New herbicide offers hope in battle against Japanese knotweed

Japanese knotweed, the bane of gardeners and train companies, might finally have met its match.More than 120 sites across London are to be sprayed with a new chemical herbicide in a bid by one of the capital's Tube companies to become the first railway operator in Europe to eradicate the problem.If the trial along 75 miles (120km) of lines is successful, it could be extended to other London Underground services and the national network.Across the entire country, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has estimated that the total cost of eradicating Japanese knotweed would be more than £1.5bn.The mass spraying of chemicals is likely to prompt concern about the impact on other plants and insects and the birds that feed on them.However the company, Tube Lines Group, says the move will drastically cut the quantity of chemicals used and help native plants and other wildlife, which struggle to...

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