Lack of quarantine checks raises concern for import of exotic weeds &
diseases

Posted: Sep 05, 2005 at 0102 hrs IST
Updated: Sep 05, 2005 at 0102 hrs IST

Food imports so far have not been against a price. The country paid a
heavy price for imports of wheat under PL-480 from US in the pre-Green
Revolution days, when the Parthenium weed found its way into India
with the imports.

Even today, due to lack of proper quarantine and sanitary and
phytosanitary checks at the points of entry exotic weeds and plant
diseases are entering the country through imports of food and agri
products.

The exotic Parthenium weeds were first detected in 1956 in Pune in
Maharashtra. Since its first occurrence, this weed has spread to all
parts of the country, including the remote parts like northeast India,
Andaman & Nicobar Islands and the Lakshadweep group of islands.

Experts say the food imports was done under compulsions of scarcity.
It was then a necessity. But what we lacked was proper quarantine
checks at the points of entry. Recently the government has formulated
a Plant Quarantine Order for imports.

But proper mechanism is yet to be put in place for its effective
implementation.

The director of the Jabalpur-based National Research Centre for Weed
Science (NRCWS), Dr NT Yaduraju, says that, apart from the deadly
Parthenium, many other exotic weeds have entered the country like
Mile-a-Minute and Chormolinia.

The Parthenium weed is otherwise called Gajar Ghas, literally meaning
leaves of carrot. It is also called ‘Congress weed’, reminding of its
imports under the then Congress rule. Similarly, the Chormolina weed
first detected in Kerala is called ‘Communist weed’.

The long-drawn battle against Parthenium is still on, says Dr
Yadaraju. “We have now found an effective weapon to fight Parthenium.
We have about two lakh imported Mexican beetle in the last three
years. This insect eats up the leaves of Parthenium and does not harm
any other crop. We are ‘multiplying this insect and distributing
through our 22 centres spread across the country. We have also
distributed to about 150 out of 400 krishi vigyan kendra (KVKs).”

Apart from sucking useful nutrient from the crop fields, Parthenium is
known to cause diseases like asthma, allergy and skin disorders.
Airborne pollen may cause severe allergic rhinitis in some
individuals. While the farmer takes care in removing Parthenium from
fields through manual means and sprays, the concern remains about its
presence in non-crop lands, say Dr Yaduraju.

He says that biological control method through Mexican Beetle
(Zygogramma bicolorata) is likely to be slow. Hence this programme
needs to be integrated with plantation of suitable competitative
plants available locally like Cassia tora (Chakada), C serecia and
marigold. These plants would suppress Parthenium spread, he says. Mr
Yaduraju says that NRCWS has also found out some useful use of Parthenium.

The stems of this plant are being used to prepared wooden laminates.
Both leaves and stem are used for preparation of green manure mixing
it with cowdung. He also says that Parthenium is being used as a
medicinal plant in different parts of the globe. Every year NRCWS
launches a Parthenium Awareness week beginning August 26 to September 1.

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