Netherlands: Ragwort is advancing and measures are needed to prevent the spread

Ragwort is advancing in the Netherlands. The number of places where the native plant with yellow flowers occurs has doubled in the past fifty years, says knowledge institute Floron. For cows and horses, the poison contained in the plant can be fatal. Hay containing ragwort may not be sold. Therefore, measures are necessary to prevent the spread of the plant. Ragwort resistant to drought Ragwort grows well on open and sandy soils. The fact that the plant now occurs in almost all of the Netherlands is, according to the knowledge institute, because soil in the Netherlands is worked a lot. Cattle in pastures trample the soil loose. Verges are usually mowed with a so-called flail mower, which chops the ground and vegetation into pieces. When constructing roads and buildings, sand beds are laid on which the plant settles. In the context of the creation of more nature areas, former fields are left fallow and are hardly mowed anymore. Ragwort is also very resistant to drought and heat. ...