My experiments and experiences with Gajar Ghas (Parthenium hysterophorus).

Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia
© 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved

Living with both Parthenium and Politicians from very long time, I have found many similarities in these two. Parthenium is a field weed and Politician is the social weed. Both are causing damages to our economy. Not only the first word of Parthenium and Politician i.e., 'P' but they have many common characters. Parthenium is allergy causing weed and we all are facing and aware of allergy caused by the politicians.

It is really very hard to manage both species. Both are spreading like anything in all corners of the world. Before writing my experiments and experiences with this so-called obnoxious weed, I am giving basic details of this herb. Dr. M. Mahadevappa, the well known Parthenium researcher, write in his book titled 'Parthenium and its Management' that Parthenium, an obnoxious annual weed has been reported as a main source of nuisance and health hazard to mankind and animals, threat to bio-diversity and danger to environment. Since its introduction into India 1956 through grain shipment, it has spread alarming like a wild blaze in almost all the states and has now invaded cultivated, forest, pasture and garden lands. For the first time I met Parthenium in experimental fields of India Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur. As a student when I was engaged in weed counting, my Professor Dr. S.S. Kolhe informed me about this problematic herb. He informed that the pollens of Parthenium are allergic and can cause respiratory troubles. Unbelieving on him, I inhaled the pollens and on the same day, the respiratory trouble started. I consulted my family doctor and he diagnosed that 'You are prone to pollen allergy'. After attending the First International Conference on Parthenium Management at University of Dharwad, Kamataka, India in the year 1997, the great dedication and sincere work of Dr. M. Mahadevappa motivated me to dedicate whole life to aware the common people about this weed and to conduct studies for its effective management.

After coming back to Raipur, I formed non-governmental organization Society for Parthenium Management (SOPAM). At present we have 23 regular members of this society. I am not confident whether it is right or wrong decision but we have decided to take no financial assistance from any national or international funding agencies to run this organization. We are running this society from our own expenses. Our main activities are to aware the common people about the identification, harms and management of this weed. We are writing articles, publishing advertisements, organizing awareness camps, etc. You will be surprised to know that we have received over 10000 letters from different corners of India. We have replied with details regarding Parthenium and colored photographs. We are still receiving letters. After the end of Parthenium conference, to provide forum to scientists, researchers, farmers, students, common persons etc. associated with this obnoxious weed, I decided to form an International forum named International Parthenium Research News Group (IPRNG) and to save the expenses and increase the accessibility, I have made this forum on-line. I tried my best to add all available information on Parthenium in this on-line forum (http://www.IPRNG.org). I am proud to say that today this website is world's only website having complete details of this obnoxious weed. There is no membership fee for IPRNG. There is no access charge and to avoid confusions, I have added no advertisement of multinational companies engaged in sell of Parthenium killing agrochemicals.

Latest Parthenium references, directory of Parthenium scientists around the world, bare facts, Articles, photographs etc. everything about this weed is available free of cost. I am maintaining this site again with my own expenses. In Chhattisgarh, it is bare fact that most of the natives are not aware of its harmful effects. Parthenium is exotic weed and it is present in all parts of Chhattisgarh. It is becoming a curse for the natural bio-diversity of the state. The valuable herbs are dieing due to harmful allelochemicals of Parthenium herb. As I have mentioned in my previous articles, the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh have accepted this exotic herb as challenge. They are conducting detailed experiments to discover its valuable medicinal properties and uses both alone and in combination with other native herbs. I am feeling proud to know their positive approach. In the name of Parthenium eradication, many multinational companies are dumping harmful agrochemicals in Chhattisgarh. These agrochemicals are damaging our ecosystem. I am not in favour of killing enemy through more powerful enemy that can cause harm to ourselves. With the help of natives, innovative farmers, doctors and traditional healers, from last 7 years, I am trying my best to find out its potential uses. With the help of leading Homoeopath Dr. B.R. Guha and Dr. D.B. Rajimwale, we prepared Homoeopathic drug from different parts of Parthenium and tested it on different patients scientifically.

These clinical studies have showed that Parthenium present in Chhattisgarh can be used to treat many common diseases as Homoeopathic medicine. After getting the information that Parthenium hysterophorus is already an established Homoeopathic drug, but it is useful in rare cases, we brought samples from Germany and tried it in clinical trials. You will be surprised to know that the Homoeopathic drug prepared from locally collected Parthenium showed more better results as compared to the drug brought from Germany. Unfortunately, both Dr. Guha and Dr. Rajimwale are not with us. Now the elderson of Dr. Rajimwale, Dr. Deepak Rajimwale is taking keen interest in this work. Through my recent ethnobotanical surveys in different parts of Chhattisgarh, I have noted that the traditional healers engaged in development of drugs from Parthenium have developed the method to identify the potential Parthenium plant, visually in field conditions. According to them, like other herbs, the herbs present in surroundings of Parthenium play vital role in making the Parthenium more or less potential in terms of medicinal values. At present, the healers are using it externally in treatment of many common diseases. For internal use, they are demanding more time. This little research finding is of great importance for the world community particularly for the persons living in Parthenium infested parts of the globe.

In my initial articles I have informed you about the challenge, now I am informing you about the latest findings, in future like this, I will inform you about the latest development on this new research. In my M.Sc. project work, the topic of my thesis was 'Allelopathic effects of selected weeds on crops.' I was assigned to conduct the Research but luckily, I got some promising weed extracts and leachates, through sincere Search. Earlier the Parthenium was reported as weed that produces chemicals result in only harmful effects. But my studies showed that the Parthenium chemicals are not harmful to every plant species. In many species it produces beneficial effects. My supervisor forced me to change the data as it was new information not reported by the early workers. But with the help of my Professor Dr. R.S. Tripathi, I got success to report the actual data in my thesis. Later I published it in many national and international journals. After associating with the herb growers of Chhattisgarh, I tried these extracts and leachates practically in field conditions. Among these extracts and leachates, Parthenium extracts and leachates were also there.

You will be surprised to know that today the herb growers are using Parthenium extracts and leachates as presowing soaking treatment of Ambrette (Kasturi Bhendi) and Kevatch (Mucuna pruriens) seeds in order to get good germination and higher initial seedling vigor. The farmers are taking full precaution during the collection of this allergy causing weed. Now the farmers are well trained and the positive sign is that they are adding more herbs in these extracts and leachates, just for experimentation. We are also using the Parthenium with cow-urine and dung based solution to repel away the harmful insects and diseases from common medicinal and aromatic crops, successfully. I am confident that very soon we will able to list out the detailed uses of Parthenium. These uses will then help us to manage Parthenium and to establish this so-called weed as useful herb. My friends and farmers, aware of my work on Parthenium, always say that when they see Parthenium, they suddenly remember me and when they see me, the herb of Parthenium come in mind. This is a matter of scientific investigation to find out the similarities between Pankaj Oudhia and Parthenium. Here again, the 'P' is common (like in case of Parthenium and Politician). If this weed is creating any problem in your area, please visit to Parthenium website (www.IPRNG.org) and in case of any query, please feel free to write.

Thank you very much for reading the article.