Ag inspectors detain rail car with invasive weed

Ag inspectors detain rail car with invasive weed U.S. agriculture specialists recently prevented from entering the country a rail container containing various seeds of itchgrass, a noxious weed that can cause starvation in cattle, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.
   The intercept occurred at the Eagle Pass, Texas, crossing with Mexico during a routine inspection of railcars in late May.
   Itchgrass is an aggressive weed native to tropical Asia and Africa that displaces other grasses and has needle-like hairs on its leaf sheaths that break off in the skin and can cause painful infections. Cattle or other livestock who eat itchgrass will get cracked lips and to avoid the pain they simply stop eating.
   CBP agriculture specialists detained the railcar until it could be cleaned. They supervised the cleaning to ensure that no federal noxious weeds remained before it was allowed to proceed northbound.