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Page last updated at 07:48 GMT, Tuesday, 9 March 2010

'Superweed' predator to be released

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A tiny Japanese insect, Psyllid, is to be released in England in a deliberate effort to control one of the most invasive plant species in Britain, Japanese knotweed. The plant has spread across the country, undermining buildings, destroying flood defences and costing millions of pounds a year to clear up.

Dr Dick Shaw, lead researcher on the project, explains the controlled introduction of a new species into the environment.

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