COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, Bengaluru,

Department of Agronomy.

Biology and Management of Parthenium weed

(Parthenium hysterophorus)

Deepti C H
PALB9412
Jr. M.Sc.(Agri.)
Dept. of Agronomy 2
 Contents
Scientific classification

Biology of Parthenium hysterophorus

Life cycle of Parthenium

Management practices

References
 Scientific classification
• Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
• (unranked): Eudicots
• (unranked): Asterids
• Order: Asterales
• Family: Asteraceae
• Genus: Parthenium
• Species: P. hysterophorus
Biology of Parthenium hysterophorus
• Parthenium hysterophorus is highly
branched, short lived (annual), upright (erect)
herbaceous plant that form a rosette habitat
during the early stage of life. At maturity, but
occasionally can reach up to 2m or even more
in height.
 STEM
• Stem is cylindrical, solid,
more or less fluted with
longitudinal lines
corresponding to the extension
of the midrib of the leaves.
Mature stems are greenish and
covered with small soft hairs
which are known as hirustle,
stems become much harder as
reach to maturity.
 LEAVES
• The leaves are alternately
arranged and stalked
(petioles) upto 2 cm long
founds in two different
forms. During the early
stages of life it forms
rosette habitat. Leaves are
alternate, simple and
deeply pinnatifid.
 FLOWERS
• Numerous small flower-
heads generally known as
capitulum are organized in
clusters at the top of the
branches (in terminal
panicles). Each flower-head
(capitulum) is borne on a stalk
(pedicel). Capitulum (3-5 mm
across) are off-white or white
in color containing ray florets
(0.3-1 mm long)
 SEED
• Five small ‘seeds’ generally
known as achenes are
produced in each flower-
head . Seeds are black
obovoid, 2 mm long and 1.5
mm wide consisting two or
three small scales known as
pappus about 0.5-1 mm in
height, two strawcolored
papery structures (actually
dead tubular florets), and a
flat bract.
Life cycle of Parthenium
 MANAGEMENT

• PREVENTIVE

• CULTURAL

• PHYSICAL

• CHEMICAL

• BIOLOGICAL
 PREVENTIVE MEASURES
 In Australia machinery & vehicles commings from
infested area and entering into non infested area must
be cleaned thoroughly to remove seeds.

 First time in India in Karnataka in 1975 declared

parthenium a noxious weed under THE
KARNATAKA AGRICULTURAL PEST AND
DISEASE ACT 1969.
 CULTURAL MEASURES
• Some fast growing crops like sorghum & berseem can
be taken to suppress Parthenium.

• Utilization of crops make management of

Parthenium
 Physical

Burning

Uprooting

Inter cultivation

Mulching
 BIOLOGICAL
• Zygogramma biocolarata & Epiblema sternuana are
widely used in many countries to control weed
• Stem galling moth significantly reduces flowe &
seed production
• Pathogens like Puccinia melampodii & Oidium
partheni
 Table 2: Successful examples of control of weeds
through classical biocontrol agents.
Reporting
Weed Bioagent Kind of bioagent
country
Chondrilla juncea Puccina chondrillina Rust Australia
Bactra verutana Shoot boring
Cyperus rotundus India, Pakistan,
Entyloma moth USA
Eupatorium riparium
compositarum Plant pathogen
Hydrilla verticillata Hydrellia pakistanae Shoot fly USA

Orobanche cernua Sclerotinia sp. Plant pathogen USA

Parthenium Puccinia abrupta var.

hysterophorus partheniicola Rust Mexico

Parthenium
Zygogramma Bicolorata Leaf eating bettle, Mexico
hysterophorus
Epiblema strenuana Stem galling insect, Australia

Haryana Kaur, M. et al., 2014

Chemical method
 Chemical method
• Glyphosate @ 1-1.5 kg
• Parthenium control was highest at rosette stage by
glyphosate followed by metribujin @ 4 WAT
• Parthenium is sensitive to aminoacid synthesis and
photosynthesis inhibitors compared to other modes of
action
Table 1: Parthenium weed control at rosette and bolted stages
with different herbicidal application at 4 weeks after treatment
(WAT).

Serial %Mortality at %Mortality at

Herbicides
number rosette stage bolted stage
1 Glyphosate 96 91
2 Metribuzin 87 75
3 2,4-D 71-80 43
Bromoxynil
4 57-79 50-61.5
+MCPA
5 Atrazine 56.5 36.5
6 S-metolachor 57.5 41
7 Pendimethalin 42.5 30

Haryana Kaur, M. et al., 2014

 Kaun et al. reported that the application of 2,4-D EE
(0.2%) and metribuzin (0.25 and 0.50%) were found
more effective for controlling parthenium at 15 days
after spraying (DAS), causing complete kill of
parthenium population, and did not allow any
emergence of weed.
 References
• Wikipedia
• Kaur, M., Aggarwal, N., Vikas Kumar, and Dhiman, R.,
2014, Effects and Management of Parthenium
hysterophorus:A Weed of Global Significance.
International Scholarly Research Notices,
• Weed management by O P Gupta