Biology, ecology and spread of the invasive weed Parthenium hysterophorus in India.

Abstract

This chapter covers the geographical distribution (including central Argentina, the West Indies, the Gulf of Mexico, China, Taiwan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Pacific Islands, Africa, USA, Central America, Australia and India), morphology, ecological and biological traits (growth, survival, stress response and reproduction), invasiveness, allelopathic potential, environmental and agricultural impact, economic importance and management (chemical and biological control methods) of P. hysterophorus.

Is intraspecific trait differentiation in Parthenium hysterophorus a consequence of hereditary factors and/or phenotypic plasticity?

“…Low temperature conditions do not inhibit germination of P . hysterophorus ( Tamado et al., 2002 ; Kaur et al., 2017 ); although, unlike summer, the plant undergoes a state of dormancy in rosette form ( Williams and Groves, 1980 ; Batish et al., 2012 ; Kaur et al., 2017 ). Growth conditions at the time of transplantation and early growth strikingly varied between the two seasons (winter and summer), whereas these became stable at the time of plant maturation in both the seasons due to delayed flowering in winter transplanted seedlings.…”

Biocontrol measures to manage Parthenium hysterophorus: Current paradigms, scope and relevance

“…Only a single weed causes most Caribbean countries to lose an average of 20% of their crop yield (Kanagwa, 2020). Due to this weed's invasive characteristics, India is currently dealing with a serious issue of decreased crop productivity and the loss of many key plants (Batish et al, 2012). All these examples demonstrated how Parthenium could alter the ecology.…”

Allelopathic effect of parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) leaf litter on the seedling emergence and growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

“…However, in many developing countries, these types of control measures for parthenium weed fail because of weak regulation enforcement and/or the weed had become too widely spread before the control measures were put in place. In India, the control measures include physical (hand weeding, burning, cutting), chemical (herbicide, bioherbicide), and biological control (Mexican beetle, mycoherbicide), but the success rate is limited, whereas parthenium weed control requires long-term community participation and currently such a control approach is not available in India [8]. In Ethiopia, the research on parthenium weed and weeds in general is limited.…”