Research and Development for Biological Control of Arundo Donax

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), is offering funding for research and development related to the biological control of Arundo donax (giant cane) in southern California. The primary goal of this funding opportunity is to assess and develop biological control mechanisms to manage the invasive species, which negatively impacts water resources, native habitats, and flood control infrastructure. The initiative will focus on evaluating the effectiveness of current biological control agents, optimizing release and monitoring strategies, and analyzing their impact on the plant’s growth, biomass allocation, and water-use efficiency.

Giant cane is an invasive, perennial grass that was introduced to North America in the 1500s and has since expanded aggressively, particularly in riparian areas of arid environments. It consumes vast amounts of water and outcompetes native vegetation, leading to significant ecological and economic impacts. The management costs of giant cane are high, exceeding $250,000 per acre in some areas near Los Angeles due to the labor-intensive removal process. Despite the success of biological control programs in Texas, their effectiveness in southern California remains largely untested, necessitating further study to determine their feasibility.

The research will be structured into three main objectives: (1) collaborating with ERDC to develop a biological control plan to evaluate the types and magnitudes of control for A. donax, (2) identifying the most effective biological control release strategy, including natural population increases, traditional release-and-wait methods, and inundative releases, and (3) determining the impact of biological control on key ecological factors such as plant density, water use, vegetation diversity, and flood conveyance. The results will contribute to a guidance document aimed at informing invasive species management efforts in arid, flood-prone habitats.

This funding opportunity is available only to non-federal partners of the Californian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). The program will be fully funded by USACE, with an estimated total program funding of $395,000 distributed over five years. The first-year award ceiling is $120,000, with subsequent funding set at $75,000 per year for years two through four, and $50,000 for year five. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement for applicants.

The application process follows a two-phase approach. In Phase I, interested applicants must submit a Statement of Interest (SOI) by March 14, 2025, at 2:00 PM Central Time. This submission should include organizational details, relevant qualifications, past projects, available resources, and expertise. Selected applicants will be invited to Phase II, requiring a full proposal submission by April 14, 2025, at 2:00 PM Central Time. The final award(s) will be issued based on technical merit, relevance to Department of Defense objectives, and expertise in invasive plant species management.

For more details, applicants can contact Stacy Thurman (Stacy.D.Thurman@usace.army.mil) for administrative inquiries. The funding announcement and application forms are available on Grants.gov. Applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and comply with federal guidelines regarding research ethics, data management, and environmental compliance.