Tuber bank

The tuber bank is the population of viable tubers — small starchy storage organs — accumulated in the sediment of a hydrilla-infested water body. Hydrilla tubers remain viable in sediment for 4+ years, sprouting whenever conditions allow. This is why hydrilla is so hard to eradicate: a single year of perfect treatment kills the visible plants but leaves the tuber bank, which repopulates the water body within 2 seasons. A meaningful tuber bank reduction requires multi-year continuous suppression or hydraulic dredging that physically removes the sediment.