TOBA TEK SINGH: Parthenium, a toxic weed, commonly known as ‘Gajjar Booti’ may emerge as the most hazardous for humans and animals than dengue in a decade for which collaborated efforts and awareness are needed to eradicate it.

University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ashraf said this at an awareness seminar on Parthenium on Saturday at the UAF sub-campus.

Dr Ashraf said parthenium was spreading at an alarming rate across the country as it was extremely harmful for human beings, animals and plants. He said that unfortunately, no systemic research had been conducted on the weed. He said a parthenium plant produced 10,000 seeds that resulted in its massive outbreak.

He added that proper quarantine measures were needed to have a check on our import on agriculture but mechanism was far lagging behind. He added that all parts of parthenium at any stage of its growth were toxic to humans and animals. Humans may develop allergy, asthma, eyes and nose diseases when come in contact with the weed.

He said parthenium can be managed using a combination of methods including preventive, cultural biological, manual, mechanical and herbicides.

Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf central vice president Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq said the sub-campus would be upgraded as university in the next financial year. The chief minister was likely to announce the upgrade whenever he visited the place. He said parthenium was more poisonous than snake.

UAF Social Sciences Dean Dr Mehmood Randhawa said that parthenium weed was being used in floral bouquets and it was essential that the general public and farmers were made aware of the presence of the silent enemy. He said that gloves should be used while removing the weed.

Dr Ijaz Ashraf said invasive species approximately cost the global economy more than $1.4 trillion.

PTI MPA Saeed Ahmad Saeedi, Sub-Campus Principal Dr Muhammad Yaqub, PTI district general secretary Suhail Ghani, District Agriculture Authority Chairman Mian Imtiaz Ahmad and PTI leader Asjad Bhola also spoke.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2019