On May 20, 2005, Roger Batt, Idaho Weed Awareness Campaign Coordinator, Dave Hallinan, Superintendent of Bannock County Noxious Weed Control, and Jeffery Petingill, Superintendent of Bonneville County Noxious Weed Control visited this infestation of Dyer's Woad found in the foothills above the Portneuf River near McCammon. Roger asks Dave to talk about this noxious weed and why it is a problem in Idaho. Dave replies that Dyer’s Woad has been known as a source of blue dye (indigo) since the 13th century, and it was widely cultivated in England until 1930. Indigotine, the chemical producing the blue dye, is located in the leaves, and produced through fermentation.
Dave also explains that since it is listed as a noxious weed in Idaho, Bannock County has started a unique “Bag a Woad” program. The county tries to get as many land owners and citizens involved in identifying weeds and find out how serious a problem they are. One of the things Bannock County does to educate the public is to pay $10 for every 40 pounds of Dyer’s Woad that people bring to the landfill. In 2004, 300 participants bagged over 95 tons. In 2005, in just 6 days, they pulled over 74 tons of Dyer’s Woad. At 10,000 seeds per plant and 40 plants in 100 pounds, approximately 7 billion, 400 million seeds never hit the ground because of the “Bag a Woad” program that year.
Note that there are several video "hot spots" available which provide a lot more detailed information.
Panorama and video taken 5/20/05
