Research on the use of microorganisms to control
water hyacinth began in 2000 in China. In 2003,
Shanghai Jiao Tong University received the financial
support from Shanghai government to develop and
test a myco-herbicide formulation for the control of
water hyacinth. At present, nine fungal species have
been isolated from water hyacinth of Shanghai and
Zhejiang Province, which showed various effects on
the growth of water hyacinth in laboratory test. In
order to improve the quality of myco-herbicide for-
mulation, particularly when it is sprayed in the field, a
non-ionic tenso-active surfactant extracted from wild
camellia was included. This adjuvant should improve
weed control by keeping the leaves of weed wet for
even more than 5 d, a sufficient period for the fungal
mycelium to infect the weed tissue