Areas with increased ambrosia occurrence remain the same, parts of Pomurje among the most critical

The areas with increased presence of ragweed remain unchanged, with parts of the Pomurje region among the most critical. A slight increase in micro-populations of ragweed has been observed along local roads. The current period marks the flowering season of ragweed, which particularly affects allergy sufferers. Ragweed, specifically the common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), is one of the most harmful weeds in Slovenia, causing problems and additional costs in agriculture. It leads to greater economic damage, especially in ecological farming, where chemical weed control is not permitted. The overall municipal administration of Most has informed that preventing the negative effects of ragweed can only be achieved through consistent removal and prevention of its flowering or seed formation. According to officials, mandatory eradication of harmful plants from the Ambrosia genus has been required since 2010. Landowners are obligated to remove ragweed both on agricultural and non-agricultural land. They emphasized that the plants must be removed before flowering, which typically begins at the end of July and lasts until late October, peaking in August and early September. July is considered the optimal time for identification, as the plant is still visible before it flowers, making it easier to eradicate. Monitoring efforts by Maribor Faculty of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering have shown that while the rapid increase in population sizes has slowed in recent years, the proportion of agricultural land affected by ragweed continues to rise slowly. Data indicates that the share of farmland where ragweed appears has gradually increased over the past decade. However, the proportion of land with large populations and unsuccessful eradication efforts has remained relatively stable. Despite a lack of some effective herbicides, experts believe knowledge among farmers regarding the management of ragweed and success rates in eradication have improved significantly over the last ten years. There has been an increase in the presence of natural regulators of ragweed populations, such as the extent of fungal infections and damage caused by herbivores. If individuals encounter sites where ragweed grows, they can report them to the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Affairs, and Plant Protection, located in the regional office in Murska Sobota. Reports can be made via phone at 02 521 43 40 or email at [email protected]. Removal of ragweed also incurs fees. For physical persons, the cost ranges from 200 to 600 euros, while legal entities face charges from 800 to 33,000 euros. Independent businesses are charged between 400 and 16,000 euros. Last year, the size of ragweed populations on farmland was assessed as high in the Pomurje region. The proportion of affected land reached 70 percent on the Murska field, 69 percent on the area from Hodše to Murska Sobota, and 59 percent in the Lendava valley. Experts noted that there has been a noticeable slowdown in the expansion of ragweed populations over the past five years. They stated that the areas with increased presence remain the same, Murska field, Ptuj field, and Krško-Brežiško field. The proportion of fields with large populations generally does not increase. This suggests that most farmers have learned to select appropriate herbicides for major crops and apply them timely. Lešnik added that herbicides are largely successful on cornfields, but more difficulties arise on fields where soybeans, sunflowers, and other crops are grown. Experts also pointed out that the issue of roadways presents a challenge. While populations have not increased on lands adjacent to state highways, there are more micro-populations along local roads. In the Vašk region, the problem lies in the roadside paths between fields and local roads, where municipal communal services do not perform mulching due to the expectation that farmers will handle it themselves. The most critical areas remain those with high intensity of agricultural activity.