Archives

Cash crunch hits destruction of alien weed

by Tharika Goonathilake

The lack of funds has seriously impeded efforts to prevent the spread of the alien weed Parthenium, considered a major threat to the country's agricultural sector and human health.

"Propagation control and eradication are the only methods of curbing the spread of this monstrous plant. However, a severe shortage of funds has hampered efforts to continue this program," Director Plant Genetic Resources Centre Dr. Magdon Jayasuriya told the `Daily News' yesterday.

He said that Parthenium has caused serious damage to indigenous flora and health hazards to communities in many parts of the world. It was vital to continue with efforts to contain its spread here. "Abating the plant propagation control program now due to lack of funds could seriously hamper efforts to control the weed," he warned.

Parthenium causes acute allergic dermatitis in humans, which under continuous exposure becomes chronic. Up to 10 per cent of people living in Parthenium areas also suffer allergic rhinitis and hay fever. In India alone, it causes yield losses of up to 40 per cent in several crops and reduce foliage production by up to 90 per cent. An average plant can produce over 15,000 seeds.

Last year, the Agriculture Department held extensive islandwide campaigns and awareness raising programs to tackle the Parthenium invasion. Severe fines and even a jail term for failure to inform authorities of its spread in neighbourhoods and households was imposed in an effort to repress its spread.

Subsequently, the Agriculture Department in collaboration with the Environment Ministry and other related agencies appointed a special task force to oversee the Parthenium control program.

Known as `Whitehead' (Parthenium hysterophorus), the Parthenium plant was first detected in cultivated and barren lands in Vavuniya. It is believed to have been transported through goats which were brought from India during the Indian Peace Keeping Force's (IPKF) stint in 1987.

The discovery was made by Dr. Jayasuriya himself. According to his research the seeds had survived in dung and then germinated in local fields. However, contaminants in mustard brought from India to IPKF camps is also attributed to the seeds' propagation.

The weed is native to the West indies, but is found in tropical US extending to Florida and Texas in the USA and to Chile and Argentina in South America.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager