Morung Express News
Dimapur| August 7
A harmless looking weed, Parthenium Hysterophous, has suddenly become a cause of great concern for the Agriculture department. Known to be a very poisonous plant having toxic properties, Parthenium is found in abundance across the state and this is causing great worry.
The Agriculture department has started creating awareness about Parthenium and is asking farmers as well as the public to eradicate the poisonous weed wherever found. The department has already cleared the weed from Purana Bazar along the National Highway up to Piphema.
Also known as the Carrot Weed or Feverfew, it causes extensive damage to vegetation. This weed has been named so according to the name of the Greek city of Parthenia, where it originated. It was distributed throughout the world along with wheat. The country which adopted wheat as its staple food, that country was affected by the effects of the Parthenium. India too has been affected extensively. Several countries across the world have carried out campaigns to destroy Parthenium to save the environment. Its pollen grains contain Parthenin and Plasmodium which are lethal microbes.
The environment has become very poisonous due to these microbes. The plant can cause Asthma, Allergy, Dermatitis, Hay Fever, Sleeping Sickness, Bronchitis etc. Not only this, but the domestic animals are also affected by different types of disorders while grazing the Parthenium weed. They get affected by different types of skin disorders and their milk becomes bitter. It also destroys the fertility of the crop lands and decreases the crop yield. Air pollution is also caused due to it. Parthenium is of twenty three kinds.
According to reports from the district agriculture office, Dhansaripar area in Dimapur has the maximum growth of Parthenium. The department has asked the district administration to issue orders to destroy the weeds around that area. Taking serious note of the department’s concern to wipe out Parthenium, the district administration has appealed to the public to take measures to eradicate the plant. The plant which has the capacity to produce 25,000 seeds sprouts anywhere the seeds fall.
