NEWS
Rooting ou
invasive weed
from s
Reprinted From: htt
Gareth W
P carthenium hysterophorus is a highly
invasive weed that has spread
to about 50 countries worldwide,
threating agricultural productivity, biodiversity,
ecosystems, and human and
animal health.
A major struggle to eliminate, parthenium
can have heart- breaking impacts – it
has been estimated to cause crop yield
losses of up to 95 per cent.
But a solution to this ground invasion
could come from space.
Among the countries hit is Pakistan,
where one recent study estimated that
farmers’ individual lo
can run into the th
annually — with liv
alone affected to
US$935 each. That m
to get to grips with t
“Parthenium’s rapid
prolific seed produc
ly troublesome,”
Ishaque Mastoi, nati
plant protection in
Division at the Pakis
search Council. “In
harvests become un
this weed is essen
food security and hu
Figure 1: Parthenium is a highly invasive weed that threatens a
and animal health. Copyright: CABI
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