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Hunting News Latest Hunting News Duckweed dinner 
| Duckweed dinner |
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| Written by Mark England | |
| Wednesday, 27 February 2008 | |
 East Texas pond covered with duckweed provides high-protein food and holds larvae and insects for ducks, but when overgrown can harm the fish population. Photo by Ron Gard. With a name like duckweed, you’d think ducks would be daffy for the stuff. But wildlife biologists insist that it’s more a case of availability than preference when ducks chow down on duckweed, the world’s smallest flowering plant. “To me, it’s misnamed,” said Keith McKnight, a regional biologist for Ducks Unlimited who is based in Tyler. “It’s not bad for ducks, but it’s not something that ducks really seek out.” Duckweed consists of a round, flat body with, in some cases, tiny roots that dangle underneath the water. The three major species of duckweed are lesser duckweed, which grows to 4 millimeters across and has a single root; big duckweed, which can reach 10 millimeters and has a cluster of roots; and watermeal, which rarely grows larger than 1 millimeter. Even in winter, duckweed keeps its green color. However, while alive, the plant’s real growth occurs in spring and summer, experts say. Hunters and anglers may have witnessed ducks shredding a pond or lake of duckweed, but looks can be deceiving as far as the plant’s succulence, said Kevin Hartke, a wetland habitat and waterfowl specialist for Texas Parks and Wildlife. “They will eat a lot of it,” Hartke said. “But they have to eat a lot of it to get the nutrition they need. It’s all about nutrition.” Compared to some plants, duckweed is relatively high in nutrition. For example, duckweed has 2.5 times as much protein per acre as the best alfalfa pasture and 10 times as much protein as a soybean field. However, plant foods like millet, smartweed and rice offer “more bang for the buck” to ducks, McKnight said. “If you look at duck food habitat studies, duckweed doesn’t come out as being preferred,” he said. “I think part of it has to do with digestibility. Duckweed has a waxy coating that hampers its digestion. It’s sort of an OK food for ducks.” Duckweed, though, can serve as a healthy “soup” for ducks, holding treats such as larvae, insects or other invertebrates, McKnight said. “As we turn the corner to spring, waterfowl are gearing up to reproduce and the protein in invertebrates is invaluable,” he said. Ultimately, duckweed may offer more benefits to man than ducks. Genetic engineers see the plant as a way to produce cheaper and safer pharmaceuticals. With duckweed, there is the absence of potentially dangerous animal proteins and viruses, which simplifies production and lowers manufacturing costs. Also, scientists are studying ways to use duckweed to improve wastewater processing systems. Many outdoorsmen, especially those with ponds, consider duckweed a pest. Duckweed has a phenomenal growth rate: A square inch of lesser duckweed, for example, can cover an acre in 55 days. Duckweed can quickly overpower other plants and cover a pond. In such cases, duckweed can block out the sunlight, harming the pond’s oxygen level and disrupting its natural balance. TPW often fields calls from people wanting to rid their pond of duckweed, Hartke said. “It’s better than having algae,” he said. “But as it dies off, it can lower the oxygen level in the water and affect the fish population. Usually, though, callers are more concerned about the aesthetics than anything else.” While not many people purposely transplant duckweed into ponds or lakes, the job is done for them by the wind and birds. “If you have a pond, it will probably get there by itself,” said Dave Morrison, TPW waterfowl program leader. “Most ponds that are created eventually have duckweed. Just see that you have a variety of stuff to offer waterfowl. That’s the key. You don’t like to eat the same thing every day and neither do ducks.” |
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 01 March 2008 ) |
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