A noxious weed has its uses
Raju William
Tribune News Service

Dehra Dun, November 1
After various means of eradication and control of the noxious weed-
parthenium hysterophorus, commonly known as congress grass, failed in
the country the scientists of Forest Research Institute (FRI) here
have finally evolved a high-value end use of it in the form of
handmade paper, particle and fibreboards.

The commercial viability of these products however is yet to be tested
but this aspect calls for a serious consideration at the government or
NGO-level, given the scale of the menace and failure of the widespread
campaigns against it all over the country. Especially so, because the
end products are free of allergic behaviour that this weed is
notoriously known for.

"We have not experienced any allergic properties after processing the
weed into bio-composites at the temperature of 150°C and high
pressure," said DP Khali, an expert of composite wood, who along with
Sanjay Nathani worked on the three-year-long project commissioned by
Department of Bio-Technology (DBT), Delhi.

The project was taken up as earlier efforts to eradicate the weed
through biological, chemical and manual ways had failed. So the idea
of finding its economic use came up. The efforts of the FRI scientists
have showed that the products can have plenty of use like false
ceilings, partitioning, table tops and cabinets. The findings of the
study will be presented at Bhartiya Vigyan Sammelan to be held at the
end of this month at Bhopal.

Though Khali said the commercial part of the products' viability was
beyond their domain and was to be explored by the related experts, on
the face of it, the procedures evolved by the scientists suggest it
may suit the small-scale and cottage industries.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071102/main7.htm

Dear Group Members,

I am sorry for not paying much attention to group since many months.
As you know, these days I
am documenting traditional medicinal knowledge about herbs used in
treatment of Diabetes. I have written 55,000 pages so far. This report
is having over 30,000 pictures of herbs and related aspects used
in these schedules. Details regarding collection of herbs, methods
to enrich it with medicinal properties before collection through
Traditional Allelopathic Knowledge, differences in opinion regarding
doses,uses and time etc. are main features of this scientific report.
This knowledge is collected through interactions with over 6,000
Traditional Healers, Herb Collectors, Herb Traders, Herb Vendors,
Farmers, Senior Natives etc. with much inputs based on my experiences.

This report is having over 100,000 weekly and monthly schedules. Over
39,000
weekly and monthly schedules are on-line. This report will be
completed in April,
2009.

You can get more details from

Note on Scientific Report titled ˜Traditional medicinal knowledge
about herbs and herbal combinations used in treatment of Type II
Diabetes in India with special reference to Chhattisgarh".
by
Pankaj Oudhia

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleView&earticleId=3077&page=-2

While writing this report in coming days, I will try to give time to
group activities also. So be ready.

regards
Pankaj Oudhia

HOW TO PART WITH PARTHENIUM

While I go for my early walk, I notice many kinds of plants, big and
small all along the way.

One of the small categories, about 50 to 100 cm tall green plants with
full of tiny white flowers do not escape my eyes.

They are in thousands growing happily all along the road and also in
plots where no house is constructed so far.

Residential colonies are invaded by these plants which are called
parthenium causing diseases like dermatitis and asthma.

Along with this, many other unwanted plants grouped as weeds also
grow, flower and die.

They are the annual plants botanically called Parthenium hysterophorus
and popularly known as Congress Grass or Carrot Weed.

It belongs to the botanical family, Asteracae.

These plants are very difficult to eradicate.

It appears that Parthenium is not native to India, but it came with
the imported wheat as a mixture, when the US sent wheat to India under
PL 480 (Public Law 480 passed in 1954 to give food grains to
developing countries) in 1956.

However this concept was contradicted by some as not the real story
because Parthenium was present in India even in 1951 itself.

The tiny seeds spread throughout the country.

Today we do not have a place in India free from this noxious unwanted
notorious weed.

In general, weeds grow widely in waste lands, fields and field bunds.

Controlling this weed was a stupendous task for weed scientists.

So far no single method appears to be satisfactory.

Since the regeneration capacity of this weed is very high, even the
mechanical eradication like cutting or slashing did not work.

Removal by hand or hoe at the pre-flowering stage is one of the
physical methods of eradication recommended.

But there are other methods too.

Weed killing chemicals are sprayed on the land to kill the weed seeds
or on the land to kill the weed seeds or on the post-emergence stage
of the weeds.

One of the potent chemical used was the sodium salt of 2,
4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid popularly called 2, 4 â€" D which acts as
a plant hormone at homeopathic dose whereas at high concentration it
kills plants.

These chemicals are grouped as herbicides or weedicides.

Large scale usage of herbicides are followed at the US, Australia and
many other advance countries but only limited quantity is being used
in developing countries like India.

These herbicides are specific for certain plant species.

For example, dicot plants are generally susceptible to all herbicides
whereas the monocots â€" the grass family can not be eradicated by most
of them.

Fortunately Parthenium is a dicot plant amenable for a variety of
herbicides.

In fact, research to find out suitable chemicals for eradicating weeds
in cultivated fields as well as in waste land is being extensively
carried out in various agricultural universities and research institutes.

Even biological control measures and biotechnology techniques are
attempted to eradicate Parthenium.

Parthenium, the most unwanted one is around us everywhere.

To control this weed, awareness camps are conducted regularly in every
colony as it has been done in villages for the farmers.

Instructions are given to the citizens for effectively controlling
Parthenium.

I used to watch carefully the growth behaviour of this weed.

At the onset of South West monsoon, the plants emerge from the soil in
rosette form by spreading its leaves close to the ground without an
elongated stem.

Only with the shower of rain, these plants look dark green as if we
have applied good amount of nitrogenous fertilizer.

I do not know how they get such green foliage?

May be they mine the nutrients available in the waste land.

A month afterwards, I used to observe them to put forth elongated stem
which grow to the size of about a metre with good number of branches
with hundreds of tiny white flower buds.

This process is technically called as bolting.

Once the plants reach such a stage, the pollen from the flowers fly in
the air and animals and humans happen to inhale them and end up in
irritation of body and develop allergy symptoms.

I tried to pull out some of these plants which came up in front of my
house.

Fortunately I did not get the allergy, when I enquired with the weed
specialists, they told me that it will affect only some susceptible
people.

I was happy that Parthenium is afraid of me.

Once the Parthenium blooms, the seeds â€" thousands of them are carried
by wind and spread all around the place.

The seeds settle on the dry soil and stay there till another rain comes.

They remain dormant for a long period of time in the dry soil.

Scientists tried to extract the leaves of this noxious weed and used
for controlling some insects affecting crop plants.

The results were not encouraging.

Therefore even today this weed, remains as a menace for human beings.

In residential areas, to control this and other weeds, the only way
comes to my mind is to construct houses as soon as possible without
leaving the plots vacant.

No other method is in sight for the time being to get rid of
Parthenium around the residential colony.

http://nara.tumblr.com/post/16477609

__________________________________________________
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HOW TO PART WITH PARTHENIUM

While I go for my early walk, I notice many kinds of plants, big and
small all along the way.

One of the small categories, about 50 to 100 cm tall green plants with
full of tiny white flowers do not escape my eyes.

They are in thousands growing happily all along the road and also in
plots where no house is constructed so far.

Residential colonies are invaded by these plants which are called
parthenium causing diseases like dermatitis and asthma.

Along with this, many other unwanted plants grouped as weeds also
grow, flower and die.

They are the annual plants botanically called Parthenium hysterophorus
and popularly known as Congress Grass or Carrot Weed.

It belongs to the botanical family, Asteracae.

These plants are very difficult to eradicate.

It appears that Parthenium is not native to India, but it came with
the imported wheat as a mixture, when the US sent wheat to India under
PL 480 (Public Law 480 passed in 1954 to give food grains to
developing countries) in 1956.

However this concept was contradicted by some as not the real story
because Parthenium was present in India even in 1951 itself.

The tiny seeds spread throughout the country.

Today we do not have a place in India free from this noxious unwanted
notorious weed.

In general, weeds grow widely in waste lands, fields and field bunds.

Controlling this weed was a stupendous task for weed scientists.

So far no single method appears to be satisfactory.

Since the regeneration capacity of this weed is very high, even the
mechanical eradication like cutting or slashing did not work.

Removal by hand or hoe at the pre-flowering stage is one of the
physical methods of eradication recommended.

But there are other methods too.

Weed killing chemicals are sprayed on the land to kill the weed seeds
or on the land to kill the weed seeds or on the post-emergence stage
of the weeds.

One of the potent chemical used was the sodium salt of 2,
4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid popularly called 2, 4 â€" D which acts as
a plant hormone at homeopathic dose whereas at high concentration it
kills plants.

These chemicals are grouped as herbicides or weedicides.

Large scale usage of herbicides are followed at the US, Australia and
many other advance countries but only limited quantity is being used
in developing countries like India.

These herbicides are specific for certain plant species.

For example, dicot plants are generally susceptible to all herbicides
whereas the monocots â€" the grass family can not be eradicated by most
of them.

Fortunately Parthenium is a dicot plant amenable for a variety of
herbicides.

In fact, research to find out suitable chemicals for eradicating weeds
in cultivated fields as well as in waste land is being extensively
carried out in various agricultural universities and research institutes.

Even biological control measures and biotechnology techniques are
attempted to eradicate Parthenium.

Parthenium, the most unwanted one is around us everywhere.

To control this weed, awareness camps are conducted regularly in every
colony as it has been done in villages for the farmers.

Instructions are given to the citizens for effectively controlling
Parthenium.

I used to watch carefully the growth behaviour of this weed.

At the onset of South West monsoon, the plants emerge from the soil in
rosette form by spreading its leaves close to the ground without an
elongated stem.

Only with the shower of rain, these plants look dark green as if we
have applied good amount of nitrogenous fertilizer.

I do not know how they get such green foliage?

May be they mine the nutrients available in the waste land.

A month afterwards, I used to observe them to put forth elongated stem
which grow to the size of about a metre with good number of branches
with hundreds of tiny white flower buds.

This process is technically called as bolting.

Once the plants reach such a stage, the pollen from the flowers fly in
the air and animals and humans happen to inhale them and end up in
irritation of body and develop allergy symptoms.

I tried to pull out some of these plants which came up in front of my
house.

Fortunately I did not get the allergy, when I enquired with the weed
specialists, they told me that it will affect only some susceptible
people.

I was happy that Parthenium is afraid of me.

Once the Parthenium blooms, the seeds â€" thousands of them are carried
by wind and spread all around the place.

The seeds settle on the dry soil and stay there till another rain comes.

They remain dormant for a long period of time in the dry soil.

Scientists tried to extract the leaves of this noxious weed and used
for controlling some insects affecting crop plants.

The results were not encouraging.

Therefore even today this weed, remains as a menace for human beings.

In residential areas, to control this and other weeds, the only way
comes to my mind is to construct houses as soon as possible without
leaving the plots vacant.

No other method is in sight for the time being to get rid of
Parthenium around the residential colony.

http://nara.tumblr.com/post/16477609

SEMINAR

Year : 2007  |  Volume : 73  |  Issue : 5  |  Page : 296-306

Parthenium: A wide angle view

Lakshmi Chembolli, Srinivas CR
  Department of Dermatology, PSG Hospitals, Peelamedu, Coimbatore, India

How to cite this article:
Lakshmi C, Srinivas CR. Parthenium: A wide angle view. Indian J
Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2007;73:296-306

How to cite this URL:
Lakshmi C, Srinivas CR. Parthenium: A wide angle view. Indian J
Dermatol Venereol Leprol [serial online] 2007 [cited 2007 Oct
6];73:296-306. Available from:
http://www.ijdvl.com/text.asp?2007/73/5/296/35732



   Introduction   Top


Parthenium hysterophorus L. (congress grass, congress weed, carrot
weed, wild feverfew, the "Scourge of India") is an exotic weed that
was accidentally introduced in India in 1956 through imported food
grains. [1] It has become a common weed causing dermatitis of epidemic
proportions. [2] The epithet "congress weed" refers to the US congress
(who allocated the shipment for Pune, India). [3] In Pune, it found an
ecological niche without natural enemies and spread rapidly along the
canal banks, roads and railway tracks to become a major field weed.
[4] Both rural and urban areas have been invaded by this weed. It is
the leading cause of plant induced air-borne contact dermatitis in
India [5] and has achieved major weed status in India and Australia
within the past few decades. [6] The weed can affect human health,
animal husbandry, crop production and biodiversity. [6]


   Distribution   Top


Parthenium hysterophorus is a native of the West Indies and North East
Mexico. [7] During the last hundred years, it has spread worldwide
[Table - 1]. [8],[9],[10] It is thought to have originated as a result
of natural hybridization between Parthenium confertum and P.
bipinnatifidum . [11]


   Botanical Aspects of P. Hysterophorus   Top


It belongs to the family Asteraceae/Compositae (Daisy family), which
is one of the largest and most important families in the plant
kingdom. The family includes troublesome weeds, ornamental annuals,
herbaceous perennials, medicinal and food plants [Table - 2].
[12],[13] Fifteen species of Parthenium L. occur in America and the
West Indies. One species, Parthenium hysterophorus L. was introduced
to the Indian subcontinent. All contain allergenic sesquiterpene
lactones (SQLs).

In South America, P. hysterophorus does not contain parthenin, but
instead has hymenin, which is a diastereomer. However, in India, the
plant contains large amounts of parthenin and ambrosin. [14] No cross
reaction between parthenin and hymenin exists in humans and guinea
pigs. [14],[15]

The plants of Compositae family have many tiny flowers (florets)
clustered to form a flower head (capitulum). This flower head is
surrounded by bracts (modified leaves) that form an involucre beneath
or around a flower cluster [Figure - 1]. [12]

P. hysterophorus has two life cycles, [8]

    1. Juvenile or rosette stage
    2. Mature or adult stage



Juvenile stage

It has a rosette with large, dark green, simple, radicle, pinnetisect
small leaves and flowering is absent. The large lower leaves are
spread on the ground like a carpet, without allowing any vegetation
underneath it.

Adult stage

It is procumbent (trailing along the ground but not rooting),
profusely branched, leafy herb resembling a bush or shrub because of
its height (1-2.5m). The stem becomes tough and woody as the plant
matures into a hardy bush. Enormous number of pollen grains (624
millions per plant) are produced by anemophilous (by wind)
pollination. It is an extremely prolific seed producer with upto
25,000 seeds (achenes) per plant. The plant is thermo- and
photo-insensitive; hence, it grows round the year except in severe
winters; in other words, it survives environmental extremes. It is a
rapid colonizer and competes out other vegetation in its vicinity
within two growing seasons. It grows in almost all types of soil
except near the seashore as the saline soil is not conducive to
parthenium flowering.

Allergenicity

The allergens in Asteraceae are SQLs and thus the patients with
contact dermatitis to Compositae can react to many other
non-Compositae SQL containing plants [Table - 2]. [12],[13] The SQLs
are found in the leaves, stems, flowers, and some pollens. The highest
concentrations are found in trichomes which are present on stems, the
underside of leaves and in the flowering heads. [12]

Cross-reactivity between SQLs does not follow any rules. No single SQL
nor the commonly used " SQL mix" of three common SQLs (alantolactone,
dehydrocostus lactone and costunolide) serves as a reliable screen for
SQL allergy. [16] Therefore, the samples of the suspect plant should
always be used while patch testing a patient. [11] Over 200 skeletal
types and 1350 individual types of SQLs have been described, and each
of these may have multiple functional groups attached to them. [12]

SQLs are characterized by the presence of a γ-butyrolactone ring
bearing an exocylic γ-methylene group [Figure - 2].

Human health

Around three decades ago, serious human health risks from P.
hysterophorus were reported from Pune. [1] Several thousands of cases
of allergic contact dermatitis with some fatalities have been
reported. [1] An outbreak of epidemic proportion followed a dam burst.
[2] "After 1-10 years of exposure to the weed, 10-20% of the
population will develop severe allergenic reactions. There may be hay
fever, asthma or dermatitis and can be caused by dust and debris from
the plant as well as pollen." [17] The severity of dermatitis in India
is greater in comparison to America because the plant grows more
vigorously in India and contains large amounts of the sesquiterpene
lactone, parthenin, which is absent in the plants in South America.
[18],[19]

It clinically involves the adult males in both USA and India.
[12],[20],[21] Studies have estimated a ratio of 20:1 between men and
women. [3],[12] This cannot be explained in terms of degree of
exposure since Indian women and children also work in fields. Possibly
women and children are less frequently sensitized. [12],[21] However,
the studies on plant dermatitis from India have shown a male-to-female
ratio of 1:1 and 5:5:1. [22],[23] In a study from Minnesota, the large
male preponderance appeared to change with the male-to-female ratio of
1.4:1. [24] Initially, the exposed sites of the face, neck and
flexures are affected with erythema, blistering and intense pruritus
resulting later in skin thickening, hyperpigmentation and development
of a leonine facies. [1] Unexposed sites may get involved late in the
course of the disease. A seasonal variation is initially observed with
the dermatitis flaring in the summers corresponding to the growing
season and disappearing in winters. [25] After several years,
persistent pruritic lichenified dermatitis develops without seasonal
variation. Winter exacerbation is seen in the months of September,
October and November and may be due to the increased growth of
parthenium following the North-East monsoon showers. [26]

Various patterns of dermatitis have been described;
[1],[12],[25],[27],[28],[29],[30],[31],[32] a typically airborne
contact dermatitis (ABCD) involving the eyelids and nasolabial folds,
photodermatitis (essentially a pseudo-photodermatitis) involving the
eyelids, nasolabial folds, areas under the chin and behind the ears,
atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, exfoliative dermatitis and
photosensitive lichenoid dermatitis. Hand dermatitis is observed in
gardeners after contact with the weed. [12] Vitiliginous skin appears
to be spared perhaps due to the vacuolization of Langerhans cells in
these areas. [33]

Air borne contact dermatitis is not always due to Parthenium
hysterophorus . Xanthium strumarium , another weed belonging to
Compositae, is reported to be a causative agent in North India with
patch test positive to xanthium but negative to parthenium. [34] Other
members of the Compositae family causing ABCD in North India include
Chrysanthemum morifolium (chrysanthemums) Dahlia pinnata (dahlia) and
Tagetes indica (marigold). [35] Since the allergens of Compositae are
sesquiterpene lactones (SQLs), cross reactions may occur. [34],[35] P
. hysterophorus and X. strumarium have shown a high rate of
cross-sensitivity in Indian patients, [36] whereas the prevalence of
cross reaction with chrysanthemum is generally low. [37],[38] It is
also important to distinguish between true cross sensitization and
polysensitivity. [39] If a patient develops independent allergies to
more than one agent that do not share any chemical groups (antigenic
determinants), then such a situation is called polysensitivity and not
cross-sensitivity.

The degree of contact hypersensitivity to an agent can be determined
by the titer of contact hypersensitivity (TCH) [40] Increased
dilutions of the causative antigen in addition to the standard
concentration recommended for the antigen are applied on the
sensitized patient. The highest dilution (or the lowest concentration
of the antigen that still produced a distinct positive patch test
reaction was labeled as the titer of contact hypersensitivity (TCH) in
that patient. [41] The TCH was found to be a reliable indicator of the
degree of contact hypersensitivity, and the results have been shown to
be reproducible. [42] However, other reports have found that the TCH
does not correlate with the clinical severity of contact dermatitis or
response to treatment. [43]

The severity of dermatitis in a parthenium sensitive patient depends
on the degree of contact hypersensitivity in the patient at that time
and the quantity of antigen in contact with the patient. [44]
Inhalation of pollens can cause allergic rhinitis that can develop
into bronchitis or asthma if the pollens enter the respiratory tract
during breathing. [45]

Parthenin has enhanced toxicity due to the presence of a cyclopentene
group that can cause chromosomal damage in animal cells, uncouple
phosphorylation and inhibit the key cellular enzymes. [6] Aeropollen
sampling in Bangalore (Southern India) over a 6-year period revealed
that 40-60% of the total pollen count was from P. hysterophorus . [6]
Allergenicity to P. hysterophorus pollen extracts was recorded in 34%
allergic rhinitis and 12% bronchial asthma patients from Bangalore. [46]

Parthenium pollen is now a major cause of allergic rhinitis in
Bangalore with 7% of the population affected and 40% sensitive to the
pollen. [47] Such a high incidence of allergic rhinitis to a specific
pollen has not been reported from any other place in the world. [6]
Subsequent studies in Northern India (Punjab) showed that a
significant proportion of bronchial asthma patients is sensitized to
P. hysterophorus . [48] In New Delhi, out of 63 patients with airborne
contact dermatitis, 62 showed a positive reaction to the parthenium
weed. [49]

Studies on cross-reactivity between ragweed ( Ambrosia ) and
parthenium pollen suggest that individuals sensitized to parthenium
may develop type-I hypersensitivity reactions to ragweed and vice
versa when they travel to regions infested with the weed, to which
they have not been previously exposed. [50] Parthenium weed may have a
more sinister effect on human health since it has been hypothesized
that parthenium-contaminated animal feed leads to tainted milk and
that the hepatotoxic parthenin reacts synergistically with copper in
causing Indian childhood cirrhosis (ICC). [51]


   Photosensitivity and Parthenium (Compositae ) Dermatitis   Top


The relationship between photosensitivity and parthenium dermatitis
has been a mystery. SQLs are not photo sensitizers, they have neither
phototoxic nor photoallergic properties. [12],[20],[52] There is only
one well-documented case of photocontact dermatitis. [53] The
reduction in the minimal erythema dose (MED) to UVB and minimal
phototoxic dose to UVA has been reported. [54],[55] The photo
aggravation of parthenium dermatitis has been reported, [56] but
improvement is observed in patients after avoiding further exposure to
plant even if they move to a sunny area. [1]


   Pathogenesis of Parthenium Dermatitis   Top


Delayed hypersensitivity alone does not explain the varying clinical
patterns and photoaggravation. The combined type IV and type I
hypersensitivity to parthenium has been recently postulated. [57] Type
I hypersensitivity mediated by IgE, particularly in the sensitized
atopic individual with parthenium dermatitis could be initiating and
perpetuating the dermatitis. [57] P. hysterophorus may be
precipitating or exacerbating the atopic dermatitis. Photoaggravation,
heat intolerance and flexural involvement are the features of atopic
dermatitis. [58] Various clinical patterns of parthenium dermatitis
such as flexural eczema, prurigo nodularis, chronic actinic dermatitis
can be observed in patients with an atopic diathesis. [59],[60]
Although a combination of type III and type IV hypersensitivity had
also been postulated, [61] this has been questioned since IgG
antibodies that mediate type III hypersensitivity have not been
detected. [62]

Animal husbandry

The impact of Parthenium weed on livestock production is diverse (both
direct and indirect) affecting grazing land, animal health, milk and
meat quality, and marketing of pasture seeds and grain. This weed can
be a serious problem in grasslands in India and can reduce the
pasture-carrying capacity by 90%. [63] The most comprehensive analysis
of its economic impact on livestock production has been made from
Australia. [64],[65]

Serious health hazards to livestock in parthenium-invaded areas have
been reported. [66] While cattle and buffalo sparingly feed on
parthenium weed, goats readily graze it. In artificial feeding tests,
buffalo bull calves accepted the weed alone or in mixtures with green
fodder with severe consequences. The majority (11 out of 16) developed
severe dermatitis and toxic symptoms and died within 8-30 days.
Alopecia, loss of skin pigmentation, dermatitis, and diarrhea have
been reported. [66] Degenerative changes in both the liver and kidneys
and inhibition of liver dehydrogenases have been reported in buffalo
[67] and sheep. [68] The milk and meat of cattle, buffalo and sheep
becomes tainted by parthenium. [45],[69] The practical impact of the
presence of antigens in meat and milk must be studied.

Crop production

The impact of parthenium on crop production system may be direct and
indirect. [6] Allelopathogenicity (direct toxicity) due to release of
phytotoxic substances such as caffeic, vannilic, chlorogenic, p
-hydroxybenzoic acids, parthenin, ambrosin and coronopilin inhibit
several crop plants and multi-purpose arable crops, thus decreasing
the crop yields. [70] Indirect effects include poor fruiting of
leguminous crops In Southern India; in parthenium-infested fields,
parthenium pollen was found on Crotalaria and Desmodium . [71]
Parthenium pollen was found to reduce the chlorophyll content probably
by interference with porphyrin biosynthesis. [71]

Another indirect effect is its potential role as an alternate host for
crop pests functioning as an inter season reservoir or inoculum
source, as for example, in the case of scarab beetle, which is a pest
of sunflower ( Pseudoheteronyx sp.) in central Queensland. [72] The
agromyzid, Liriomyza trifolii - a pest of bell pepper ( Capsicum
annuum , Solanaceae) - prefers to feed and oviposit on P .
hysterophorus that grows along the roadsides in the pepper growing
regions of Texas. [73] In addition, P. hysterophorus may act as a
secondary host for plant diseases. The bacterial pathogen, Xanthomonas
compestris pv. phaseoli , could be transmitted from the weed to
Phaseolus vulgaris (Leguminosae) with reciprocal infection, at the
preflowering and pod-formation stages. [74] The bacterial wilt
pathogen has been recorded on P. hysterophorus in India. [75] A number
of crop viruses have been detected from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in
India and from Cuba. [76],[77],[78]

Biodiversity

The invasive capacity and alleolopathic properties have rendered P.
hysterophorus with the potential to disrupt the natural ecosystems. It
has been reported to be causing a total habitat change in native
Australian grasslands, open woodlands, river banks and flood plains.
[64],[65] Similar invasions of national wild life parks have been
observed recently in Southern India. [6]


   Investigations in Parthenium Dermatitis   Top


The confirmation of the diagnosis of parthenium dermatitis requires a
few investigations :

    1. Patch tests: It is always important to carry out tests with the
plant material "as is."
    2. Prick tests: Performed with the parthenium antigen included in
the Indian Standard Series (ISS) and with leaf "as is." Plant
materials can be crushed and diluted with saline (for example, 1:9
parts) in order to obtain a solution that can be easily pricked. Both
the immediate reaction at 15min and the late phase reaction (LPR) at
24-48 h should be recorded. [62]
    3. RAST for parthenium specific antibodies but RAST is less
sensitive than prick testing. [76],[77]
    4. A detailed history of atopy and Serum Ig E estimation. [57]
    5. Clinical severity scoring (CSS) is as described by Verma et al [78]



Plant extracts

Plant allergens are low molecular weight secondary plant metabolites
and are usually soluble in acetone, ethanol or ether. A filtered
acetone or ethanol extract of dried plant material or a short ether
extract of fresh material produces a solution suitable for patch
testing. Aqueous extracts degrade rapidly and lose their sensitizing
power within a month. [79] Acetone extracts of P. hysterophorus are
reported to be more sensitive than water extracts, with good
sensitivity to 1% acetone extract. [80] Although extracts in organic
solvents are more stable, with time, evaporation of the solvent may
increase the concentration and the sensitizing effect of the
allergen(s). [81] Incorporating an evaporated extract into petrolatum
represents a standard means of retaining material for patch testing.


   Treatment of Parthenium Dermatitis   Top


Oral hyposensitization has been successfully attempted in several
small studies; patch test reactions decreased or became negative and
the patients clinically improved. [12],[52] This result is acceptable
on the basis of the fact that while chrysanthemum allergy is the
commonest Compositae allergy in Europe, it is extremely rare in Japan
where chrysanthemum leaves and flowers are eaten with sushi, salad and
soups. [12]

The results of oral hyposensitization with parthenium leaf are not
consistent and continued therapy appears to be necessary. [82],[83] It
is thought to cause the depletion of memory T-cells. [83] As with
Toxicodendron, the hyposensitization side effects include pruritus
ani, a widespread urticarial or eczematous eruption, and dyspepsia.
[83] The risk of the toxic side effects should also be considered. [84]

Acute dermatitis has to be treated immediately. Once daily application
of potent topical steroids is as effective as twice daily. [85] Potent
topical steroids and oral prednisone are relatively ineffective unless
employed early and if the further exposure to SQLs is prevented.
[12],[48],[86] Antihistamines suppress only the immediate reaction of
type I hypersensitivity; the LPR remains unaffected. [87] Systemic
corticosteroids have been the mainstay of treatment in the acute
phase. Long-term use may lead to adrenocortical axis suppression with
attendant complications. [88] A trial with
dexamethasone-cyclophosphamide pulse (DCP) therapy was unsuccessful. [89]

The combined type IV and type I hypersensitivity has been recently
postulated in parthenium dermatitis. [62] Corticosteroids are not
usually thought of being capable of protecting against immediate
allergic reactions. [89] Corticosteroids have both immunosuppressive
and anti-inflammatory actions. They suppress delayed hypersensitivity
and also the LPR of the type I hypersensitivity reaction. [26]
However, it has been observed that even the brief application of a
corticosteroid could diminish the immediate reaction. [91]

Similarly, the preventive application of corticosteroid to the nasal
mucosa of an allergic patient is capable of diminishing the symptoms
produced by an antigen challenge. [92] The protective effect of
corticosteroids extends to the immediate reaction when continuously
administered. [93] The application of corticosteroid topically for
several days depletes the mast cells in the skin and thus reduces the
response to histamine-releasing agents. [94]

Azathioprine has immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory and
steroid-sparing properties and is effective in the treatment of
parthenium dermatitis at the dose of 1-2mg/kg/day.
[78],[95],[96],[97],[98],[99],[100] A weekly pulse dose of 300mg is
also reported to be effective with better compliance and reduced cost
of therapy. [78] The safety of a bolus dose has been questioned. [101]
Its limitation is the slow onset of action taking 2-3 months to
achieve a clinical effect. [26]

Cyclosporine, an immunosuppressive with potent anti-inflammatory
actions, has been reported to be effective in the acute phase of
parthenium dermatitis as a crisis intervention measure. [26] It also
overcomes the side effects of systemic corticosteroid usage. It
suppresses the delayed hypersensitivity reaction as well as the LPR.
[26] The histopathology of the LPR following prick testing with
parthenium allergen is reported to show leukocytoclastic vasculitis,
which was absent following the initiation of cyclosporine. [26]

Methotrexate has also been reported to be effective at a dose of 15
mg/week along with topical corticosteroids and sunscreens. [102]

Chloroquine 200mg TID for one week, ethinyl estradiol 0.5mg for 3
weeks have also been used; [86] however, they are not currently
advised. PUVA therapy has reportedly helped Compositae dermatitis. A
protocol developed by Storrs et al. combines PUVA with oral
prednisone. [12]


   Prevention of Parthenium Dermatitis   Top


The most effective treatment (if possible) is prevention by avoiding
the weed. However, the attempts at eradication of the weed have been
unsuccessful. One of us (CRS) has burned the leaf and patch tested
with the residue; however, the result was a positive patch test. Since
it has no economic value, efforts have been made to utilize parthenium
as a green leaf manure, biopesticide, compost for agricultural
purposes and additive with cattle manure in biogas production. [103]
Patch testing with the compost in a sensitive patient yielded positive
result, thereby confirming that the allergenicity is retained. [104]
"Parth" in the Sanskrit language is another name for Arjuna , an
invincible or indestructible character in the Indian epic Mahabharata.
Parthenium hysterophorus is thus inadvertently and aptly named. [104]

Measures of prevention and protection

Since P. hysterophorus is ubiquitous, a change of residence or job is
not a suitable option. This would also lead to social and economic
consequences. Hence, prevention is aimed at the reduction in the
quantity of the antigen to which the patient is exposed.

These measures include the following: [95]

    1. To remove as much of the causative plant as possible from the
immediate environment of the patient.
    2. To cover as much of the skin as possible by clothing
    3. To wash the uncovered areas of the skin with soap and water as
frequently as possible (preferably every 2-3 h) in order to wash off
the antigen before it penetrates the skin.
    4. To frequently use a barrier cream to slow down the penetration
of the antigen into the skin and to wash each time before the
reapplication of the barrier cream.
    5. To avoid the exposure to sunlight; sunscreen lotions may serve
as barrier creams.
    6. Drying of clothes indoors also helps in reducing the quantity of
antigen. Clothes dried outdoors gather the airborne parthenium
allergen. Pieces of cloth dried outside are reported to elicit a
positive patch test in a sensitive patient. [105]
    7. Gloves may not offer protection since the sesquiterpene lactone
permeates vinyl, polyethylene and latex gloves. [106]




   Control of P. Hysterophorus   Top


Prevention of parthenium dermatitis can be attempted by biological or
chemical control of the weed, P. hysterophorus.

Biological control [6]

P. hysterophorus is essentially a ruderal (grows in rubbish, poor land
or waste land) plant in the New World and only occasionally achieves a
weed status in the fields or pastures. Biotic factors suppress the
plant within its native range compared to its increased fitness or
vigor in their absence, as in Australia and India, and therefore, the
biological control may offer the best long-term solution for the
management of this weed. However, there is skepticism surrounding the
introduction of exotic biocontrol agents, which include the following.

1. Arthropods

In the 1980s, after preliminary screening in Mexico and final
evaluation in quarantine in Australia, six oligophagous or monophagous
species were released in quarantine in Queensland:

    1. A defoliating beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister (
Chrysomelidae),
    2. A seed-feeding weevil, Smicronyx lutulentus Dietz ( Curculionidae),
    3. A stem galling moth, Epiblema strenuana (Walker) ( Tortricidae),
    4. A leaf mining moth Bucculatrix parthenica Bradley ( Lyonetiidae),
    5. A sap-feeding planthopper , Stobaera concinna (Stal) ( Delphacidae),
    6. A stem boring curculionid weevil, Listronotus setosipennis
(Hustache)



Despite the release of Z. bicolorata over 17 years ago in Australia in
the areas of massive sunflower cultivation, there have been no
reported instances of beetle attack on the crop. Beetle defoliation is
reported to cause up to 99.5% decline in weed population and
replacement by up to 40 different plant species in the fallow land.

Z. bicolorata proved to be an effective control agent in Bangalore.
Beetle attacks were reported on sunflowers from Karnataka. However
despite the widespread cultivation of sunflower as a crop in
Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, there
have been no further reports of beetle feeding on sunflower in field
situations.

2. Pathogens

Mainly fungal and include exotic agents such as classical biocontrol
agents as well as adapted or opportunistic pathogens such as
mycoherbicides [Table - 3].

3. Antagonistic plants and bioherbicides

Cassia uniflora (Leguminosae) moved into areas that were previously
("traditionally") occupied by parthenium weed in Maharashtra, India.

Cassia sericea had the ability to smother or overgrow P. hysterophorus
in North-East India and it has also been reported that it reduces the
vigor of parthenium weeds. The wholesale propagation of C. uniflora
for biological control was aborted when it was found to be a major
host of Bemisia whiteflies and the reservoir of tomato leaf curl
virus. Marigold ( Tagetes erecta ) can outgrow P. hysterophorus in
field trials. [6]

Aqueous foliar extracts of Azadirachta indica, Aegle marmelos and
Eucalyptus tereticomis totally inhibit the seed germination of
parthenium and are cheap effective bioherbicides. [107]

Chemical control (herbicides)

Well known herbicides such paraquat, trifluralin, diphenamid,
napropamide and propachlor fail to control parthenium weed. [108]
Timing of chemical control is critical. They should be treated when
plants are small and have not produced seed and when grasses are
actively growing to recolonize the infested area (early summer). [109]
Maintaining competition is important for control of parthenium weed;
therefore, spraying with a selective herbicide that will not kill
other species is recommended.

Selective chemical herbicides include: [110]

Ametryne

Ametryne + simazine

Atrazine

Fomesafen

Metribuzin

Linuron

Prometryne

Metobromuron

2, 4-D

Oxadiazon

P. hysterophorus poses a serious health risk in Australia and India as
it invades new areas and retains the established ones. This review has
highlighted the dermatological aspects, current views on pathogenesis,
other health hazards and its impact on agricultural as well as the
natural ecosystems. Since its avoidance is not possible due to various
reasons, preventive, therapeutic and control options are presented.


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dermato-venereo-leprology. South Zone conference of IADVL: Gulbarga;
1992. p. 53-60.  Back to cited text no. 89
90. Gronneberg R, Strandberg K, Stalenheim G, Zettertrom O. Effect in
man of anti-allergic drugs on the immediate and late phase cutaneous
allergic reactions induced by anti-IgE. Allergy 1981;36:201-8.  Back
to cited text no. 90
91. Andersson M, Andersson P, Pipkarull U. Topical
glucocorticosteroids and allergen induced increase in nasal
reactivity: Relationship between treatment time and inhibitory effect.
J Allergy Clin Immunol 1988;82:1019-26.  Back to cited text no. 91
92. Andersson M, Pipkorn U. Inhibition of the dermal immediate
allergic reaction through prolonged treatment with topical
glucocorticoids. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1987;79:345-9.  Back to cited
text no. 92
93. Pipkorn U, Hammarlund A, Enerback L. Prolonged treatment with
topical glucocorticoids results in an inhibition of the allergen
induced wheal and flare response and a reduction in the skin mast cell
numbers and histamine content. Clin Exp Allergy 1989;19:19-25.  Back
to cited text no. 93
94. Verma KK, Pasricha JS. Azathioprine as a corticosteroid- sparing
agent in air-borne contact dermatitis. Indian J Dermatol Venereol
Leprol 1996;62:30-2.  Back to cited text no. 94
95. Srinivas CR, Balachandran C, Shenoi SD, Acharya S. Azathioprine in
the treatment of parthenium dermatitis. Br J Dermatol 1991;124:394-5.
  Back to cited text no. 95
96. Sharma VK, Chakrabarti A, Mahajan V. Azathioprine in the treatment
of parthenium dermatitis. Int J Dermatol 1998;37:299-302.  Back to
cited text no. 96
97. Verma KK, Manchanda Y, Pasricha JS. Azathioprine as a
corticosteroid sparing agent for the treatment of dermatitis caused by
the weed parthenium. Acta Derm Venereol 2000;80:31-2.  Back to cited
text no. 97
98. Kaushal K, Manchanda Y. Long-term safely and toxicity of
ozathiprine in patients with air borne contact dermatitis. Indian J
Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2001;67:75-7.  Back to cited text no. 98
99. Khurana S, Minocha YC, Minocha KB, Dogra A. Evaluation on
azathioprine in the treatment of parthenium dermatitis. Indian J
Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2001;67:75-7.  Back to cited text no. 99
100. Verma KK, Bansal A, Sethuraman G. Parthenium dermatitis treated
with azathioprine weekly pulse doses. Indian J Dermatol Venereol
Leprol 2006;72:24-7.  Back to cited text no. 100
101. Srinivas CR. Parthenium dermatitis treated with azathioprine
weekly pulse doses. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2006;72:234.
Back to cited text no. 101  [PUBMED]  [FULLTEXT]
102. Sharma VK, Bhat R, Sethuraman G, Manchanda Y. Treatment of
parthenium dermatitis with methotrexate. Contact Dermatitis
2007:57:118-9  Back to cited text no. 102
103. Gunaseelan VN. Parthenium as an additive with cattle manure in
biogas production. Biol Wastes 1987;21:1095-2002.  Back to cited text
no. 103
104. Lakshmi C, Srinivas CR, Chinnusamy C. Retention of allergic
potential of parthenium following composting. Contact Dermatitis (in
press).  Back to cited text no. 104
105. Srinivas CR. Transmission of parthenium dermatitis by clothing.
Arch Dermatol 2005;141:1605.  Back to cited text no. 105
106. Goncalo M, Mascarenhas R, Vieira R, Figueiredo A. Permeability of
gloves to plant allergens. Contact Dermatitis 2004;50:200-1.  Back to
cited text no. 106
107. Dhawan SR, Dhawan P. Effect of aqueous foliar extracts of some
trees on germination and early seedling growth of Parthenium
hysterophorus L. World Weeds 1995;2:217-21.  Back to cited text no.
107
108. Njoroge JM. Tolerance of Bidens pilosa L and Parthenium
hysterophorus L to paraquat (Gramoxone) in Kenya. Kenya Coffee
1991;56:999.  Back to cited text no. 108
109. Parthenium weed ( P. hysterophorus ) Weeds of National
Significance: Weed Management Guide. Department of the Environment and
Heritage and the CRC for Australian Weed Management, 2003.  Back to
cited text no. 109
110. Paredes E, Labrada R. Umbral de danos de P. hysterophorus en
plantacion de pimiento y siembra directa de tomate. 1986. Resumenes
Congreso ALAM, Guadalajara 37.  Back to cited text no. 110

http://www.ijdvl.com/article.asp?issn=0378-6323;year=2007;volume=73;issue=5;spag\
e=296;epage=306;aulast=Lakshmi

Weed wreaks havoc

Statesman News Service
SRINIKETAN, Oct. 5:  A common weed has posed a serious threat to
bio-diversity because of its poisonous effect on human beings,
livestock and native plants.
Due to rapid growth of parthenium hysterophorus L (the poisonous weed)
throughout India since 1955, it now covers more than 35 hectares,
replacing native plant. It has become a great source of various
diseases including dermatitis, asthma, and nasal-dermal.  The
Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati organised a week-long
programme at Sriniketan Campus in order to create awareness among the
common people. Dr B Duary, principal investigator of All India
Coordinated Research Programme on Weed Control, said parthenium,
locally called a carrot weed, has now became a national problem. All
efforts are required to get rid of this green cancer. “After
‘parthenium awareness week’ was observed at the national level, the
Agriculture Department of Visva-Bharati arranged so it involved all
levels of people including government agencies, school and college
students and common people to eradicate the national pollutant,” Mr
Duary said.
“This plant has a tremendous capacity to produce numerous seeds
(5,000-25,000 per plant), which are easily transported by wind and
water. Since these seeds have no dormancy the plant completes its
life-circle thrice a year, posing a threat to bio-diversity. Its
pollen can float, which causes respiratory diseases and the young
plant contains trichomes or hair, which also causes dermatitis and
skin ulcers for animals through direct contact,” Mr Duary said.
This weed originated in foreign countries like Mexico, US, Trinidad
and Argentina, after entering in India it has spread rapidly in the
wasteland.  “This weed is seen mainly on both sides of the railway
tracks, drains, hospital surroundings and other places so government
agencies like Railway authorities, PWD, municipalities and panchayat
officials need to be cautious ,” Mr Duary said.
Teachers delivered lectures on parthenium. “Insects like Mexican
beetle were released as the bio-control agents because these insects
can completely defoliate the parthenium. As a part of the programme we
uprooted the parthenium from our campus and used that for compost and
vermicompost,” Mr Prasun Kanti Ghosh and Mr Joydev Fulmali, department
research students said.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=23&theme=&usrsess=1&id=172611

Phytochemistry. 2007 Aug;68(15):2029-34. Epub 2007 Jun 13. Related
Articles, Links
     Click here to read
     Acetylated pseudoguaianolides from Parthenium hysterophorus and
their cytotoxic activity.

     Das B, Reddy VS, Krishnaiah M, Sharma AV, Ravi Kumar K, Rao JV,
Sridhar V.

     Organic Chemistry Division-I, Indian Institute of Chemical
Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India. biswanathdas@...

     Chemical examination of the flowers of Parthenium hysterophorus
has resulted in the isolation of four acetylated pseudoguaianolides
along with several known constituents. The structures of the compounds
were derived from detailed studies of their spectral (1D and 2D NMR
and FABMS) data and by comparison of the values with those of
parthenin, a major known constituent of the plant. The cytotoxic
activity of parthenin and the constituents was evaluated using Jurkat
(human: T lymphocyte; acute T cell leukemia), HL-60 (human leukemia)
and Hela (human cervical carcinoma) cells.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=175704\
45&dopt=Citation

Climate change may increase weed threat

Posted Mon Oct 1, 2007 12:09pm AEST



Scientists are warning farmers the effects of climate change could
create a rapid spread of weeds in Queensland's north.

The Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management says
increases in carbon dioxide emissions allows plants, and in particular
weeds, to grow faster.

The centre's chief executive officer, Dr Rachel McFadyen, says rising
temperatures will also change the movement of weed growth.

"Farmers will find that some weeds that have not been a problem up til
now will start to be a problem, it's very difficult to anticipate
which ones. Lantana, for example, may move into drier country ...
country at the moment has been free of lantana because it's simply too
dry for it," she said.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/01/2047721.htm

Phytosanitary norms not to be diluted: EGoM
Siddharth Zarabi / New Delhi September 17, 2007
Govt ignores US pressure for relaxation ahead of wheat imports.

India has decided not to dilute phytosanitary norms for imported wheat
consignments in view of the risks of harmful weeds and pests entering
the agricultural chain.

An empowered group of ministers (EGoM) on wheat headed by External
Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee recently accepted the recommendation
of a committee of secretaries (CoS) to this effect.

The CoS had recommended that diluting phytosanitary norms should not
be undertaken, given that imported wheat is meant for the public
distribution system, so the seeds and resulting harmful weeds end up
in the fields and seriously impact production.

The refusal to relax phytosanitary norms comes after the US said it
was not in a position to certify that its wheat met Indian tolerance
limits for quarantine weeds.

US officials have criticised India's phytosanitary regime as being
unjustifiably stiff and lobbied for a relaxation, saying US
participation in Indiaï¿œs wheat imports would lower import prices.

The government proposes to import up to 4 million tonnes of wheat
through multiple tenders for the current financial year to meet a
shortfall in its targeted domestic procurement of 15 million tonnes.
The EGoM was set up in March this year to work on a strategy to
augment domestic wheat stocks.

The issue over phytosanitary standards concerns ￜtoleranceￜ levels of
quarantine weeds stipulated in the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of
Import into India) Order, 2003. Most wheat-exporting countries like
Australia, Russia, Ukraine, Argentina and Canada meet India' s
requirements on this score.

India, however, relaxed phytosanitary norms significantly in July
2006, when it imported 6 million tonnes of wheat to augment domestic
stocks for public distribution.

Though the number of detected weeds was within prescribed limits, the
agriculture ministry said the issue remained a concern.

Indian government agencies have estimated that the canary grass
(phalaris minor) weed seeds, which seeped in with previous imports,
invaded wheat-growing areas especially in Punjab and Haryana. This
weed has caused a 15 per cent loss in yield equivalent to 4.4 million
tonnes and Rs 3,740 crore.

The authorities have also said that controlling this weed consumes an
estimated 57 per cent of the total herbicides used in India, with
farmers spending around Rs 320 crore annually on weed killers.

Another weed ￜ parthenium ￜ has spread all over the country, causing
health problems and concurrent economic losses.

http://www.business-standard.com/economy/storypage.php?leftnm=lmnu2&subLeft=1&au\
tono=298239&tab=r

The weed and the beetle

Staff Reporter

Parthenium Awareness Week focuses on an alien trouble-maker

BANGALORE: Those who don’t know better would see it as a pretty little
plant with delicate white flowers. But it is not really an object of
affection, and considerable efforts have gone into getting rid of this
resilient menace.

To spread awareness about this “obnoxious weed of worldwide
occurrence”, the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) is
observing the Parthenium Awareness Week. Called “congress grass” in
local parlance, it is a native of Mexico, Cuba, West Indies and the
Americas and sneaked in when India imported foodgrains
post-Independence. In fact, it was first reported in 1956 in Pune.

According to T.V. Ramachandra Prasad, professor of agronomy at UAS.
“The weed spread all over Maharashtra when the Panshet dam in Pune
broke. It eventually extended its presence to all over southern India
through vehicular traffic and other agents of dispersal.”

Through its insidious qualities, parthenium has decreased the extent
of grazing land, affected crop production and caused numerous health
problems. “The weed is particularly prevalent in the 80 sq. km radius
of Bangalore,” said Prof Prasad.

When the weed hits croplands, it is particularly disastrous. He said:
“Labourers are unwilling to uproot them because it causes skin and
respiratory diseases even if they wear protective gear.”

With its aggressive nature, the parthenium suppresses the growth of
other plants. Only the Cassia species of plants, especially Cassia
uniflora and Cassia tora, have been able to reduce the dominance of
parthenium . Another method to control the weed has been the
introduction of the Mexican beetle.Unfortunately both these methods
have their drawbacks.

“The Mexican beetle is effective only in the rainy season and the
Cassia plants take four to five years to establish themselves,” said
Prof. Prasad.

If you want help in dealing with the menace, call UAS on 23515944.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/12/stories/2007091250540200.htm

Awareness drive held on congress grass
Express News Service

Ludhiana, September 07: Residents of Khanpur and Jarkhar villages were
apprised of the harmful affects of congress grass and means to control
the weed during the parthenium awareness days organised there on
Thursday and Friday respectively. The camps were held under the
national-level parthenium awareness week being organised from
September 6 to September 12, under the auspices of National Research
Centre for Weed Science (NRCWS), Jabalpur (MP).

The speakers, Dr. Tarlok Singh and Dr. R.K.Bhatia, said that the
congress grass (parthenium) â€" called gajar booti in local lingo â€" was
the most noxious weed which had invaded all the states of the country.
The harmful effects of this weed on human and animal health were many.


They stressed that the weed could not be controlled or eradicated
until some serious campaign involving the local residents was
initiated. Keeping this in view, the national-level parthenium
awareness week was being organised, they added.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=255275

Meet to weed out threat
- Parthenium on Kaziranga border worries experts
A STAFF REPORTER
Killer plant

Guwahati, Sept. 9: A threat worse than poachers’ bullets or floods is
looming large over Kaziranga National Park.

Parthenium, one of the 10 deadliest weeds in the world with its
origins in Mexico, has been detected on the boundaries of the game
reserve. Experts said the weed poses a threat to the flora and fauna
of the park, as it destroys the food chain.

Amrit Ranjan Saikia, chief functionary of the Association for
Socio-economic Assessment and Development, Northeast, an NGO dealing
with environment related issues, said it is time to wake up to the
threat posed to the region from parthenium.

The NGO has organised a seminar, sponsored by NF Railways, at Mariani
railway junction on Monday.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070910/asp/northeast/story_8295930.asp

Experts in the field will address the seminar.

“The seminar will appeal to the railways to take necessary steps to
check the spread of the weed in the region, as the railways are the
main carrier of parthenium pollen grains,” Saikia said.

A senior scientist at Assam Agricultural University said if the deadly
weed invades the national park, it would be the beginning of the end
of Kaziranga.

“The weed is already a menace in Karbi Anglong, Nagaon and Morigaon
districts, which are close to Kaziranga. It is a matter of time before
the weed infests the national park,” said Jayanta Deka, principal
investigator, All India Coordinated Research Programme on Weed Control
and a senior scientist in the agronomy department of the university.

The director of the national park, Surendra Nath Buragohain, said the
park is safe from the weed at present. “But we are aware of the
threat,” he said.

Investigations reveal that seeds of the weed came to India along with
wheat imported in 1985.

“The weed has invaded the railway tracks between Lumding and Tinsukia
in Upper Assam,” Deka said.

He added that the weed also poses a threat to cattle, though there are
no reports of cattle deaths from any part of Assam so far.

“It is because grazing lands are still abundant in Assam that the
animals are not consuming the weed. But it is only a matter of time,”
he said.

Moreover, parthenium does not allow other plants to grow as soon as it
invades a certain area.The weed is toxic to cattle and the meat from
livestock that eat the weed could be harmful.

The milk of cattle, which consume the weed for a certain period of
time, turns blue.

Even humans suffer severe allergies after being exposed to the plant
or its pollen, which can cause dermatitis, hay fever and asthma.

Crops apart, weeds pose serious health hazards for humans
Thursday September 6 2007 10:10 IST

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

BHUBANESWAR: Spreading their tentacles at a menacing rate, weeds have
not only emerged as a major threat to crops, but also posing serious
health hazards to humans.

With 33 percent of crop loss in India attributed solely to weeds,
States in the North have put in place strategies to contain the
threat. Himachal Pradesh, for example, witnessed a 40 percent drop in
apple production due to proliferation of ￜParthenium hysterophorusￜ
and went on to plant a competitive grass which checks the formerï¿œs spread.

Going unnoticed, incidence of asthma, eczema, dermatitis and hay fever
are being contributed by toxins released through pollen grains of this
dangerous weed. In Delhi, 30 percent of the asthma cases are
contributed by the pollen generated by this dangerous weed.

If agro-scientists are to be believed, at least 50 percent of the
fallow as well as wasteland in the State is covered by Parthenium
alone. In crop land, the cover is a lot lower - barely 0.5 percent.

But that, the scientists of the Weed Control Project of Indian Council
for Agricultural Research (ICAR) at OUAT, say is strong enough to
multiply given the life-cycles and growth rate.

ï¿œAfter we started off the awareness campaign on Parthenium in 2004,
Indian Rare Earths Ltd at Chhatrapur contacted us. They complained of
an increased incidence of asthma and sought out help to eliminate the
weed,ￜ Dr Sudhanshu Sekhar Mishra, senior agronomist of the OUAT said.

Another Central PSU Nalco too sought similar assistance from the
varsity. Associate Professor Dr Saroj Mohanty said, threat to Orissa
is not as great as in other States but it needs to be controlled now.

The hazards are pronounced for the urban areas and mostly for the
industrial belts like Angul, Talcher, Sunabeda, Paradip and Keonjhar.
ï¿œWe have monitored the rate of infestation and growth of the weed in
these districts basing on which eradication has been recommended,ￜ
Mishra said.

The varsity is planning to submit proposals to the Orissa Government
so that research linking infestation of Parthenium and health hazards
can be taken up soon, he added.


http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20070905234911&Page=Q&Headline=Cr\
ops+apart%2C+weeds+pose+serious+health+hazards+for+humans&Title=ORISSA&Topic=0

Making a meal of Bt cotton

By Bhaskar Goswami

''Scientists at Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) are yet to figure
out an effective way of tackling the pest, or, for that matter, what
is causing it to assume such epidemic proportions. On July 9, Dr N S
Butter, head of the department of entomology told the press that the
attack was mainly due to a reduction in pesticide sprays on Bt cotton,
and also the proliferation of weeds like Congress grass (Parthenium
hysterophorus), which is a major host of the pest.''

http://www.infochangeindia.org/features441.jsp


FULL STORY


In the Malwa belt of rural Punjab, mile after mile of Bt cotton fields
are under attack by the mealy bug pest. Bathinda, Muktsar, Faridkot
and Ferozepur, Punjab’s four major cotton-growing districts, have been
badly affected. The so-called ‘magic bullet’, Bt cotton has turned
into a bitter pill for farmers who were promised profits but who are
now faced with huge losses



mealy bug pest

Anyone overhearing Hartej Singh on his cell phone would find the
conversation strange.  “Dho ditta ji Bt nu safed chichra ne,” (“mealy
bugs have devastated the Bt cotton”) he bellows at the caller.
Standing in his field in the mid-July sun, Hartej is busy fielding
numerous calls of a similar nature. He is an exception -- the sole
cotton farmer in Mehtawali village in Bathinda whose crop has not been
affected by the dreaded mealy bug.

These days, travelling across the Malwa belt of rural Punjab is a
revelation. Mile after mile of unending Bt cotton fields, which appear
healthy from a distance, are facing unprecedented attack by the mealy
bug. Bathinda, Muktsar, Faridkot and Ferozepur, Punjab’s four major
cotton-growing districts, have all been badly affected.

The crisis

While Bt cotton made an official entry into Punjab in 2005,
enterprising farmers here began cultivating bootlegged varieties from
Gujarat a year earlier. According to official statistics, around 60%
of farmers in the state are growing Bt cotton this year. In the four
cotton-producing districts, Bt cotton coverage is almost 100%.

Unlike in Andhra Pradesh, Bt cotton in Punjab lived up to its promise
of protecting against the dreaded American bollworm, and the number of
sprays needed dropped from a high 30 to less than five. This is the
main reason why farmers switched to these varieties.

However, Bt cotton protects the crop only against one pest; cotton is
attacked by no less than 165 pests. This raises the chances of a
resurgence of secondary pests and farmers end up spraying the same
quantity of pesticide (if not more) on their crop as they did earlier.
In Andhra Pradesh, the number of attacks by aphids, thrips, jassids,
etc, has risen since the introduction of Bt cotton in 2002. Tobacco
leaf streak virus, tobacco caterpillars, etc, have emerged as new
diseases and pests of Bt cotton in the state. This year, reports of
fungal root rot in Bt cotton are beginning to pour in from Warangal
district in Andhra Pradesh. The emergence of the mealy bug as a Bt
cotton pest in Punjab also appears to be a case of secondary pest
resurgence, and no amount or type of pesticide has been able to
control it.

Scientists at Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) are yet to figure
out an effective way of tackling the pest, or, for that matter, what
is causing it to assume such epidemic proportions. On July 9, Dr N S
Butter, head of the department of entomology told the press that the
attack was mainly due to a reduction in pesticide sprays on Bt cotton,
and also the proliferation of weeds like Congress grass (Parthenium
hysterophorus), which is a major host of the pest.

This is bizarre, considering the fact that Congress grass has been
growing in the state for decades. What’s more, the reduced number of
sprays was against American bollworm, not the mealy bug, and the type
of pesticide used against the two is quite different. Also, American
bollworm attacks during the monsoon while the mealy bug is mostly
active during summer.

The mealy bug feeds on around 300 crops on the subcontinent. Attacks
are generally intense during summer; they subside when the temperature
drops. Bt cotton crop in Punjab was attacked by the mealy bug last
year as well, but the damage was not substantial as the crop was close
to maturity. This year, however, the attack was intense during the
second month of sowing.

The devastation

Unlike the Doaba and Majha regions of Punjab, the four cotton-growing
districts in the Malwa belt have poorer soil and fewer irrigation
canals. Cotton is the major cash crop, while wheat is the staple crop
that meets the food requirements of relatively less well-off farmers
in this belt. Bathinda district alone accounts for a quarter of the
cotton produced in Punjab. Destruction of the cotton crop in this
district therefore affects thousands of farmers.

According to the state agriculture department, over 2,000 acres of
cotton crop were destroyed by the mealy bug by July 10. This appears
to be a conservative estimate. During my trip to the region in
mid-July, every village reported having uprooted at least five acres
of Bt cotton crop every day. In the village of Raike-Kalan, in
Bathinda, over 100 acres of mealy bug-infested Bt cotton had already
been uprooted when I visited the area. It’s the same story across
hundreds of neighbouring villages.

That pesticides are not working against this pest is evident from the
farmers’ accounts. Balwant Singh, a farmer in Mehtawali village in
Bathinda, consulted scientists at both the PAU and the state
agriculture department. He was advised to rotate sprays of the
carbamate and organophosphate pesticide groups. Balwant understands
how this is done, for he is the insecticide retailer in the village.
Four rounds of sprays later, he has given up.

The same story is being repeated in Badal village in Muktsar district,
the birthplace of Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal. During my
visit, pesticides were being feverishly sprayed on Bt cotton fields in
the village, but to no avail. The bug subsides and re-emerges within a
week of spraying.

Damaged Bt cotton plant“We used to cuff our children if they touched
even one sapling of cotton. Now we use our own hands to uproot what we
planted,” says Nachhatar Singh of Raike-Kalan.  Nachhatar owns two
acres of land and has leased-in five more to grow Bt cotton. Each
leased acre of land costs him Rs 16,000, while the cost of cultivating
Bt cotton on the land is around Rs 5,000. All this is now lost. Since
his land is irrigated and he could also source some paddy seedlings,
Nachhatar uprooted the damaged Bt cotton crop and replaced it with
paddy, thereby incurring an additional expenditure of Rs 5,000 per
acre. As a result his total expenditure has now shot up to Rs 26,000
per acre -- for paddy! This is a far cry from the Rs 4,000 per acre
profits promised by Mahyco-Monsanto while marketing Bt cotton seed!

Sharecropping is practised quite routinely all over the Malwa belt.
Since the introduction of Bt cotton in Punjab, the practice of
leasing-in land to cultivate cotton has increased among marginal and
small farmers. Due to the mealy bug attack, these sharecroppers are
now uprooting Bt cotton and replacing it with paddy. This is being
done to somehow reduce the huge losses arising out of Bt cotton
cultivation.
But unless farmers sell their paddy at a minimum of Rs 1,600 per
quintal, they will not recover even their cultivation costs this year.
The minimum support price was a mere Rs 650 per quintal last year.

The writing on the wall is therefore quite clear for small farmers.
Like neighbouring Sangrur, the four cotton-growing districts of Punjab
may soon begin reporting increasing numbers of farmer suicides.

The response

While the state agriculture department and PAU are groping in the dark
for a solution, the response from the Centre is a not-so-surprising
dead silence. According to the International Seed Federation, this
year the estimated size of India’s seed market is around $ 1.3 billion
(approximately Rs 5,200 crore) -- the sixth highest in the world. By
opening up the seed sector to biotech seed manufacturers, the Centre
had signalled, a long time ago, that profits to these corporations
weigh higher than the concerns of farmers.

When asked by local journalists about the steps being taken to stem
the mealy bug epidemic in Punjab, the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA)
passed the buck back saying that agriculture was a state subject.

This is ironical. After all, it wasn’t the Punjab government that
approved 135 varieties of Bt cotton in the last five years but the
Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) of the Union government,
of which the MoA is a member. The fact remains that the GEAC has
permitted cultivation of Bt cotton varieties without carrying out
adequate testing for the resurgence of secondary pests and diseases.
As has now become the established norm with respect to genetically
modified crops, farmers are being made to pay a steep price for the
incompetence of the regulatory body and the greed of biotech companies.

Not only has the introduction of Bt cotton brought disaster in the
form of the mealy bug, it is also affecting yields of the subsequent
crop -- wheat. Farmers reported an up to 30% drop in wheat
productivity on land that had previously been cultivated with Bt
cotton. This is similar to reports from Andhra Pradesh where the Kisan
Call Centre in Hyderabad received a number of complaints from farmers
about declining yields of subsequent crops.

According to Vyavsaya Panchangam -- a farmers’ almanac -- published by
the Acharya N G Ranga Agriculture University, Hyderabad, Bt cotton
uses more fertiliser than its non-Bt counterparts. If adequate amounts
of fertiliser are not applied, the subsequent crop receives fewer
nutrients. Further, the Bt toxin also expresses itself in the root
zone of the plant and can affect soil biodiversity and ecosystem
function, as reported in a research study by the Australian
government. These may partly explain why yields of subsequent crops
are declining, although nobody is paying much attention to this aspect.

The alternative

This brings the story back to Hartej Singh, an organic farmer
associated with the Kheti Virasat Mission. Singh grows cotton
intercropped with rows of pigeon pea, sorghum, maize, soybean, cluster
bean, etc. Some of these are leguminous crops that are uprooted and
used as green manure. He grows F-1378, an early-maturing American
cotton variety and LD 327, a high-yielding desi variety that is also
tolerant to Fusarium wilt. His yields are slightly lower than those of
the Bt cotton in neighbouring fields.

healthy non-Bt cotton intercroppedBut while the neighbouring fields
are heavily infested by the mealy bug, Singh’s cotton crop is
completely unaffected. Likewise for the 100-odd farmers of the Malwa
belt who, as part of the Kheti Virasat Mission, are growing non-Bt
cotton following the principles of organic farming. Intercropping with
several different crops stops pests from migrating to the next row of
cotton, and since these crops have never been sprayed with pesticide,
predators like beetle larvae can be seen feeding on the mealy bugs.
Whenever the pest concentration goes up, a combination of neemleaves
and pods, along with Datura, etc, mixed with cow urine, is sprayed on
the crop. The attack subsides and damage to the cotton crop is negligible.

Umendra Dutt, Executive Director of the Kheti Virasat Mission, sums it
up thus: “Farmers were promised a magic bullet in the form of Bt
cotton which has turned into a bitter pill.”  Meanwhile, the PAU and
state agriculture department are now consulting Dutt to work out a way
to tackle the mealy bug. Speaking to the media on August 9, the head
of the department of entomology recommended using traditional methods
to destroy the mealy bug -- remove the weed hosts and use neem-based
insecticides


(Bhaskar Goswami is with the New Delhi-based Forum for Biotechnology
and Food Security)

InfoChange News & Features, September 2007

Dear IPRNG members,
     You are invited to read this research article having some
interesting information related to Parthenium.

Increasing negative impact of foreign plant and tourists in Maikal
Hill range near Bhoramdeo tourist destination: Some observations and
suggestions.
by
Pankaj Oudhia

Both foreign weed Parthenium and increasing activities of tourists in
Bhoramdeo tourist destination in Maikal Hill Range are creating
negative impact on rich biodiversity of the region. In present
research article an effort has been made to point out the problems and
to suggest possible remedial measures.

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleView&earticleId=3075&page=-2


regards
Pankaj Oudhia

Dear IPRNG Members  

It is to inform all the IPRNG group members  that National Research Centre for Weed Science is observing "Parthenium Awareness Week"  during  6-12 September 2007 involving All State Agricultural Universities, 27 centres of All India Co-ordained Research Programme  on weed control, All the ICAR Institutes, KVKs, many NGOs, Schools, Municipalities etc. Dr. Jay. G. Varshney, Director of the institute has urged all the above agencies to observe this week to make people aware to fight against this nation weed.

To facilitate the above agencies, NRCWS has sent posters, extension folders and a documentary film on Parthenium and its management on CD with the request to multiply this material and distribute to stakeholders.

Last year too, Parthenium Week was observed with great zeal and we received reports from many organizations which is in the final stage of its printing.

I also urge all the IPRNG members to observe Parthenium awareness week during 6-12 September as you deem fit. 

To get more details about posters and folders pl. visit our web site www.nrcws.org.

Sushilkumar

NRCWS, Jabalpur

Dear IPRNG Members  

It is to inform all the IPRNG group members  that National Research Centre for Weed Science is observing "Parthenium Awareness Week"  during  6-12 September 2007 involving All State Agricultural Universities, 27 centres of All India Co-ordained Research Programme  on weed control, All the ICAR Institutes, KVKs, many NGOs, Schools, Municipalities etc. Dr. Jay. G. Varshney, Director of the institute has urged all the above agencies to observe this week to make people aware to fight against this nation weed.

To facilitate the above agencies, NRCWS has sent posters, extension folders and a documentary film on Parthenium and its management on CD with the request to multiply this material and distribute to stakeholders.

Last year too, Parthenium Week was observed with great zeal and we received reports from many organizations which is in the final stage of its printing.

I also urge all the IPRNG members to observe Parthenium awareness week during 6-12 September as you deem fit. 

To get more details about posters and folders pl. visit our web site www.nrcws.org.

Sushilkumar

NRCWS, Jabalpur

From APWG List

Invasive weed a fuel for West's wildfires

By Patrick O'Driscoll, USA TODAY
DENVER â€" Cheatgrass, a wispy Eurasian weed accidentally brought to the
USA in the late 19th century, has become a 21st century headache
across the West, fueling some of this summer's most destructive wildfires.

The largest blaze in Utah history, the 567-square-mile Milford Flat
fire last month, raced across rangeland infested with the highly
combustible, straw-colored plant. Bone-dry expanses of cheatgrass in
Idaho and Nevada also stoked the 1,020-square-mile Murphy Complex
fires, the largest to burn in Idaho in 97 years.

The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) estimates 2 million acres
have burned in the Great Basin, the West's expanse of sagebrush
steppes vulnerable to cheatgrass fires.

The governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming formally declared war
this month on the invader, which now dominates between 25 million and
100 million acres of sagebrush in the Great Basin. They pledged
cooperation in replanting charred areas before the weed can take root
again. The BLM estimates cheatgrass invades 4,000 acres of new terrain
a day.

"It's exploding on us," says ecologist Mike Pellant, head of the
agency's Great Basin Restoration Initiative, which does research and
rehabilitation. "We've been at war with cheatgrass for years now. It's
like the Dutch boy with the finger in the dike. You work hard in an
area and make progress, and then somewhere else, (fire) happens all
over again."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2007-08-29-cheatgrass_N.htm

Dear Mr. Muthukumar,
 
I did not receive any attachment regarding the workshop. Please send it again.
 
best regards,
 
Dr. Vinod Bhatt
Navdanya, Dehradun




 

---

To: IPRNG@yahoogroups.co.in
From: vbmuthukumar@yahoo.co.in
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2007 13:48:00 -0700
Subject: Re: [IPRNG] FW: IWSS Congress

Hi IPRNG members,

 

Welcome to Canada - IWSS Vancouver 2008! I am looking forward to meet you guys over there! Perhaps, we can arrange for a get together if more people from our group are attending.

 

Thanks -

Muthukumar

Pankaj Oudhia <pankajoudhia@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear IWSS Colleagues,

Attached please find an updated version of the Second Circular of the
5th International Weed Science Congress to be held in Vancouver 2008.
In this version we have incorporated some minor corrections. We
cordially invite you to share this circular with colleagues and
potential Congress participants.

Best regards,

Albert J. Fischer

IWSS Secretary-Treasurer

Dept. of Plant Sciences

Mail Stop 4

University of California

One Shields Ave.

Davis, CA 95616-8780

Phone:(530) 752-7386

Fax: (530) 752-4606

ajfischer@ucdavis.edu

http://iws.ucdavis.edu/

Muthukumar Bagavathiannan,
Ph.D. Scholar (Plant Sciences),
The University of Manitoba,
Winnipeg, MB,
Canada-R3T 2N2
Ph: 001-204-272-4285

"Agriculturists are the linchpin of the mankind since
they support all others who cannot till the soil"
- Thirukkural (1032)

---

Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story.
Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games.

---

Download the latest version of Windows Live Messenger NOW! Click here!

---

To: IPRNG@...
From: vbmuthukumar@...
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2007 13:48:00 -0700
Subject: Re: [IPRNG] FW: IWSS Congress

Hi IPRNG members,

 

Welcome to Canada - IWSS Vancouver 2008! I am looking forward to meet you guys over there! Perhaps, we can arrange for a get together if more people from our group are attending.

 

Thanks -

Muthukumar

Pankaj Oudhia <pankajoudhia@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear IWSS Colleagues,

Attached please find an updated version of the Second Circular of the
5th International Weed Science Congress to be held in Vancouver 2008.
In this version we have incorporated some minor corrections. We
cordially invite you to share this circular with colleagues and
potential Congress participants.

Best regards,

Albert J. Fischer

IWSS Secretary-Treasurer

Dept. of Plant Sciences

Mail Stop 4

University of California

One Shields Ave.

Davis, CA 95616-8780

Phone:(530) 752-7386

Fax: (530) 752-4606

ajfischer@ucdavis.edu

http://iws.ucdavis.edu/

Muthukumar Bagavathiannan,
Ph.D. Scholar (Plant Sciences),
The University of Manitoba,
Winnipeg, MB,
Canada-R3T 2N2
Ph: 001-204-272-4285

"Agriculturists are the linchpin of the mankind since
they support all others who cannot till the soil"
- Thirukkural (1032)

---

Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story.
Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games.

From APWG list:

Weed Science Society of America
"Weeds Won't Wait: Don't Hesitate"

Press Released

For Immediate Release
August 14, 2007

Contact: Kimberly Mulcahy, 630.393.0732, kimberly@...


WILDFIRES:  FUELING THE ARGUMENT FOR INCREASED INVASIVE WEED CONTROL

(LAWRENCE, Kan.) - Invasive plants-weeds-sure have been busy. They
systematically infiltrate millions of acres every year, selfishly soak
  up
precious water supplies, forever alter wildlife habitats and quietly
invade our backyards.  In fact, the economic impact of invasive plants
  and
weeds in the U.S. has been estimated at $34.7 billion annually,
  according
to a recent Cornell University report.

Now, add increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires to the
  list
of the destructive talents of these insidious invaders.

How Do They Do It?
In the western states, where wildfires are most prevalent, the
encroachment of resilient, invasive plants has paved the way for a
succession of rampant rangeland and desert wildfires.  Two culprits
  that
play major roles in stoking the flames of these reoccurring western
wildfires are Cheatgrass and Red Brome.

Where the dry, feathery foliage of the winter annual Cheatgrass is
abundant, wildfires flare up more often.  This invasive plant acts like

highly flammable kindling, fueling the ignition of rangeland fires to a

roaring blaze.  And, parts of Arizona's picturesque Sonoran desert are
actually bursting into flames with alarming frequency thanks to the
  spread
of Red Brome, another non-native annual grass.  Red Brome is a prime
source of fires engulfing native vegetation, such as Palo Verde trees
  and
various cacti, hallmarks of this desert habitat.

"These invasive plants can take over natural areas that once were home
  to
a diverse variety of plant species," says Steven A. Dewey, Ph.D.,
Extension Invasive Weed Specialist at Utah State University and
  wildfire
expert. "The spread of invasive plants such as Cheatgrass and Red Brome

across a western landscape can lead to more expansive and more frequent

fires.  Charred lands in turn are left wide open for an unchallenged
invasion of annual, invasive plant species.  And so the cycle
  continues,
intensifying as it goes."

Dr. Dewey recently was named Weed Science Subject Matter Liaison to the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the Weed Science Society of
America.  In this newly created position, he will be instrumental in
providing scientific information on invasive weed management to the
  EPA,
including methods to lessen the role of invasive weeds in wildfires.

The Effects Of Wildfires Can Linger
- Fire-fueling invasive plants actually have increased the occurrence
  of
wild fires in some areas from a natural frequency of every 60 to 100
  years
to an alarming 3 to 5 years.
- Recurring fires can have a devastating effect on native plant species

that are critical components of wildlife habitats, endangering animal
species that rely on those habitats.
- In many areas, the increased severity and frequency of wildfires
  driven
by invasive plants are eliminating the natural assortment of native
  plant
species.  Large areas of land are becoming more homogenous-home to
  merely
a few plant species.  "One of the advantages of a diverse plant
  population
is the different ways in which various plant species react to fire,"
  says
Dr. Dewey.  "Those species that are not as combustible, such as
  perennial
bunch grasses and forbs, can act as buffers, helping to contain
  naturally
occurring wildfires so they don't spread out of control."

How Invasive Plants Take Over
- Overgrazing or other human-caused disturbance of rangelands leaves
  bare
areas that are quickly filled in by invasive plants.
- Invasive plants produce countless seeds that travel by wind, animals
  or
people, eventually settling in bare areas where they quickly establish
themselves and spread.
- Because of their fast growing cycles, invasive annual plants mature
  and
then wither long before winter, usually at the height of summer heat,
posing major wildfire threats.
- Suppressing small-scale fires that nature commonly uses to remove
  dried,
dead plants can lead to the buildup of excessive dead plant material
  that
fuels more intense wildfires.
- Variances in weather patterns, either severe drought or excessive
rainfall, which affect natural plant growth patterns, can lead to an
invasive plant population explosion.

What Can Be Done?
"The integration of herbicides to control invasive plants, proper
  grazing
management, controlled burns to remove plant debris build-up and
revegetating degraded sites with native plants all can lead to
  rejuvenated
rangeland ecosystems," says Dr. Dewey.  "Healthy, native landscapes are

better able to resist invasion of non-native plants, thus restoring a
  more
natural, prolonged wildfire frequency."

The more we learn about the far-reaching effects of invasive plants and

weeds, the more able we are to work together to conquer the problems
  they
cause.  Contact your state's department of natural resources to find
  out
more about invasive species in your area or log on to www.wssa.net.

For more information about invasive weeds and wildfires, contact Lee
VanWychen, Director of Science Policy for the Weed Science Society of
America, at (202) 408-5388.

About the Weed Science Society of America
The Weed Science Society of America, a non-profit professional society,

was founded in 1956 to encourage and promote the development of
  knowledge
concerning weeds and their impact on the environment.  The Weed Science

Society of America, promotes research, education and extension outreach

activities related to weeds; provides science-based information to the
public and policy makers; and fosters awareness of weeds and their
  impacts
on managed and natural ecosystems.  For more information, visit
www.wssa.net.

Dear IWSS Colleagues,

Attached please find an updated version of the Second Circular of the
5th International Weed Science Congress to be held in Vancouver 2008.
In this version we have incorporated some minor corrections. We
cordially invite you to share this circular with colleagues and
potential Congress participants.

Best regards,

Albert J. Fischer

IWSS Secretary-Treasurer

Dept. of Plant Sciences

Mail Stop 4

University of California

One Shields Ave.

Davis, CA 95616-8780

Phone:(530) 752-7386

Fax: (530) 752-4606

ajfischer@ucdavis.edu

http://iws.ucdavis.edu/

Dear IWSS Colleagues,



Attached please find an updated version of the Second Circular of the
5th International Weed Science Congress to be held in Vancouver 2008.
In this version we have incorporated some minor corrections.  We
cordially invite you to share this circular with colleagues and
potential Congress participants.



Best regards,



Albert J. Fischer

IWSS Secretary-Treasurer

Dept. of Plant Sciences

Mail Stop 4

University of California

One Shields Ave.

Davis, CA 95616-8780

Phone:(530) 752-7386

Fax: (530) 752-4606

ajfischer@...

http://iws.ucdavis.edu/

LETTER TO EDITOR

Year : 2007  |  Volume : 73  |  Issue : 4  |  Page : 265

Type I hypersensitivity to Parthenium hysterophorus in patients with
parthenium dermatitis

Verma Kaushal K
  Department of Dermatology & Venereology, All India Institute of
Medical Sciences, New Delhi - 110 029, India

Correspondence Address:
Verma Kaushal K
Department of Dermatology & Venereology, All India Institute of
Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029
India
prokverma@...

Sir,

I read with interest the article by Lakshmi et al. [1] In this article
the authors have suggested that both type I hypersensitivity and type
IV hypersensitivity are responsible for dermatitis in parthenium
dermatitis patients, and they have tried to demonstrate this by doing
prick test and serum IgE levels in these patients. The majority of
their patients were atopics. It is well known that atopic individuals
are more susceptible to develop allergic response to various antigenic
stimuli and have elevated IgE levels. [2] Immunologic abnormalities of
type I and type IV reactions have been described in patients with
atopic dermatitis. [3] Immunologic triggers are aeroallergens, food
allergens, microbial products, autoallergens and contact allergens.
They enhance IgE production by B lymphocytes with an increased
secretion of interleukin 4, interleukin 5 and interleukin 13. [2]

Atopics are a more susceptible to develop contact allergy to
compositae plants also. [4],[5] In this study, it seems atopic
individuals have developed parthenium dermatitis and this atopic state
may have resulted in positive prick test and elevated IgE levels in
these patients, which may not have been actually due to parthenium.
The situation may have been different in non-atopic parthenium
dermatitis patients. Therefore, positive prick test and elevated IgE
levels in their patients do not conclusively prove that these were due
to parthenium only and not because of some other stimuli. Hence a
credible evidence of type I hypersensitivity due to Parthenium
hysterophorus is lacking in this study. I dare to suggest that the
authors should have demonstrated 'Parthenium hysterophorus' -specific
IgE by using methods like ELISA to confirm the presence of these IgE
antibodies due to Parthenium hysterophorus antigen to suggest the role
of type I hypersensitivity in this disease.


   References   Top

1. Lakshmi C, Srinivas CR. Type I hypersensitivity to parthenium
hysterophorus in patients with parthenium dermatitis. Indian J
Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2007;73:103-5.  Back to cited text no. 1
2. Pastar Z, Lipozencic J, Ljubojevic S. Etiopathogenesis of atopic
dermatitis: An overview. Acta Dermatovenerol Croat 2005;13:54-62.
Back to cited text no. 2
3. Wollenberg A, Kraft S, Oppel T, Bieber T. Atopic dermatitis:
pathogenetic mechanisms. Clin Exp Dermatol 2000;25:530-4.  Back to
cited text no. 3  [PUBMED]  [FULLTEXT]
4. Jovanovic M, Poljacki M, Duran V, Vujanovic L, Sente R, Stojanovic
S. Contact allergy to Compositae plants in patients with atopic
dermatitis. Med Pregl 2004;57:209-18.  Back to cited text no. 4
5. Nettis E, Giordano D, Soccio A, Ferrannini A, Tursi A. Frequency of
contact allergy to composite extracts in patients with atopic
dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 2002;47:169-70.  Back to cited text no.
5  [PUBMED]  [FULLTEXT]

http://www.ijdvl.com/article.asp?issn=0378-6323;year=2007;volume=73;issue=4;spag\
e=265;epage=265;aulast=Verma

Salam to everybody,

I am interested to have few seeds of Parthenium hysterophorus for laboratory purpose research work. If anybody got few seeds, please contact to arrange for sending and definitely I appreciate in advance your cooperation.

Best Regards,

Abu Abdallah

Insect Vectors of Plant Pathogens Lab.

Agricultural Research Center,

Sultanate of Oman

---

From: IPRNG@yahoogroups.co.in [mailto:IPRNG@yahoogroups.co.in]
Sent: 25 July 2007 2:20 PM
To: IPRNG@yahoogroups.co.in
Subject: [IPRNG] New file uploaded to IPRNG

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the IPRNG
group.

File : /NCFDIE- Saxena.pdf
Uploaded by : pankajoudhia <pankajoudhia@gmail.com>
Description : 34th Annual Meeting of the Mycological Society of India

You can access this file at the URL:
http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/IPRNG/files/NCFDIE-%20Saxena.pdf

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
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Regards,

pankajoudhia <pankajoudhia@gmail.com>

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Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the IPRNG
group.

File : /phytochemistry.htm
Uploaded by : pankajoudhia <pankajoudhia@gmail.com>
Description : VI Symposium International on Natural Products Chemistry and its Application, Chile 2007

You can access this file at the URL:
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Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the IPRNG
group.

   File        : /phytochemistry.htm
   Uploaded by : pankajoudhia <pankajoudhia@...>
   Description : VI Symposium International on Natural Products Chemistry and its
Application, Chile 2007

You can access this file at the URL:
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To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
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pankajoudhia <pankajoudhia@...>

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the IPRNG
group.

   File        : /NCFDIE- Saxena.pdf
   Uploaded by : pankajoudhia <pankajoudhia@...>
   Description : 34th Annual Meeting of the Mycological Society of India

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