For example, governments may decide to quarantine infested areas to prevent further movement of a serious weed problem. It was introduced into North and South Carolina in the 1950s and it was placed under federal and state quarantine in 1957. Now, some 35 years later, the original infestation of 430,000 acres was reduced to 387,000 acres in 1980 and is now down to 48,000 acres with just scattered infestations. Only in 1975 did the United States enact a Federal Noxious Weed Act. While no one believes that this is a fool-proof system, it has been helpful.
Many states have noxious weed laws.
The state of Nebraska has one of the most active programs. While most states have not been as active as Nebraska, the noxious weed laws do point out what are the weeds of concern and most producers then realize that extra efforts to contain and control these species is both warranted and probably a legal requirement. Additionally, state seed certification laws and perhaps feed laws also regulate the species for which weed seeds are either prohibited or restricted. Another aspect of prevention is to not allow weeds in fields to reproduce. By preventing seed production, the number of seeds in the soil will certainly be reduced and perhaps we can approach eradication of species with relatively short seed longevity in the soil.