LARGE SCALE DEMONSTRATION ON

MANAGEMNENT OF PARTHENIUM THROUGH

INTEGRATED APPROACH

Report
p
For
May 2004-May 2008

M. DEVENDER REDDY
HEAD WATER TECHNOLOGY CENTRE
HEAD,
RAJENDRANAGAR, HYDERABAD - 500 030.

Final presentation on DBT sponsored project "Large scale demonstration on

Management of Parthenium through Integrated approach" at MPKVV, Rahuri. 2009
1
I. Bench mark survey of Parthenium:

Documentation of public awareness about Parthenium weed and

its ill effects on agriculture, environment and health of human
and livestock:

• Awareness survey was conducted in Rangareddy, Medak and

Adilabad districts of Telangana, Anantapur and Kurnool districts of
Rayalseema region and Guntur, Prakasham and Krishna districts of
Coastal Andhra region of Andhra Pradesh.

• Survey was conducted with the help of a questionaire in different

districts of the state by selecting three mandals in each district and
two villages in a mandal and an average of five farmers in a village
and a total of 251 farmers were surveyed.

2
Education level of the respondents in Andhra Pradesh

Number of respondents 251

Education levels of farmers
Particulars %
a) Illiterates 26
b) 1-5
1 5th std
td 11
c) 6-10th std 43
d) >10th std 20

3
 60
Telangana Rayalseema Coast al

50

40

30

20

10

0
20- 30 31- 40 41- 50 >50

A g e g r o up o f t he f ar mer s

Fig 1.
1 Region wise age group of the
literate farmers
100 Telangana Rayalseema Coast al Andhr a

90

80

70
of Farmers%)

60

50
No o

40

30

20

10

0
ghnour

dea

ghnour

dea
Medi

Medi
No I

No I
Nei

Nei

Il li terates Li terates

Fig 2. Source of information of the farme rs 4

Region wise size of the land holdings of the respondents
Size of the Telangana Rayalseema Coastal Total
land Andhra
holding, N % N % N % N %
acres
1-5 7 8 29 32 36 40 72 29
6-10 34 37 12 13 24 26 70 28
>10 30 33 24 26 35 38 89 35
No Land 20 22 - 0 - 0 20 8
Total 91 36 65 26 95 28 251

N – Number of farmers interviewed.

5
 Fig 3. Since when the Parthenium weed is invading
the local area

5 t o 10 y r s
2 0 t o 3 0 yrs 18 %
18 %

10 t o 15 y r s
15 t o 2 0 y r s 24%
26%

F ig 4 . M o d e o f intro d uctio n and sp read o f

P arthenium w eed
50

40

30

20

10

0
CW

FYM

No Idea
Kuppam
Air

Animals
Seed

6
 Telangana Rayalseema Coast al Andhr a
10 0

90
80

No of faarmers
70

60
50

40
30
20

10
0
hemical

hemical
Manual

Manual
No Idea

No Idea
M

M
N

N
Ch

Illiterates Ch Literates
Fig 5. Measures adopted by the farmers
f to
control Parthenium 7
Awareness of Parthenium infestation and its ill-effects in Andhra Pradesh
Particulars %
Number of respondents 251
Awareness about Parthenium
a) No. of farmers aware 94
b) No. of farmers unaware 6
Aware of Parthenium ill effects
a) Aware 47
b) Unaware 53
Illness caused
ca sed to
a) Human 55
b) Animals -
c)) both -
d) No Idea 27
Parthenium is grazed by
Cattle 36
Goat 30
Sheep 28
Which age group affected
a) Male /Female- I) >12 yrs 17
II) <12 yrs 2
c) All
8
d) No idea 35
 Identification of Botanicals having suppressing ability

• S
Survey was conducted
d t d iin R
Ranga R
Reddy,
dd M Medak,
d k Adil
Adilabad,
b d
Anantapur, Kurnool, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasham districts of
Andhra Pradesh
• Ananthapur and Kurnool districts of Rayalseema region
indicated that Cassia sericea,
sericea Hyptis suaveolens
suaveolens, Tephrosia
purpurea have the ability to suppress Parthenium
• In Anantapur
p – Croton sparciflorus
p is dominant
• In Medak, Adilabad and Ranga Reddy Achyranthus aspera,
Amaranthus, Sida acuta, Cassia sericea, Hyptis suaveolens
and Tephrosia purpurea were identified.
• In Warangal district Sida acuta was seen very dominantly 9
• In Jagtial Hyptis plants were observed on the banks of SRSP
canal suppressing Parthenium plants

• In Bapatla Cassia plants were observed along both sides of

the road over 25 kilometers stretch.

• Duringg last four years,

y the Parthenium population
p p on road
sides was considerately decreased. This might be due to
luxurious growth of Parthenium suppressing botanicals due to
higher rainfall during last four years compared to previous five
years in Andhra Pradesh.

10
 A h
Achyranthus
th aspera Sid acuta
Sida t

Amaranthus sparciflora Tephrosia purpurea

11
Botanicals having suppressing ability of Parthenium
 Cassia plants observed on
the road sides near Bapatla

Dried Hyptis noticed at Jagtial along

he canal banks

12
III MANAGEMENT OF PARTHENIUM BY CHEMICALS

Evaluation of herbicides for optimizing dose and time of

application in different ecologies:

• The experiments were conducted in fallow land infested with

Parthenium, which is at flowering stage, at Korrapadu village of
Anantapur district.

•Parthenium, the host p

plant for Peanut Stem Necrosis in Groundnut
and Necrosis disease in Sunflower, which is wide spread in Anantapur
district.

• Experiment was conducted at two sites in different dates.

13
 Population and dry weight of Parthenium before and after herbicide spray
at Korrapadu village of Anantapur district, A..P., January 2005.

Treatments Site-I (30 Days after spraying) Site-II (Before spraying)

Partheniu Weed Dry weight Parthenium plants Weed Dry
m plants (g m-2) (m2) weight
(m2) (g m-2)
T1-Glyphosate 41 SL-0.5% 36 113.6 140 109.6
T2-Glyphosate 41 SL-0.75% 28 100.4 148 55.8
T3-Metribuzin 70 WP-0.25% 48 126.4 106 52.6
T4-Metribuzin 70 WP-0.5% 40 82.4 186 53.8
T5-Metsulfuran methyl 20 WP-
32 78.8 228 75.8
0.005%
T6-Metsulfuran methyl 20 WP-0.01% 12 71.6 168 89.6
T7-2,4-D
, EE 38 EC-0.2% 24 82.8 160 40.6
T8--2,4-D EE 38 EC-0.3% 20 72.4 178 97.4
T9-Atrazine 50 WP-0.2% 24 116.0 160 65.6
T10-Atrazine 50 WP-0.3% 16 84.4 128 75.0
T11-Manual weeding by uprooting (7-
8 62.0 186 62.4
8 WAE)
T12--Manual weeding by cutting to
the g
ground level (two
( times at 8 and 60 102.0 166 40.4
12 weeks after emergence)
T13-Unsprayed control 64 197.2 202 68.4
Before spraying 65 201.0 14
 Evaluation of Herbicides for Management of Parthenium at
experiment site I
Treatment Parthenium Other Weeds

After
Before % of Before After
No/m2 control No/m2 % of control
Glyphosate @ 0.5 % 57.6 0 4.8 0
Glyphosate @ 0.75
0 75 % 36 8
36.8 0 2 56
2.56 0
Metribuzin @ 0.25 % 48 0 1.44 60
Metribuzin @ 0.5 % 60.4 0 0 28
Metasulfuron methyle @
0.005 % 54 100 0 100
Control 61.2 100 1.68 100

15
 Before spraying After 7 days After 14 days
4.5

3.5

2.5

1.5

0.5

sulfuron methyl
uzin @ 0.25 %

buzin @ 0.5 %
hosate @0.5 %

Glyphossate @ 0.75 %

Control
@0.005 %
Metasu
Metribu

Metrib
Glyph

16
Fig 1.Dry matter of the Parthenium before and after imposition of the treatment
Experiment-I Treatments imposed at Flowering

B f
Before

After

17
 Influence of different herbicides applied before
flowering at experiment site II
Treatments Population Dry weight
(number) (% of control)
Before After 10 DAS 20 DAS
TI 2-4, DEE 2.5 g/l 65 54 38 -4
T2 2-4, DEE 3.75 g/l 58 19 56 -1
T3 Atrazine 4 g/l 59 48 25 35
T4 Atrazine 6 g/l 51 25 60 29
T5 Control 152 80 100 100

18
Experiment-II Treatment imposed before Flowering

19
• At site I, among the chemicals sprayed,
Glyphosate 41 SL @ 0.50 5 & 0.75
0 75 %,
% Metribuzin 70
WP @0.25 & 0.50 % have reduced the Parthenium
population

• At site II, Atrazine 50 WP applied @ 4 or 6 g/l

have reduced the weed dry y matter at both 10 and
20 DAS, whereas 2-4 DEE 38 EC was effective only
at 10 DAS when compared with control.

20
MANAGEMENT OF PARTHENIUM BY BOTANICALS
„ In 2004, Kothagadi village of Vikarabad mandal, Rangareddy district
located at 70 km from Hyderabad was selected for large scale
demonstration of control of Parthenium through botanicals after
thorough survey.
„ The weed infestation varied from 60 – 80 per cent over a stretch of 10 km
before Vikarabad on either sides of the road and it continued upto
Kothagadi village crossing Vikarabad.
„ Cassia and Hyptis seeds were broadcasted on a stretch of 14 km on both
sides of the road in June, 2005 and their population was monitored
during 2006, 2007 and 2008.
„ The population
i off Hyptis/Cassia
i /C i increased
i after
f seeding
i and suppressed
the Parthenium.
„ During summer of (April) 2008, the number of Cassia plants per square
meter on an average was 70 and
d Hyptis
H i was dried
d i d up completely.
l l
„ There was negligible population of Parthenium at the experimental site,
which clearly shows the suppressing ability of Cassia and Hyptis over
P h i
Parthenium.

21
 MANAGEMENT OF PARTHENIUM BY BOTANICALS
Initial Parthenium population and population of
Cassia and Hyptis at the site per m2
Initial Parthenium
No. off plants/ m2
population
September, April, 2008 August, December, August, April, 2008
2004 2006 2006 2007
Casssia
49 0 90 30 156 57
65 0 88 8 95 25
58 0 132 12 164 102
46 0 78 24 69 96
Mean 0 97 19 121 70
Hyptis
50 0 75 10 154 0
60 0 118 22 96 0
54 0 92 26 106 0
Mean 0 96 14 133 0 22
Dry weight of Cassia and Hyptis plants at the site per g/m2

Dry weight of the plants g/ m2

Cassia
August, December, August, April, 2008
2006 2006 2007
85
200 54 521
75
456 16 400
30
480 20 682
68
268 40 364
Mean 351 33 492 64
H ptis
Hyptis

285 24 492 0

786 36 541 0

400 40 457 0
23
Mean 495 28 512 0
 Cassia sericea plants on road
side
i during
i April,
A i 2006 at
Kothagadi village

Cassia sericea during July, 2006 at

Kothagadi village.
village

24
Hyptis
yp suaveolens duringg the month of April,
p , 2006

25
Luxuriant growth of Cassia sericea from Manneguda to
Vikarabad, August, 2007 26
Growth of Cassia in Kothagadi
g Village
g

27
 Cassia plants at Kothagadi, April, 2008

Hyptis plants at Kothagadi, April, 2008

28
V. MANAGEMENT OF PARTHENIUM BY Zygogramma
yg g
bicolorata:

•The beetle count was taken at a distance of 1 Km around the Kothagadi

g
village in Vikarabad Mandal at 10 different locations.

•The eggs of Zygogramma laid in clusters of 7-8 eggs in a single line on

the top of the plant grubs were also noticed.

•Infestation is at an initial stage and a minimum of 1-3 adults were seen on

one plant
plant.

• The beetle count was also taken at Parigi, Rangareddy district on 8th
October 2006
October, 2006, the average number of grubs observed per plant in the 10
locations was 7.4 and the average number of adult beetles was 3.7

•Att Rajendranagar,
aje d a aga , Zygogramma
ygog a abbicolorata
co o ata was
as seen
see feeding
eed g o on tthe
e
Parthenium plants but the population was very less during the year 2005.
29
The beetle count on Parthenium plant at different stages in
different locations near Vikarabad 28.07.06

Location Plants Eggs Grubs Adults

I 1st 7-8 - -
2nd - 2 -
3rd - - 1
II 1st - - 2
2nd - - 3
3rd - - 2
III 1st - - 2
2nd - - 1
3rd - - 1
IV 1st 6-7 - 3
2nd - - 1
3rd - - 1
V 1st - - 2
2nd - - 2
3rd - - 3 30
Contd., VI 1st - 2 2
2nd - - 2
3rd - - 2
VII 1st - - 1
2nd - - -
3rd - - 3
VIII 1st - - 2
2nd - - 2
3rd - - 2
IX 1st - - 3
2nd - - 2
3rd - - 2
X 1st - - 1
2nd - - 2
3rd - - 2
31
Mean 0.47 0.13 1.73
 Beetle count on Parthenium plant at different locations
at Parigi, Rangareddy district, Andhra Pradesh

28th July, 2006 8th October, 2006

Location
E
Eggs G b Adults
Grubs Ad lt E
Eggs G b
Grubs Ad lt
Adults

I 7-8 4 3 2.3-2.6 0.6 0.3

II - 6 2 - - 2.3
III - 5 5 - - 1.3
IV 12 6 3 2023
2.0-2.3 - 16
1.6
V - 10 4 - - 2.3
VI - 8 6 - - 2
VII 7-8 12 3 - - 1.3
VIII - 6 4 - - 2
IX - 7 2 - - 2.3
X - 10 5 - - 1.6
Mean 2.77 7.4 3.7 0.46 0.06 1.7 32
 Beetle count on Parthenium p
plant at different locations,,
Rajendranagar, Rangareddy district, Andhra Pradesh during
September and October months, 2006 (Pooled data of 8 weeks)

Eggs Grubs Adults

Location
I - 2 1
II - - 1
III - 1 2
IV - 1 1
V - - -
VI - - -
VII - 2 -
VIII - - 1
IX - - 2
X - - 2
33
Mean - 0.6 1
Mass multiplication of Zygograma spp.

34
UTILIZATION OF PARTHENIUM
Compost making and quality analysis:

Collection of Parthenium biomass from the field before flowering

for compost making through improved techniques.

•Composting was done by improved technique (Indore method) and

farmers method with Tricoderma viridae and without culture in
2004-05 and 2005-06.

•The N content was higher in anaerobically composted manure than

aerobic. No variation was observed in P and K contents of manure.
However NPK contents were higher in compost than that of
However,
undecomposed Parthenium

35
Compost pit of 6 x 3 x 3 feet Parthenium plants at the time of composting

36
Nutrient content of Parthenium compost, Rajendranagar,
Hyderabad,
y , 2005-06

Method Type of Weight of Nutrient composition

compost the raw (%)
ing matter N P K OC
kg/pit
Initial Nutrient content in a dry plant 1.40 0.10 0.71 -
2004 05
2004-05
Aerobic Treated 500 1.46 0.13 0.80 58
Untreated 250 1.44 0.12 0.81 61

Anaerobic Treated 500 1.52 0.13 0.81 60

Untreated 250 1.51 0.12 0.81 62

2005-06
Anaerobic Untreated 960 1.53 0.12 0.80 -

37
 Evaluation of compost made of Parthenium
A B
A. Bulb
lb yield
i ld (Kg/ha)
(K /h ) off Onion
O i crop as influenced
i fl d by
b different
diff t
compost treatments.

Treatment Yield
100 RDF 6403

75 RDF + 25 PC 5991

50 RDF + 50 PC 5691

75 RDF + 25 FYM 6683

50 RDF + 50 FYM 5856

75 RDF + 25 VC 6074

50 RDF + 50 VC 5851

38
Parthenium: 1 % N FYM: 0.5 % N Vermicompost: 1.5 % N
B Total
B. T t l yield
i ld off Bhendi
Bh di (Kg/ha)
(K /h ) (pooled
( l d
yield from 17 pickings)
R1 R2 R3 Mean
100 RDF 9380 10974 9440 9932
75 + 25 % PC 10357 12414 13147 11973
50 + 50 % PC 8440 8927 8407 8592
75 + 25 % FYM 9314 10861 10907 10361
50 + 50 % FYM 10287 11821 11041 11049
75 + 25 % VC 10447 9114 9600 9720
50 + 50 % VC 9007 9687 9260 9318
Mean 9605 10542 10258
Sem± 432

CD at 5% 1331

39
Awareness raising activities:
Place Date Number of people
attended
Kothagadi Village of Vikarabad mandal, Ranga 4th 400 people and
Reddy Dist. September 150 School
2004 children
At Reddipalli and Neelampalli villages of BK July 2005 120 farmers
Samudram mandal of Ananthapur district
Konidedu village of Kurnool district 2nd Sep 2005 100 farmers
Farmers meet at Lions Club of Bhiansa 11th Sep 200 farmers
2005
Palamuru Rhytu Samakhya at RARS Palem October, 200 farmers
2005
Farmers awareness programme and training 19th Nov 300 farmers
centre of IIT, Gachibowli, Hyderabad. 2005
FRS Sangareddy Rhytu Saqdassu
FRS, Dec 2005
Dec,

Edulamusthur and Sanjeevapuram villages of Jan to More than 600

Battalapalli mandal by KVK and March, 2006 farmers
Ki h
Krishnamreddipalli
ddi lli and
d Kandukur
K d k villages
ill off
Ananthapur mandal ARS Reddipalli and
Garladinne and Jambuladinne villages by DAATT 40
centre, Ananthapur
Contd.,
Survey at Guntur, Krishna, Prakasham, Ananthapur, March, 2006 250 farmers
Kurnool, Adilabad, Medak and Rangareddy districts
Rhytu Chaitanya Yatras of Jogipeta, Shankarampet, June, 2006 More than 1000
Sangareddy and Medak; Hayatnagar, farmers
Ibrahimpatnam and Medchal divisions of
Rangareddy district
Gaddamallaiguda Village in Ibrahimpatnam mandal 10th July 2006 100 farmers (>70
women)
High School of Pratapsingaram village of 11th Sep 2006 120 students and 20
Hayathnagar mandal of RR district farmers
ZP High School ;of Ghanpur village in Kolcharam 12th Sep 2006 100 students and 30
mandal of Medak district farmers
Jammikunta village of Karimnagar district 14th September
2006

Rukkampalli village of Parigi mandal 8th October 2006 150 small children
and 100 farmers
ICFOS 17th and 18th Nov 150 school children
2006 and 200 rural, women
Parthenium awareness week at Kurmed, Nalgonda 6-12th 150 farmers
dist
dist. September 2007
September,
Chinthapalli, Nalgonda dist. 12th September 120 students
2007
41
 RARS,
NANDYAL

42
HYDERABAD
CENTRE

43
ARS, REDDIPALLI,
ARS REDDIPALLI
ANANTHAPUR

44
At Lions
Li club
l b off Bhainsa,
Bh i Adilabad
Adil b d dist
di t

45
JAMMIKUNTA VILLAGE OF KARIMNAGAR DISTRICT ON 14 SEP
2006

Dr. M. D. Reddy, PI, Parthenium project, Dr. V. B. Bhanu Murthy, ADR, RARS,
Hyderabad Centre, addressing the gathering Jagtial addressing thegathering.

46
HIGH SCHOOL OF PRATAPSINGARAM VILLAGE OF
HAYATHNAGAR MANDAL OF RR DISTRICT

47
ZP HIGH SCHOOL OF GHANPUR VILLAGE IN KOLCHARAM MANDAL
OF MEDAK DISTRICT

48
GADDAMALLAIGUDA VILLAGE IN IBRAHIMPATNAM MANDAL ON
10TH JULY 2006

49
ICFOST TRAINING FOR RURAL WOMEN ON
17TH NOV 2006

50
ICFOST TRAINING FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN ON
18TH NOV 2006

51
52
53
 Publications

M.D.Reddy, M.Madhavi, Y.Padmalatha, T.L.Neelima and Sudharani,

“Optimizing the dose and time of application of herbicide for
P h i
Parthenium control”,
l” Pestology.
P l (U
(Unpublished)
bli h d)

M.D Reddy and T.L.Neelima, A reference book, “Parthenium - its

hazardous effects and Management
Management”.. Containing chapters in
distribution, ecology, different species of Parthenium, its botanical
description, chemistry of the weed and its weed problem. The
management aspects are given in detail including integrated
Parthenium weed management and the alternate uses of Parthenium.
Parthenium
(Unpublished)

T.L.Neelima,, M.D.Reddy
y and M.Madhavi. October,, 2005,, “Vayyaribhama
yy
Nirmulana”, Rhytunestham.

T.L.Neelima, M.D.Reddy and M. Madhavi, “Survey on Parthenium

infestation in Andhra Pradesh and Management
Management”, Kurukshetra.
Kurukshetra
(Unpublished)
54
 Budget statement for 2004-2008
S Particul 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Balance
. ars
Allott Expe All Expen Allotte Expen Allo Exp Total Expe Differe Extra
N
ed nditu ott diture d diture tted endi allotte nditu nce pay
o
re ed ture d re differe
.
upto nce
3/200
8
1 Recurrin 5000 2103 -- 47565 50000 31354 -- 1000 10000 9102
g 0 0 0 2
conting
encies
2 Man 1000 5905 -- 93533 10000 11040 -- 7775 20000 3407
power 00 8 0 0 4 0 45
3 Consum 5000 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 50000 --
ables 0
4 Travel 3000 9986 -- 3335 13000 -- -- -- 43000 1332
0 1
5 Overhea 2400 3080 -- -- 2000 -- -- -- 26000 3080
ds 0
6 Perman 1000 5720 -- -- -- -- -- -- 10000 5720
ent 0
equipme
nts
Total 2640 7994 -- 14443 16500 14175 -- 8775 42900 4538 -24888 -52233
00 7 3 0 4 4 0 88

55
Total amount to be received from DBT= Rs. 77,121 (Rupees Seventy seven thousand one hundred twenty one only)
56