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Strongly allergenic plant Ambrosia extends the annual allergy season
Ambrosia is one of the strongest allergenic plants in the world. In this country, too, it is spreading further and further. Their pollen fly longer than other plants and extend the allergy season. According to experts, the introduced plant species could be exterminated in this country.
Trapped plant prolongs the time of suffering for allergy sufferers
For some years, allergy sufferers in Germany have been prepared to be tormented again and again by pollen from new, immigrant species after birch, hazel and grasses. Especially Ambrosia makes life difficult for many hay fever sufferers. The imported from America plant grows aggressively and prolongs the allergy time. According to experts, it could be eradicated again. But too little is done.
Ambrosia, one of the strongest allergenic plants in the world, is spreading even further in this country. For allergy sufferers it extends the time of suffering. (Image: Ewald Fröch / fotolia.com) Strong spread of the ambrosia plant
For years, the massive spread of the Ambrosia plant has been pointed out.
"An ambrosia plant can shed between 3000 and 60,000 seeds in their one-year life cycle," said Bavaria's Health Minister Melanie Huml (CSU) in a news agency dpa news. "In addition, she can release up to a billion pollen in the air."
The North American mugwort ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), also called upright or mugwort ragweed, was probably introduced to Europe via birdseed. In the meantime, the herb also finds suitable growth conditions here in Germany.
Ten pollen per cubic meter of air suffice
According to experts, Ambrosia is one of the strongest allergenic plants in the world. About 80 percent of allergy sufferers are therefore allergic to ragweed. In addition, the herb can provoke hypersensitivity even in previously insensitive persons without allergy.
"Already ten pollen per cubic meter of air are enough to trigger symptoms such as tears, itchy eyes, photosensitivity, headaches, tiredness and hay fever in pollen allergy sufferers," says a leaflet from the Berlin Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment.
And further: "An exceptionally high proportion of sufferers also suffer from respiratory problems to asthma."
Especially in warmer cities
According to Matthias Werchan from the German Pollen Information Service Foundation, Ambrosia is represented here, especially in the warmer south.
The Ministry of Health in Bavaria alone last counted 393 larger stocks in the Free State. According to Werchan, there are also large stocks in Brandenburg, for example.
The up to 1.80 meter high weeds bloom only from about mid-July, the pollen count extends from August to October. As a result, for some people with allergies, the suffering period is extended by about two months.
The introduced plants grow particularly aggressively on roadsides. Because the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from exhaust gases changes the protein composition of the pollen, as researchers from the Helmholtz Center in Munich have discovered.
Rip up plants with gloves and mouthguard
In addition, according to Werchan, there is another problem at the edges of the roads, where the pollens are becoming more aggressive: "On the highways, the grass strips are regularly mowed. Then the plants are pulled along and the seeds are distributed in the soil. "There they could even germinate years later.
The Ministry of Health in Munich - as well as other experts - recommend that you rip out the plant and dispose of it in a plastic bag with household waste. This should only be done with gloves and in flowering plants even with surgical masks.
For stocks of more than 100 plants, the competent authorities should be involved.
The Julius Kühn-Institut has been running nationwide and the Free State of Bavaria since 2007 with action programs against the Ambrosia.
"So far, an uncontrollable spread could be prevented as in other states," said Minister Huml loud dpa.
In Switzerland Ambrosia is almost eradicated again
Werchan and Durner are, however, of the opinion, in Germany is made too little. There are just under 40 monitoring stations throughout the Republic to record the pollen count.
Werchan referred in the agency message also to Switzerland, which has enshrined by law that ambrosia must be combated. "Since the plant is almost eradicated again," said the expert.
In this country there are only local actions. "The fight is significantly cheaper than to wait." Huml explained: "We observe in Bavaria, whether a legal reporting and control obligation for Ambrosia plants could become necessary for us."
However, Professor Jörger Durner, director of the Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology at the Helmholtz Center in Munich, says the ambrosia can be good: according to dpa, he said: "This is a great model for research because one single plant develops so many pollen." (ad)