Lok Sabha Question No. 1587 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-08
Subject: Growth of Parthenium Grass
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: FEROZE VARUN GANDHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1587

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 08/12/2015

## GROWTH OF PARTHENIUM GRASS

## 1587.  SHRI FEROZE VARUN GANDHI:

## Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

d`f"k vkSj d`'kd dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government had formed a concrete plan to curb the growth of Parthenium grass in various parts of the country, and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the  details  of  the  mechanism  put  in  place  and  the  funds  allocated  and  expenditure incurred on curbing the growth of the said grass during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise;
- (c) whether leaf feeding bio-agent Zygogramma bicolorata developed by the Directorate of  Weed  Research  has  been  ineffective  in  curbing  the  growth  of  the  said  grass,  if  so,  the details thereof and the action plan of the Government to come up with a scientific alternative; and
- (d) the details of the any study conducted to measure the effect and effectiveness of bioagent?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k vkSj d`'kd dY;k.k ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h

## (SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJIBHAI KUNDARIYA)

- (a) No, Madam.  It is difficult to form a concrete plan since Parthenium grows luxuriantly in  most  landuse  conditions  including  crop  lands,  wastelands,  forests  and  railway  tracts. However, in pursuance of the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture on Demands of Grants (2014-15) of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (Department of Agricultural Research and Education), a joint meeting of the representatives of DAC&FW, MoRD and ICAR-DWR, Jabalpur was organized on June 26, 2015 to develop a plan to curb the growth of Parthenium grass in various parts of the country.  Subsequently, ICAR-DWR, Jabalpur developed an advisory and package of practices to manage the menace. The Parthenium advisory is available at the website www.dwr.org.in (Annexure-I). Besides, ICAR-DWR,  Jabalpur  through  its  network  of  All  India  Coordinated  Research  Project  on

Weed Management (AICRPWM) is conducting experiments on control of Parthenium using various  methods since last decades. Integrated use of pre-emergent herbicides like atrazine @2 kg/ha or metribuzin @1.5 kg/ha during pre-monsoon followed by 1% glyphosate during onset  of  monsoon,  release  of  500-1000 Zygogramma  bicolorata adults/ha  and  seeding competitive plant species viz. Cassia tora and C. serecia was found effective to suppress the population of Parthenium.

(b) An advisory note on Parthenium has been issued through the Ministry of Agriculture, GOI  to  all  state  governments,  along  with  the  techniques  of  management  with  relevant literature.  ICAR-DWR,  Jabalpur  has  also  made  special  efforts  to  create  awareness  about negative effects of Parthenium on human and animal health besides loss to crop productivity and biodiversity.  'Parthenium Awareness Week' has been observed since 2004 involving all the State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), ICAR institutes, many NGOs, schools, colleges etc.

ICAR-DWR through its 23 centres of AICRPWM located in different states provides funds to make Parthenium free campus (State Agricultural Universities/ICAR institutes) and to distribute bio-agent to stakeholders. More than 8 lakh bio-agents have also been distributed free of cost to farmers, municipalities, NGOs and interested persons throughout India.

Recently Department of Bio-technology (DBT) has allocated a fund of Rs. 87 lakh for three years (2015-17) to Manipur University, Imphal and ICAR-DWR, Jabalpur in the form of  a  joint  research  project  for  the  biological  control  based  integrated  management  of Parthenium in the North-East region.

- (c) No, Madam.

(d) ICAR through DWR, Jabalpur and 23 centres of AICRPWM is continuously engaged in testing the efficiency and effectiveness of various measures including bio-agents (insects, fungi,  nematodes,  snails,  slugs  and  competitive  plants  etc.)  and  develop  location  specific integrated  management  practices.  Introduction  of Zygogramma  bicolorata suppressed  the Parthenium menace up to 75% in experiments conducted at centres of AICRPWM.

************