'Bio-terrorism caused by weeds should be checked'

Coimbatore (PTI): With the monetary loss caused by weeds estimated to
be Rs. 3,000 crores in India, care should be taken that invasive weeds
did not gain entry into the country, as happened in the case of two
noxious weeds-- presopis and parthenium--Tamil Nadu Agricultural
Univesity Vice Chancellor, Dr C Ramasamy has said.

The world food loss due to weeds, considered to be agents of
bio-terrorism, was alarming and was estimated to be around 287 million
tonnes (MT), accounting for 11.5 per cent of total food production,
Ramasamy said, while inaugurating a five-day training on National
Invasive Weed Surveillance (NIWS), here, on Thursday.

The crop yield loss in cereals in India was estimated at 33 mt, pulses
20 mt, oilseeds 26 mt and fibre and commercial crop accounted for
eight mt, he said.

Stating that India imported large quantity of wheat, which was
supplied to the consumers, mostly residing in the rural areas, through
PDS, Ramasamy said in view of this, NIWS project was launched with a
budget outlay of Rs. 666.45 lakhs for a two year period (2008-10) to
detect and check exotic weeds that gained entry through imported wheat.

The project aimed at detecting the establishment of the regulated
weeds and to formulate eradication programmes to avoid future spread,
he said.

The training is organised at the University in association with
National Research Centre for Weed Science, Jabalpur and around 25
participants comprising Areca coordinators and scientists from
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are participating.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/015200809192040.htm