Journal of Research in Weed Science

Abstract Parthenium hysterophorus, one of the world’s most invasive weeds, is accountable for enormous losses to the biodiversity, agriculture, and even the health of human beings and animals. It is regarded as immensely prolific weed and most awful in crop production which devastated all the useful crops. However, various studies revealed that Parthenium can be used in agriculture in different form. In agriculture, it can be used as biopesticides, green manure, compost, soil amendment values, and vermi composting. Being a competitive weed, it consumes more and more nutrients from the soil and hence, the plant is rich in nutrients. During premature stage, i.e. before flowering, the plant is uprooted from field and burying it in the soil produces higher quality organic manure. Green manure and compost used improves the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil, increased the yield of agricultural crops. Numerous studies show that it has also insecticidal and pesticidal properties to control several insect pests in agricultural crops. This review briefly discusses the application of Parthenium in agriculture concluded by various researchers. 

Abstract The present study was conducted to evaluate the relative phytotoxic effects of different concentrations (15, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) of aqueous extract from stem and root of Parthenium hysterophorus on the rate of seed germination, length of root and shoot, and Seed Vigour Index (SVI) of Cicer aeritinum. In laboratory condition the experiment was set up in petri dishes, each petri dish contained ten seeds. Each treatment had ten replicates. A control condition was maintained using distilled water in place of stem or root aqueous extracts of Parthenium. The rate of seed germination in Cicer aeritinum in stem and root aqueous extracts of different concentrations decreased from 5% to 79%, and 0.0% to 22%, respectively. The inhibition value in root length in stem extracts varied from 11.14% to 85.96% and in root extract was from 13.14% to 64.25%. The inhibition in shoot length in stems and roots extracts varied from 14.67% to 50.19% and 73.68% to 85.86%, respectively. The Seed Vigour Index (SVI) value decreased from 16.38% to 94.99% in stem extract and 32.11% to 77.37% in root extract. The stem extract of Parthenium was more phytotoxic than the root extract in Cicer aeritinum. When the data collected were analysed using Tukey HSD and Post HOC Tests the phytotoxic impacts of plant parts (stem and root); treatments (15, 25, 50, 75 and 100% concentrations); and interactions between plant parts and treatments were highly significantly different at p < 0.000. Thus the present study indicated that the aqueous extracts of stem of Parthenium were recorded more phytotoxic than root extract on germination and growth of Cicer aeritinum.

Abstract Parthenium hysterophorus (Asteraceae) is known as one of the most troublesome weeds, causing severe environmental, economic, human and animal health problems in India and around the world. During a series of surveys for natural enemies of P. hysterophorus, a leaf blight pathogen was isolated from the affected parts of the Parthenium following the standard isolation techniques using potato dextrose agar (PDA) media. Koch’s postulates were performed and found satisfactory for the isolate and proved to be pathogenic to this weed. On the basis of cultural, morphological and molecular characteristics, the pathogen was identified as Alternaria macrospora MKP1. The pathogen was studied for various histopathological parameters and the results showed that this pathogen has a good potential to control Parthenium weed.

Abstract The present study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of botanical extracts on the management of Parthenium hysterophorus through laboratory experiments. These experiments were carried out at Department of Agronomy, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai during 2013-15. The efficacy of twenty botanicals viz., Abutilon indicum, Amaranthus spinosus, Amaranthus viridis, Azadirachta indica, Calotropis gigantea, Croton bonplandianum, Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus rotundus, Datura metel, Echinochloa crusgalli, Helianthus annuus, Lawsonia inermis, Mangifera indica, Prosopis juliflora, Solanum nigrum, Sorghum bicolor, Sorghum halepense, Tagetes erectus, Tamarindus indica, Tephrosia purpurea were tried at different concentrations under laboratory bioassay. The study reveal that the per cent germination, seedling length, seedling vigor index and seedling biomass of P.hysterophorus was reduced significantly due to application of all botanicals, however the effect was more pronounced with botanicals extract  in the order of Datura metel, Mangifera indica, Azadirachta indica, Tagetes erectus, Helianthus annuus and Sorghum bicolor both at 50 and 75 % concentrations. Increased concentration (50 and 75 %) was pronounced more detrimental effects on per cent germination and seedling growth parameters of P.hysterophorus.