Dear Group Members,
Please help this researcher from South Africa. I have suggested
to join our group for interaction and more information. Books by
Mahadevappa sir will help a lot-I think.

regards
Pankaj Oudhia

------ Original Message ------
Received: Mon, 13 Nov 2006 12:30:50 AM MST
From: Helmuth Zimmermann <helmuthzim@...>
To: pankaj.oudhia@...
Subject: Parthenium

Dear Dr Oudhia,
My name is Helmuth Zimmermann and I am an entomologist and have
worked
all my life on the biologiocal control of weeds in South Africa
(Plant
Protection Research Institute). I received your e-mail address from
Dr.
Dhileepan and Rachel McFadyen from Australia who thought that you
could
be assistance to us.
I am involved in a desktop study sponsored by GISP on the potential
impact of Parthenium hysterophorus in South Africa. As you are aware
this weed is now in the exponential phase of population increase and
we
are very concerned about its long-term impacts it may have.
I have scanned the literature on this topic and there are many
references from India which unfortunately are not easily available
in
South Africa. e.g. from conference proceedings.Many publication that
deal with impacts do not give any quantitative data that we can use
in
our models.
I would appreciate it if you could identify a
publication/report/contact
person that could give me some information on the following"
1) some quantitative data on the effect/cost on human health, e.g. ??
%
of people in Bangalore (or any other region) suffer from dermatitis
(AECD) or from allergic rhinitis or bronchitis causing on average ??
days absence from work costing approximately ?? R for medication.
2) There is a total lack of any quantitative data on the impact of
Parthenium invasions on biodiversity.
3) % loss or reduction of domestic herbivores because of pasture
loss
caused by Parthenium invasions. There is some information on the
effect
of Parthenium on cattle and buffaloes but it does not give an idea
what
this is costing the country/districh/state.
4) The cost of control: There is much information on the descriptive
impact of parthenium on various crops and how to control it. But I
can
not extrapolate this to South Africa because it mentions local
currencies of 20 years ago etc. What I need is for example man-hours
needed to clear 1 ha of dense parthenium weed in /
crops/roadsides/open
public land etc. or % loss of income or yield per ha of parthenium
in
a specific crop.
I realize that this is not easy to answer but any information, even
unpublished information but coming from a reliable expert, will be
welcome. I received some useful information from Australia
(Queensland)
but again, this applies to large commercial farmers . In South
Africa we
also have a large component of subsistence (small-scale) farmers and
the Indian situation could also be applicable to these farmers.
This study is meant to alert politicians of the looming threat and
that
actions need to be put in place NOW and not in 10 years time. Africa
as
a whole is extremely vulnerable and the Indian experience will be of
much value to us.
I will be most grateful for any information.
Kind regards
Helmuth Zimmermann
helmuthzim@...
www.hza.co.za