Parthenium Awareness Week

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                Observation of 'Parthenium Awareness Week'

Parthenium Awareness Week’ was organised by ICAR-DPR, Hyderabad during 16-22 August, 2019. Parthenium hysterophorus (Family: Asteraceae), locally called gajar ghas is an alien weed which entered into India along with wheat imported from USA in the early 1950s. Since then it has spread alarmingly and invaded about 35 million hectares of land throughout the country including Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep. Parthenium is a poisonous, pernicious problematic, allergic and aggressive weed posing a serious threat to human beings and livestock. This weed is notorious to cause many diseases like skin allergy, hay fever, breathing problems in human beings and animals besides reducing agricultural productivity loss of biodiversity.

In view of the seriousness and magnitude of the threat posed by this weed, ICAR- Directorate of Poultry Research (ICAR-DPR) observed 'Parthenium Awareness Week’ during 16-22 August, 2019 to make farmers and general public aware about the menace of Parthenium, which is responsible for causing health problems in human beings and animals, besides deteriorating environment, loss of productivity and biodiversity.  ICAR-DPR organised activities for Parthenium uprooting in the campus during the week. A rally was also organised in the institute for spreading awareness regarding harmful effects of parthenium and importance of its uprooting.  Most of the staff participated in the activity.

 Twenty one  tribal farmers who were under going training on backyard poultry farming under TSP programme were also trained on identifying Parthenium plant, harmful effects of the plant and the importance of  uprooting them. Farmers were also advised to grow fast growing crops like sorghum to suppress the growth of parthenium in their filed. Other control methods like spraying herbicides biological control measures etc.  were also explained to the farmers.

ICAR News https://icar.org.in/content/icar-dpr-hyderabad-organizes-“parthenium-awareness-week”