How to eradicate Ambrosia - common ragweed?

Question

Last year my property and surrounding area was rather free from Ambrosia ie common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) and now it is everywhere... probably because no-one in this country (Bosnia) is really trying to eradicate (regardless it is required by law).

Is there efficient way to eradicate or at least keep Ambrosia under control, since it is highly allergenic and very invasive?

Should I even bother to fight against it (mowing and pulling before flowering), if no-one else is trying? Would herbicides help (although I'd rather not use them)? Is this lost battle?

Answer 1

Control of this weed is a rather Sisyphean task I'm afraid. Given that a plant may produce seeds in the multiple thousands, the seeds remain viable for 40 years and the seeds are readily spread (inadvertently I'm sure) through agricultural practices they are likely here to stay.

There are more subtle effects too:

• ragweed likes to live where the overstory of shrubs and tree canopies have been cleared away such as roadsides for traffic safety. The roads then become corridors through which the seed can spread, and while sauntering nonchalantly up the roads they spread into farmers' adjacent fields.
• In Canada it has been noted that giant ragweed increased along with substitution of soybeans for corn; the corn provided an overstory
• Where mowing is practiced it is usually not done often enough; ragweed is adept at sending out side shoots that very quickly flower and seed in their own right.
• ragweed is developing resistance to glyphosate/Roundup

I have ragweed on my property too, although I don't suffer the pollen effects. Each one I pull for the compost heap I say to myself one less for allergy sufferers. Likely they are germinating from seeds deposited before I was born.