If you are facing problem in viewing the group files, please get yahoo
id to view it.
Are you talking about any other password??
You can get complete details about Parthenium conference also from
http://www.botanicalboards.org/poudhia/viewtopic.php?t=170
Pankaj Oudhia
--- In IPRNG@..., "gerald seeley" <gerrylois@m...> wrote:
> Password doesn.t work, please advise
>
> Gerry & Lois Seeley
>
Password doesn.t work, please advise
Gerry & Lois Seeley
-----Original Message-----
From: IPRNG@...
Sent: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 01:48:18 -0700
To: IPRNG@...
Subject: [IPRNG] Digest Number 33
There are 2 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. (unknown)
From: "ashwani goyal" <goyal_ashwani@...>
2. SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PARTHENIUM MANAGEMENT
From: "Pankaj Oudhia" <pankajoudhia@...>
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 01:41:23 +0000
From: "ashwani goyal" <goyal_ashwani@...>
Subject: (unknown)
Thank U very much to include me in the group
<DIV>Dr Ashwani Kumar Goyal</DIV>
<DIV>Reader and Head Department of Botany</DIV>
<DIV>Govt. P.G.College, Sector 39, NOIDA-201 301 INDIA</DIV>
0120-275223(uprtou)
<DIV>91-120-24133333</DIV>
<DIV>Cell-9868862160</DIV></html>
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 06:23:02 -0000
From: "Pankaj Oudhia" <pankajoudhia@...>
Subject: SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PARTHENIUM MANAGEMENT
For new members.
SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PARTHENIUM MANAGEMENT
December 5-7, 2005, Bangalore
The details are available at
http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/IPRNG/files/
regards
Pankaj Oudhia
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recent publication on Parthenium.
Jeyalakshmi, C., Doraiswamy, S. and Vallurapaidasan, V. (2005). Status
of Parthenium diseases in Tamil Nadu. Indian J. Weed Sci. 37(1&2)147-
148.
For new members.
SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PARTHENIUM MANAGEMENT
December 5-7, 2005, Bangalore
The details are available at
http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/IPRNG/files/
regards
Pankaj Oudhia
Thank U very much to include me in the group
<DIV>Dr Ashwani Kumar Goyal</DIV>
<DIV>Reader and Head Department of Botany</DIV>
<DIV>Govt. P.G.College, Sector 39, NOIDA-201 301 INDIA</DIV>
0120-275223(uprtou)
<DIV>91-120-24133333</DIV>
<DIV>Cell-9868862160</DIV></html>
1. Yes. It is still a menace in Indfia in most parts. In parts of Karnataka, its intensity is very much reduced due to adoption of the IPWM (inegrated parthenium weed mwnagement )Technology.
2. Cassia sericia is one of the botanical agents used to chek the invation of Parthenium. It will not work in all situations. There are about 10 agents identified and different combinations work in diffrerent situations. One combination cannot work every where. Also release of Mexican beetle has helped to some extent.. It is possible to identify agents throuh a survey in the area which needs to be taken up for freeinf from mparthenium menace
M Mahadevappa
Pankaj Oudhia <pankajoudhia@...> wrote:
Received: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 10:44:53 PM MDT From: subramanyan jayaraman <jtechnicon@...> To: pankaj.oudhia@...: jayaraman@... Subject: Parthenium
17-10-05 Dear Pankaj,
Greetings.
I need your help to get answers to 2 questions of mine related to parthenium. 1. Is is still a menace in India? If so to what extent?
2.I am told CASSIA- a plant - Leguminosi Family- could be used to control parthenium. The best part is cassia contains 22% protein which could nourish the population also. Growing is simple. Is that so?
Received: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 12:50:48 AM MDT From: "Arvindbhai Dave" <aj_dave29@...> To: pankaj.oudhia@... Subject:
Dear Pankajbhai I, Arvindbhai Dave
have been serving as a science teacher in PTC Mahila College connected with Gajera Educational Institute at Amreli (Dist. Amreli, Gujarat).
Our Amreli district is highly affected from PARTHENIUM which is highly dangerous to human as well as animal life. I have made working scissor for removing PARTHENIUM. PARTHENIUM can easily and effectively be removed by the use this scissor with more scientific work can be done on this field.
My contact details Arvindbhai Dave PTC Mahila College, Patel Sankul, Amreli Email- aj_dave29@... Website- www.lptrustshgsankul.com
-----------------
Please reply to them and send cc to the group also.
Pankaj Oudhia
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. M. Mahadevappa
Received: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 10:44:53 PM MDT
From: subramanyan jayaraman <jtechnicon@...>
To: pankaj.oudhia@...: jayaraman@...
Subject: Parthenium
17-10-05
Dear Pankaj,
Greetings.
I need your help to get answers to 2 questions of mine related to
parthenium.
1. Is is still a menace in India? If so to what extent?
2.I am told CASSIA- a plant - Leguminosi Family- could be used to
control parthenium. The best part is cassia contains 22% protein
which could nourish the population also. Growing is simple. Is that
so?
regards
Rtn.S.Jayaraman.
-------------------------------------------
Received: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 12:50:48 AM MDT
From: "Arvindbhai Dave" <aj_dave29@...>
To: pankaj.oudhia@...
Subject:
Dear Pankajbhai
I, Arvindbhai Dave have been serving as a science teacher in PTC
Mahila College connected with Gajera Educational Institute at Amreli
(Dist. Amreli, Gujarat).
Our Amreli district is highly affected from PARTHENIUM which
is highly dangerous to human as well as animal life.
I have made working scissor for removing PARTHENIUM.
PARTHENIUM can easily and effectively be removed by the use this
scissor with more scientific work can be done on this field.
My contact details
Arvindbhai Dave
PTC Mahila College,
Patel Sankul,
Amreli
Email- aj_dave29@...
Website- www.lptrustshgsankul.com
-----------------
Please reply to them and send cc to the group also.
Pankaj Oudhia
Dear Group Members,
I have received a query from Dr.Léonard. Detailed message is
given below. Please help him.
regards
Pankaj Oudhia
--------------------
------ Original Message ------
Received: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 06:53:30 PM IST
From: "Renaud Leonard" <renaud.leonard@...>
To: <pankajoudhia@...>
Subject: Parthenium hysterophorus
Dear M. Oudhia,
I am curently working on a major allergen from a plant named
Artemisia vulgaris. Parthenium hysterophorus certainly possesses a
related allergen and to study this I am looking for some pollen from
Parthenium hysterophorus. I read on internet that you work on this
plant, do you have any idea where I could find this plant ?
Sincerely yours.
Renaud Léonard
Renaud Léonard
Department für Chemie der Universität für Bodenkultur
Muthgasse 18
Wien
Austria
Tel: 0043-1-36006-6065
Fax: 0043-1-30006-6059
WEED WARRIORS RIDE NATIONWIDE
ENVIROWEEDS MAIL LIST
The sender is: Kelly Scott <kelly.scott@...>
Oct 12 2005
WEED WARRIORS RIDE NATIONWIDE
A new generation of Australians is emerging to protect the native
landscape and wildlife of the continent into the future.
Children at 200 schools in five states and territories have joined a
nationwide crusade to tackle one of our gravest environmental perils -
the progressive invasion of the native landscape by alien plants.
Primary students are now performing a task previously reserved for
scientists - breeding and releasing the natural enemies (usually
insects) of invasive plants like bridal creeper, gorse, Paterson's
curse, blue heliotrope, lantana and mimosa.
Known as "Weed Warriors", the students are not only learning about a
major environmental menace to Australia, but also that they have the
power to do something about it, says national co-ordinator Kate
McArthur, of the Weeds CRC.
"By studying both plants and their natural enemies, students learn a
huge amount about how nature works - while at the same time
understanding they have the ability to help fix the problem and to
protect their local landscape," Ms McArthur explains.
Started in Victoria in 2002, the Weed Warriors program has since
spread
to schools in South Australia, New South Wales, the ACT and Northern
Territory. It is due to start in Queensland this year, and in Western
Australia and Tasmania soon after. Work in WA will build on earlier
activities there by CSIRO involving school children.
Weed Warrior schools form partnerships with other schools and local
land
and environmental managers to tackle particular pest plants. For the
first time this is giving Australian city students a chance to play a
part in protecting the rural landscape.
"Often city people feel powerless to do anything about the degradation
of our bush landscape," Ms McArthur says. "This is one program which
offers them a direct chance to do something positive about it."
The six-week modules involve students in learning about plants, ways
to
control them, identifying weed threats in their local area and
planning
control programs. Much of the learning is out-doors and hands-on.
The Weed Warriors program creates mentor relationships between
students
and local farmers, landholders and natural resource managers who guide
the children and foster their passion for the landscape and its
preservation.
"For many children the project provides a first real relationship with
landscape", says Ms McArthur. "It's the kind of thing they'll never
forget. We really need to foster a sense of connection to and
responsibility for our landscape in our young people."
The CRC also has a national 'Lord of the Weeds' schools competition,
in
which school students prepare reports describing strategies to manage
weeds in their area.
Project manager Susanna Greig, based at the University of New England,
says that in 'Ghastly Guests', an upper primary unit of work, students
learn the basics about how plants invade the landscape, the problems
they cause and how they can be controlled. The CRC has also recently
launched a new interactive on-line game for students called 'Weed
Wipeout', available at:
www.weeds.crc.org.au/for_schools/weedwipeout_flash.html
Through the schools and their local networks, it is estimated that
more
than 15,000 Australians have now been recruited as Weed Warriors. As
word spreads, more and more schools are seeking to introduce the
program.
The national target is 600 schools within a few years, which has been
assisted recently by a grant of $432,000 from the Natural Heritage
Trust
to employ four new part-time Weed Warrior co-ordinators at state
level.
"For the first time these new resources and programs for schools offer
hope that we can build an awareness about invasive plants amongst
young
Australians, Ms McArthur said.
"The students and their country urgently need it."
More information:
Kate McArthur, Weeds CRC and Vic. Dept of Primary Industries, 03 9785
0111 or 0414 855 909
Vicki Hawker, Weeds CRC and SA Dept of Water, Land and Biodiversity
Conservation, 08 830-39501 or 0419 869 931 (available afternoon 12
Oct,
and 13 Oct)
Susanna Greig, Weeds CRC, 02-6773 2809, email
susanna.greig@...
Peter Martin, Weeds CRC, 0429 830 366 (not available pm Wed Oct 12)
http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/for_schools/weed_warriors.html
PICTURES of Weed Warriors and vision opportunities available.
Contact kate.mcarthur@... or ph 03 9785 0111
Evolution of clinical pattern of parthenium dermatitis: a study of 74
cases
Vinod K. Sharma1*, Gomathy Sethuraman1 and Radhakrishna Bhat1
Our aim was to study the evolution of clinical pattern of parthenium
dermatitis. Patients with clinical picture consistent with parthenium
dermatitis for 3 years or more along with positive patch test to
parthenium were studied. Patients were questioned regarding the site
(s) of dermatitis at the onset and change in localization in the
following years. Patients were classified into airborne contact
dermatitis, chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) pattern or mixed pattern
dermatitis. There were 74 patients (49 men and 25 women) with an age
range of 2270 years and the mean duration of 7.7 years. 60 (39 men
and 21 women) patients had airborne contact dermatitis, 5 mixed
pattern and 9 CAD pattern at the onset. Of the 60 patients with
airborne contact dermatitis, 27 (19 men and 8 women) changed to CAD
pattern and 11 (6 men and 5 women) to mixed pattern after an average
period of 4.2 years. Of the 19 patients photopatch-tested with
parthenium, 3 showed photoallergic reaction and the other 3 showed
photoaggravation. Our results suggest that the clinical pattern of
parthenium dermatitis undergoes a significant change after the onset,
i.e. progresses from airborne contact dermatitis to mixed pattern or
CAD pattern.
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.0105-
1873.2005.00652.x
===========================
SHORT REPORT Management of parthenium weed through competitive
displacement with beneficial plants
C O'DONNELL, SW ADKINS - Weed Biology and Management, 2005 -
blackwell-synergy.com
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1445-
6664.2005.00160.x?cookieSet=1
It is very shocking and there is need to take precautionary measures to stop
this. Actually in railway stations and in hotels they do not clean Dhania
leaves before cooking. we have to create awareness among people.
Dr.A.K.Pandey
TFRI, Jabalpur
>From: "Pankaj Oudhia" <pankajoudhia@...>
>Reply-To: IPRNG@...
>To: IPRNG@...
>Subject: [IPRNG] Parthenium leaves in Indian Railways Food ?????
>Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2005 16:25:56 -0000
>
>'Yes, not only this, you know now a days what is happening in the
>kitchen room maintain by the departmental cooks ?
>
>You know " Parthineam " found in the dhaniya leaves. Without
>separating they are cutting in a small piceies and preparing curry,
>and other type of breyani's etc, not only in railway station canteens
>but also in the pantry cars.'
>
>Pinto Mehara (One Man Army, DG, Mentally Handicapped Associaton)
>Quote taken from Indian Railways Suggestion board.
>http://www.irsuggestions.org/asplistthread1.asp?Id=126514
>
>(Dhaniya is local name of Coriander).
>
>
>=============
>If it is true ,it is very objectionble and immediate action is
>required. Dear Group Members from India please keep view on this
>shocking comment.
>
>
>regards
>Pankaj Oudhia
>
>
>
>
>
'Yes, not only this, you know now a days what is happening in the
kitchen room maintain by the departmental cooks ?
You know " Parthineam " found in the dhaniya leaves. Without
separating they are cutting in a small piceies and preparing curry,
and other type of breyani's etc, not only in railway station canteens
but also in the pantry cars.'
Pinto Mehara (One Man Army, DG, Mentally Handicapped Associaton)
Quote taken from Indian Railways Suggestion board.
http://www.irsuggestions.org/asplistthread1.asp?Id=126514
(Dhaniya is local name of Coriander).
=============
If it is true ,it is very objectionble and immediate action is
required. Dear Group Members from India please keep view on this
shocking comment.
regards
Pankaj Oudhia
Instead of clicking the link please use copy and paste method.I am
pasting this article here for your ease.
regards
pankaj
=====================
The jumbo highway
Karnataka is the first in the country to notify an Elephant Corridor
and two of them are already in place including the Kanniyanpura
Corridor near Moyar River at the Bandipur National Park and the
Bekkattur Arabikere Corridor that connects the Kollegal Reserve
Forest division to Billigiri Ranga Sanctuary, Malini Shankar tells
us.
The elephant corridors are part of the Elephant Reserve 7, which has
been christened the Mysore Elephant Reserve by the Karnataka Forest
Department. This Elephant Reserve 7 originates in the Nilgiris and
connects the Eastern Ghats to the Western Ghats, through the Nilgiris
Biosphere Reserve.
This reserve further connects to the Brahmagiri Thirunelli Elephant
Corridor. Professor Raman Sukumar, chairman of the Centre For
Ecological Sciences in the Indian Institute of Science, a well-known
pachyderm scientist, explains "the land for the Arabikere corridor
has been purchased by the Wildlife Trust of India, in association
with the Asian Elephant Research and Conservation Centre and it will
be eventually handed over to the State Forest Department so that this
land gets incorporated into the protected area and not diverted for
any non wildlife purpose."
Protected area network
The Elephant Reserve seeks to provide a protected area network for
the preferred migratory paths of the gentle beast. This corridor
connects Nilgiris through the Erode Hills, Dharmapuri Hills, Thali
forest to Anekal forests, the Bannerghatta Biological Park, Cauvery
Wildlife sanctuary, Malai Mahadeshwara Hills, Kollegal forests,
Sathyamangalam Plains, Billigiri Ranga Temple Wildlife Sanctuary,
Mudumalai, Bandipur National Park, (all Eastern Ghats) Wynad, WL
sanctuary (in Kerala) Nagarhole National Park, to Brahmagiri Hills in
the Western Ghats. This elephant reserve spreads over an area
6,724.87 square kilometres. This reserve has the highest number of
wild Asian elephant population in the whole world.
The purpose of the corridor is to provide connectivity of elephant
habitats. Since the habitat is getting fragmented, the need for
strengthening these connecting forest areas and migrating paths of
the endangered Asian elephant is critical.
The Kanniyanpura corridor was possible thanks to the funds that the
Project Elephant allocated to the Karnataka Forest Department. Says
Prof Sukumar "the idea is that the elephants should be able to use
the said land to freely move between the BRTWL sanctuary and the
forests of the Kollegal division freely."
The department bought additional 300 odd metres of land from the
revenue department near Moyar Gorge at the Karnataka-TN border. The
extra land enabled realignment of the elephant protection trench and
then the corridor was no longer just 50 metres at its narrowest
point – it became 350 metres.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests, facilitated the buying of
this land through the Project Elephant. Habitat conservation is
crucial for conservation of sustainable elephant population and
conserving the genetic diversity of the existing herds.
Besides, like Project Tiger, the Project Elephant too seeks to
protect habitat for a variety of endangered species like wild dogs,
tigers, bos gaurus, sambar and other kinds of deer, elephants, avian
fauna smaller mammals and not the least, reptiles, butterflies etc.
Estimates of elephant population in this reserve by wildlife
biologists, forest officials and scientists vary; they opine that
there are atleast 4,500 to 8,000 elephants roaming in this vast area.
This is the largest elephant population in Asia and also the largest
protected area dedicated exclusively to the Asian elephant anywhere
in the world.
Man-Elephant conflict
However the elephants do not exactly have green meadows everywhere to
trumpet home about. Realities like human-elephant conflict,
fragmentation of habitat, and poaching are the main challenges to
elephant conservation.
Human-elephant conflict arises from shrinking elephant habitats -
these are habitats, which are usurped by man to cultivate food
grains. Until land use policy is legislated, encroachment will
remain. Another reason is selective crop raiding. Once elephants
taste a certain crop there is no stopping them. Unless we create
enough awareness among poor farmers that they can indeed change
cropping patterns.
Plantation owners
"Plantation owners must abstain from burying illicit country made
liquor on forest fringe plantations. Farmers must also abstain from
cultivating sugarcane in farms that abut forest fringes. Compensation
to farmers must be expedited and scientifically validated.
The ideal solution would be alternate cropping and extensive buffer
zone plantations. Compensation remains a short-sighted method insofar
as it is not a long term solution," opines Madhusudan, Project
Officer of the Asian Elephant Research and Conservation Centre in the
Centre for Ecological Sciences at Indian Institute of Science
Bangalore.
Adds Prof Sukumar "there has to be a legislation to protect
corridors. The land use policy has to be defined and backed by
administrative cooperation, and political will.
Challenges to habitat conservation remain - in that revenue lands
with forest cover - titled C and D class lands have to be transferred
to the forest department, there will be opportunities to restore
forest land as per the stipulations of the Kyoto Protocol." Other
challenges include pockets of plantations in the midst of forest
areas where "estate owners have to be persuaded not to undertake any
developmental activity detrimental to elephant movement."
Tribals living in the migratory paths of elephants - elephant
corridors - are simply desperate to move out, as they are exhausted
with human wildlife conflict. All they want is a good rehabilitation
package and viable good alternatives to livelihood and sustenance.
Again, it calls for political will."
Capturing rogue elephants and relocating them is just as short
sighted a measure. Elephants with their spectacular memory are known
to trace their migratory paths back to home ranges. Besides it
adversely affects the gene pool and gender ratios in a particular
herd. "For every elephant captured there is one lesser male elephant
in the wild," says Madhusudan.
HABITAT CONSERVATION
As part of the thrust for habitat conservation, the forest department
is undertaking consolidation of habitat with measures like management
of marshy glades or swamps for fodder lands as well as fire lines
management. This would be physically separated from forest area by
cattle proof and elephant proof trenches, solar fencing will also
buffer the forest areas. Besides, the marshy glades serve another
crucial purpose… "it enriches the fodder banks for elephants within
protected areas.
This helps in eliminating obnoxious weeds like Lantana, Eupatorium,
Parthenium among others" according to Deputy Conservator of Forests
of the BRTWL sanctuary, Dr C S Raju.
The forest department also claims to `adopt strategies to
scientifically manage forest fires' in an effort to usher the growth
of new crop of succulent grass at the onset of monsoons.
This scientific management of forest fires, says the DCF, sterilises
the grasslands from spread of veterinary infections from grazing
cattle and other wild animals.
"It is simply shocking to see the Soligas graze cattle near the Dodda
Sampige Tree which is in the core area of the sanctuary," says
Nagendra, a wildlife activist.
Denying that water holes create artificial density of wildlife, the
DCF said, "We have to undertake desilting of water holes, as even
elephants can get trapped in the silt. We study the geographical
spread of the wildlife before pitting water holes. Wild animals are
not penned, thus they have to have their range of distribution, which
is possible with wildlife management strategies like water holes,
salt licks (for smaller herbivores), trenches, and the like; water
hole management is based on this premise. Infact we also study the
rainwater acquifers, water percolation-drainage patterns before
deciding on locations of the waterholes."
--- In IPRNG@..., "Dr. M. Mahadevappa"
<mahadevrice@y...> wrote:
> Dear Pankaj,
>
> The page is not opening. I am sending the message as it appears
when I try to open the page.
>
Open IIS Help, which is accessible in IIS Manager (inetmgr), and search for topics titled Web Site Setup, Common Administrative Tasks, and About Custom Error Messages.
Pleasse send again.
Regards,
M Mahadevappa
Pankaj Oudhia <pankajoudhia@...> wrote:
The jumbo highway
'This helps in eliminating obnoxious weeds like Lantana, Eupatorium, Parthenium among others" according to Deputy Conservator of Forests of the BRTWL sanctuary, Dr C S Raju.'
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?
storyflag=y&leftnm=lmnu5&leftindx=5&lselect=2&chklogin=N&autono=199856
Surinder Sud: Deadly Parthenium is back
FARM VIEW
Surinder Sud / New Delhi September 13, 2005
But the Mexican beetle has finally been cleared as an environmentally
safe bio-agent to control it.
Parthenium, one of the world's seven most devastating and hazardous
weeds, which had played havoc in India in the 1970s, has again become
a formidable menace almost throughout the country.
Entering India along with imported foodgrains in the mid-1950s, it
had established itself quickly and spread so rapidly as to
necessitate a nation-wide Parthenium eradication campaign in the
1970s. There is a danger of a similar situation arising again if it
is allowed to proliferate unabated.
More worrisome are its health hazards for humans and animals as its
contact can cause skin allergies and its ingestion by animals can
lead to their mortality.
Technically called Parthenium hysterophorus, this wild plant has
acquired various local names. The most common of these names
is "congress grass", presumably because of its white flowers, similar
to the white cap worn by many Congress party leaders.
Besides, it was deemed as difficult to remove as the Congress party
rule in the country seemed till the 1970s. It is also called gajar
ghas and gajar buti because of its resemblance with the carrot
plant.
The weed, now occupying even non-crop areas like wastelands,
pastures, open forests, orchards, municipal gardens and along road
and rail lines, spreads through the plant's seed that can easily be
transported through wind, water and animal, and human activity.
The plant proliferates exceedingly fast because it starts bearing
seed in a month and a single plant can produce up to 25,000 seeds.
The control of this weed through manual uprooting or even chemical
weedicides is unworkable for various reasons. For one, it is
difficult to employ so much manpower to uproot the plants from such a
vast area. The allergic reaction that it produces on sensitive
individuals is another hurdle.
Besides, there is also the danger that mature seeds will drop off
during hand-pulling and infest more areas. The use of chemicals, on
the other hand, is impractical because of the needed scale of
operation and cost involved. Moreover, it can also create
environmental problems.
However, the Jabalpur-based National Research Centre for Weed Science
(NRCWS) has come up with a biological control method that seems
practical, economically affordable and environmentally safe.
The Centre has also discovered some gainful uses of the residues of
this plant. The biological control agent for Parthenium is a beetle
(an insect called Zygogramma bicolorata).
It feeds on this plant, especially the growing portions, curbing its
growth and seed-bearing. The defoliated plants gradually die.
Indeed, though the effectiveness of the Mexican beetle in controlling
Parthenium was ascertained long ago, its widespread deployment has
been held back because of the controversy over its effect on other
crops.
Some reports indicated that this beetle could also feed on and
destroy sunflower, an important commercial oilseed crop. But a fact-
finding committee appointed by the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) in November 1992 has finally cleared the Mexican
beetle as an environmentally safe bio-agent for the control of
Parthenium.
The field studies sponsored by this committee indicated no evidence
of this beetle damaging any commercially important crop. The ban on
its widespread use has consequently been lifted.
In other countries, several other species of insects and some rust
disease pathogens have also been used to check Parthenium. These
include Epiblema strenuana (a Mexican moth) and Listronotus
setosipennis (a stem-boring weevil from Argentina) among others. But
these bio-agents have yet to be tried out under Indian conditions.
According to NRCWS director N T Yaduraju, an effective control of
this weed can be achieved by releasing about 500 to 1,000 Zygogramma
beetles at a spot.
They multiply quite fast. Once they have destroyed the weed in the
area where they are released, they migrate to adjacent regions in
search of this plant.
The NRCWS is breeding these beetles and is distributing them free of
cost so that it can get established over a larger area. It is sending
them even through couriers to those who ask for them.
It has also discovered that this plant can be composted and converted
into nutrient-rich manure. Besides, its stems can be used for making
plyboards.
The Dehradun-based Forest Research Institute has discovered that the
stem contains fibre which is strong and can perhaps be put to some
useful application.
Dear Group Members,
In many places in India fourth September is observed as
Parthenium Awareness day.I have one report from Kanpur about last
year's programme.
Gajar Ghas Awareness Day Observed
http://www.iprng.org/IPRNG-parthenium_newsggad.htm
regards
Pankaj Oudhia
Science talk
Science talk on the alien noxious weed parthenium hysterophorus,
organised by Assam Agricultural University, at Jorhat district library
auditorium on Friday
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050826/asp/northeast/story_5157230.asp
Dear Dr.Rajkhowa , we are eager to know the details.
regards
Pankaj Oudhi
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