International Ragweed Society – Page 2 – A scientific organization. Promote the knowledge of the weed, control the allergenic pollen.

Let’s talk about ambrosia : Spread of Ophraella communa in France

February 10, 2025 IRS_Admin

The IRS Committee is pleased to invite everyone interested in Ambrosia research and management to join our upcoming “Let’s Talk About Ambrosia” online conference! The session will be presented by Zoé Rousset, a PhD researcher at INRAe, who will discuss the spread of Ophraella communa in France since its detection in October 2023. This insect, a natural predator of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), is currently under monitoring to better understand its expansion and potential impact.

The event will feature a 15-minute presentation followed by a 15-minute Q&A session and is scheduled for February 19 at 9:00 AM CET.
For those who are unable to attend, the conference will be recorded and made available afterward.

Join the conference via using the following link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MjI5MmZkZjgtZDVmZi00MGNkLWJmYWItM2JmMGZjNjkwM2Vm%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%223c6b2f1d-a507-4fe6-b63c-f6ee09f93b95%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2296568d8d-d619-40db-b03c-61fd7397f314%22%7d

And don’t forget: you can be a speaker too!

If you would like to present your ragweed-related work or project to the community, please contact: irs.ragweed@gmail.com with a short summary of your presentation proposal.

IRS Elevates Ragweed Research at World Aerobiology Congress

July 9, 2024 IRS_Admin

Ragweed section, initiated by IRS was carried out within the World Aerobiology Congress. It was held in Vilnius, Lithuania from July 1-5, 2024. Ragweed-devoted section gathered 6 outstanding works which discussed ragweed ecology and health impact including those caused by pollen migration.

The study “Association of Ragweed Pollen Episodes in Lithuania with Atmospheric Circulation Patterns” by Ingrida Šaulienė, Gintautas Stankūnavičius, and Laura Šukienė found that Vilnius recorded higher frequencies and concentrations of ragweed pollen compared to other Lithuanian cities over 15 years. Utilizing volumetric Hirst pollen traps and the Hess and Brezowsky atmospheric circulation classification, they identified specific weather patterns, such as Central European Troughs, as conducive to high pollen levels. Understanding these patterns helps predict high-risk pollen episodes.

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Highlights from the IRS General Assembly at the World Aerobiology Congress 2024

July 9, 2024 IRS_Admin

The IRS General Assembly took place during the World Aerobiology Congress presenting an extensive agenda to its members. The World Aerobiology was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva in Vilnius, Lithuania, from July 1-5, 2024.

The IRS meeting was chaired by its President Prof László Makra.

The IRS assembly’s agenda included the approval of the minutes from the previous General Assembly, reports on IRS activities, a comprehensive membership overview, and the financial report for 2022, 2023, and 2024 presented by Roberto Albertini. Additionally, Franziska Zemmer delivered the IRS Auditor’s report.

Both reports confirmed no financial problems with a positive financial balance on the IRS Bank account.

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International Ragweed Day 2024

June 4, 2024 IRS_Admin

The General Assembly of IRS proclaimed in 2011 that the first Saturday of the summer will be The International Ragweed Day (IRD), to increase understanding and awareness of the problem this invasive weed causes all over the world.

The day was chosen because it is early in the growing season of the plant thereby gives enough time for preparations and actions.

This year, the International Ragweed Day will be on June 22nd. Do not hesitate to share with IRS president (MakraLaszlo@szte.hu) actions and events which will take place in your country!

In France, like every year, ragweed days take place from June 15 to 30, with ragweed-related events organized throughout the country.

This is an opportunity for various organizations to create events to inform and raise awareness of the health, environmental and agricultural problems due to ragweed. Information meetings, training courses, exhibitions, exchanges, collective uprooting, youth activities… Every year, there are a wide variety of events during this period.

The French ragweed observatory will be publishing two new tools:

– a guide to help farmers manage ragweed in agricultural environments (intended for ragweed referents). This guide is designed to familiarize users with the specific problems of ragweed in the agricultural environment, and to suggest management strategies for certain frequently encountered situations.

– a video to help people recognize smooth ragweed!

EO4EU Platform Launch: Bridging the Gap to Earth Observation Data

May 29, 2024 IRS_Admin

With the increasing demand for EO data, the EO4EU Project set the objective of providing simplified access to different EO data sources. By leveraging AI/ML, knowledge graphs and other innovative technologies, the recently launched EO4EU Platform enables EO data processing and analysis for a broad range of users. As a result, the Platform offers a rich set of features and tools not only for experts in the field, but also for academia, policy-makers, businesses and the general public.

Interested in learning more?