Parthenium awareness Programme organized at Agricultural College, Adilabad on 19.08.2024

Agricultural College Adilabad organized an “Awareness programme on Parthenium eradication” at college Premises on 17th August, 2024. Dr. Sreedhar Chauhan, Associate Dean, Agricultural college Adilabad gave a powerpoint presentation to the participants with a special focus on the menace of parthenium - an aggressive colonizer of wastelands, cultivated lands, pastures, etc. apart from the significance of parthenium Week and educated them about ill effects of parthenium on agricultural crops, animals and humans (Asthma and dermatitis). It also highlighted other detrimental effects on environment, loss of crop productivity and biodiversity apart from the allelopathic effects on different crops. He urged the staff and students to keep their demo plots and surroundings weed free to effectively suppress spread and propagation of Parthenium. Dr. M. Suresh, Officer Incharge Student Affairs, highlighted on measures to prevent the wide spread in open places and crop fields. Control measures on a community basis viz., manual uprooting of Parthenium before flowering and seed setting, ploughing the weed before flowering, biological control with Zygograma bicolorata, spraying of herbicides like paraquat or glufosinate ammonium or 2,4- D sodium salt solution to control the parthenium. Compost preparation with Parthenium was also explained. The programme ended with manual uprooting of the parthenium by the students, Teaching and Non -Teaching staff in the surroundings of College, Godown premises, fields and field bunds of KVK, Adilabad.