was excluded seeds persisted for much longer, with a small portion (0.4%) of ant-discarded seeds still viable after 120 months. Seed persistence was prolonged (>96 months to decline to <1% viability) at all burial depths under rainfall-excluded conditions. In contrast, under natural rainfall, surface located seeds took twice as long (70 months) to decline to 1% viability compared with buried seeds (35 months). No seedling emergence was observed after 58 months and 36 months at the rocky and heavy clay soil sites, respectively. These results suggest that the required duration of control programs on bellyache bush may vary due to the effect of biotic and abiotic factors on persistence of soil seed banks.

Impact of control strategies on bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia L.) mortality, seedling recruitment, population dynamics, pasture yield and cost analysis

Bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia L.) is an invasive weed that has the potential to greatly reduce biodiversity and pasture productivity in northern Australia’s rangelands. This paper reports an approach to develop best practice options for controlling medium to dense infestations of bellyache bush using combinations of control methods. The efficacy of five single treatments including foliar spraying, slashing, stick raking, burning and do nothing (control) were compared against 15 combinations of these treatments over 4 successive years. Treatments were evaluated using several attributes, including plant mortality, changes in population demographics, seedling recruitment, pasture yield and cost of treatment. Foliar spraying once each year for 4 years proved the most cost-effective control strategy, with no bellyache bush plants recorded at the end of the study. Single applications of slashing, stick raking and to a lesser extent burning, when followed up with foliar spraying also led to significantly reduced densities of bellyache bush and changed the population from a growing one to a declining one. Total experimental cost estimates over 4 successive years for treatments where burning, stick raking, foliar spraying, and slashing were followed with foliar spraying were AU$408, AU$584, AU$802 and AU$789 ha–1, respectively. Maximum pasture yield of 5.4 t ha–1 occurred with repeated foliar spraying. This study recommends that treatment combinations using either foliar spraying alone or as a follow up with slashing, stick raking or burning are best practice options following consideration of the level of control, changes in pasture yield and cost effectiveness.

Genetic Diversity Among Jatropha and Jatropha-Related Species Based on ISSR Markers

Jatropha curcas (jatropha) is a potential biodiesel crop. A major limitation in production is that jatropha remains wild with low genetic variation. Related species/genera in the Euphorbiaceae can potentially be used for its genetic improvement. In this study, we employed inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) to assess genetic variation among 30 accessions of jatropha, two accessions of bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypifolia), two accessions of spicy jatropha (Jatropha integerrima), two accessions of bottleplant shrub (Jatropha podagrica), and three accessions of castor bean hybrids. Genetic relationships were evaluated using 27 of 86 ISSR markers, yielding 307 polymorphic bands with polymorphism contents ranging from 0.76 to 0.95 for IMPN 1 and UBC 807 markers, respectively. Dice’s genetic similarity coefficient ranged from 0.39 to 0.99, which clearly separated the plant samples into seven groups at the coefficient of 0.48. The first group comprised J. curcas from Mexico, the second group comprised J. curcas from China and Vietnam, the third group comprised J. curcas from Thailand, the fourth group was J. integerrima, the fifth group was J. gossypifolia, the sixth group was J. podagrica, and the last and most distinct group was Ricinus communis. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that 63% of the variability was attributable to variation among groups, while 37% was due to variation within groups. Based on Nei’s genetic distance, the population from G2 (J. curcas from China) and G4 (J. curcas from Vietnam) had the least ISSR variability (0.0668), whereas G8 (R. communis) and Jatropha spp. displayed the highest distance (0.6005–0.7211).

Agonosoma trilineatum (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) a biological control agent of the weed bellyache bush, Jatrophagossypiifolia (Euphorbiaceae)

Bellyache bush, Jatropha gossypiifolia L., is a serious weed of northern Australia. Agonosoma trilineatum (F.) is an insect from tropical America released in Australia in 2003 as a biological control agent against bellyache bush. It feeds on seeds and has the potential to reduce seed production, thereby potentially reducing the rate of spread and recruitment. To test the host specificity of A. trilineatum, four biological responses to host plant species were determined: development of nymphs, oviposition preferences, adult feeding and frequency of mating. Development of nymphs to adults and adult feeding only occurred on three Jatropha spp. These species also supported mating and oogenesis but only J. gossypiifolia was accepted for oviposition. Mating did not occur in the presence of other plant species. The evidence indicates that there is little risk associated with the release of this insect species in Australia and probably other countries where this weed is a problem. The probability of this insect expanding its host range is low because multiple aspects of the biology would need to change simultaneously. A. trilineatum was released in Australia between 2003 and 2007. A Climex model indicated that coastal areas of Queensland and the Northern Territory would be climatically most suitable for this insect.

Damage potential of an introduced biological control agent Agonosoma trilineatum (F.) on bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia L.)

The seed-feeding jewel bug, Agonosoma trilineatum (F.), is an introduced biological control agent for bellyache bush, Jatropha gossypiifolia L. To quantify the damage potential of this agent, shadehouse experiments were conducted with individual bellyache bush plants exposed to a range of jewel bug densities (0, 6 or 24 jewel bugs/plant). The level of abortion of both immature and mature seed capsules and impacts on seed weight and seed viability were recorded in an initial short-term study. The ability of the jewel bug to survive and cause sustained damage was then investigated by measuring seed production, the survival of adults and nymph density across three 6-month cycles. The level of seed capsule abortion caused by the jewel bug was significantly affected by the maturity status of capsules and the density of insects present. Immature capsules were most susceptible and capsule abortion increased with jewel bug density. Similarly, on average, the insects reduced the viability of bellyache bush seeds by 79% and 89% at low and high densities, respectively. However, sustaining jewel bug populations for prolonged periods proved difficult. Adult survival at the end of three 6-month cycles averaged 11% and associated reductions in viable seed production ranged between 55% and 77%. These results suggest that the jewel bug has the potential to reduce the number of viable seeds entering the soil seed bank provided populations can be established and maintained at sufficiently high densities.

Interactions between meat ants (Iridomyrmex spadius) and bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia)

Understanding the dispersal of weed species is important for the development of effective control strategies. In this study, a series of experiments was conducted to clarify the role that meat ants (Iridomyrmex spadius) play in dispersing bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia), an exotic shrub currently invading the rangelands of northern Australia. The nutrient composition of food [lipids (fatty acids), fat and soluble carbohydrates] provided by bellyache bush seed components [caruncle, exotegmen and seed (without caruncle and exotegmen)] was identified. Seed components were rich in lipids, particularly palmitic, oleic, stearic, linoleic and eicosenic acids. Oleic and palmitic were most abundant in the caruncle (30% each), linoleic in the seed (61%) and palmitic in the exotegmen (36%). Over all seed components, fat concentration was relatively high (6.3%) compared with soluble carbohydrates (2.3%). The impact of feeding was then determined by comparing germination and viability of intact, non-carunculate (caruncle manually removed) and ant-discarded bellyache bush seeds. Feeding by meat ants significantly increased seed germinability, whilst having no adverse affects on viability. The quantity of seeds dispersed and the seasonal pattern of dispersal was recorded by collecting seed from the middens of randomly selected meat ant nests on a monthly basis. On average, 12 330 ± 603 seeds were retrieved from the middens of individual meat ant nests over 12 months, with highest numbers recorded between February and June (>1200 seeds/ant nest). The effect of this dispersal was determined through comparisons of plant densities within core infestations of bellyache bush, meat ant nest middens and pastures located directly adjacent to core infestations and that were being invaded primarily through localised ballistic dispersal. The density of bellyache bush plants growing from the seed reserves within middens averaged 79 plants/m2, just 18% less than that within core infestations. Seedling survival (1 year) and growth within core infestation and meat ant sites was also quantified. The middens of meat ant nests provided an environment conducive to higher seedling survival and faster growth rates than occurred within core infestations. Mutualistic interaction between bellyache bush and meat ants is likely to build local ‘infestation pressure’ that may be conducive to range extension in years of exceptionally wet seasons. Management of seed dispersal by meat ants may reduce that risk.

Evaluation of a hand-held burner for the control of woody weeds by flaming

A hand-held burner (Atarus Ranger) was evaluated as a method for controlling woody weeds by flaming in sensitive or riparian areas where traditional methods, such as chemical or mechanical control, have limited usefulness. The equipment was trialled on 3 North Queensland weed species: bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia), parkinsonia (Parkinsonia aculeata) and rubber vine (Cryptostegia grandiflora), at 5 different heat durations (0, 10, 30, 60 and 120 s) and on 3 plant size classes based on basal diameter (15–25, >25–50 and >50 mm).No significant difference in percentage mortality was recorded between a 10 s treatment and longer heat treatments for bellyache bush and parkinsonia plants, or between a 60 s treatment and longer heat treatments for rubber vine. A 10 s treatment killed 92% of the treated bellyache bush plants and 83% of the parkinsonia plants, while a 60 s treatment killed 76% of the treated rubber vine plants (values are the means of all size classes combined).Flaming was least effective on rubber vine, which had the thickest bark, but was highly effective on bellyache bush, which had the highest bark moisture content. Weeds with a low capacity for root suckering, thin bark, high bark moisture content and low bark density appear the best candidates for flaming. Flaming is an effective technique for the control of woody weeds with efficacy varying among species. Individual plants are targeted, and the technique is accepted by organic farming groups.