Orsaken till att åkerfräken är så vanlig längs de Svenska järnvägarna är just användningen av glyfosfat (Roundup), den slår ut alla andra ogräs och åkerfräken kan växa fritt utan konkurrens:
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Following the intensive use of glyphosate, Equisetum arvense L, common horsetail, has become a very common weed. Glyphosate has no or very little effect on E arvense, but is very effective against most other weeds on the embankments. Therefore, because of the intensive use of glyphosate, certain railway lines are today heavily infested with E arvense."
DOI: 10.1002/ps.856
"This suggests that most of the herbicide treatments did not damage the extensive root system sufficiently to stop considerable regrowth, with herbicides such as triclopyr+picloram,
glyphosate and metsulfuron failing to give adequate control of this weed in the field."
http://www.nzpps.org/journal/63/nzpp_631020.pdf