As part of the Wales Resilient Ecological Network project (WaREN), we recently initiated a trial for new approach to the eradication of Japanese knotweed in Wales. The trial took place over five days in July and will take 12 months to complete.

Japanese knotweed is an invasive non-native species that is damaging to biodiversity, housing and infrastructure across the United Kingdom. As invasive species rank among the top five threats to global biodiversity, finding an innovative and chemical-free approach will, we hope, help us to lead the efforts in restoring nature. 

This new approach uses the Roots Reset method to control Japanese knotweed without pesticides or chemicals, promotes quicker natural regeneration and allows native replanting to take place within five days. The Roots Reset technique does not involve pesticides and has been shown to eradicate Japanese knotweed within a year. Traditional methods using pesticides may take up to five years to achieve the same result. Roots Reset was previously deployed in the UK in Scotland, but this will be the first time the method will be used in Wales.

Once the trial is complete, we will release a report comparing the effectiveness of the Roots Reset method with the traditional method of foliar spraying, as well as outlining the costs and time frames for each approach. If the trial proves successful, it will be validated by Dr. Daniel Jones, the UK lead on Japanese knotweed. Following validation, there is hope for broader implementation across the United Kingdom.

Find out more about Wales Resilient Ecological Network project