A Review on the Distribution, Biology and Management Practices of Parthenium Weed, (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) in Ethiopia

Abstract

Parthenium weed, Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae;Heliantheae), is an annual or short-lived perennial herbaceous plant that native to Mexico, Central and South America. Parthenium hysterophorus was accidentally introduced into several countries including Australia, India, Taiwan and Ethiopia. Young plants form a basal rosette of strongly dissected leaves that are up to 30cm in length. Once stem elongation is initiated, smaller leaves are produced and the plant becomes much branched in its extremities. In some areas it has become an extremely serious agricultural and rangeland weed (Adkinsa and Shabbir, 2014).

It invades disturbed sites, degrades natural ecosystems, can cause serious allergic reactions in people and domesticated livestock, and is a significant problem in rangelands, crops and forestry. It is a major invasive weed in many parts of the world, with the potential to spread to many more regions, and it causes immeasurable ecological and agricultural losses each year. It is the major invasive weed both in arable and grazing lands in Ethiopia (Taye et al., 2005). It is an annual diffused leafy herb that germinates any time of the year growing rapidly. It has been classified under the family Compositae, tribe Helianthae and sub tribe Ambrosiinae.

In Ethiopia, it was first observed, around Dire Dawa area in 1980s (Fessehaie1 et al., 2005) and it was first reported from Ethiopia in 1988 at Dire-Dawa and Harerge, eastern Ethiopia (Seifu, 1990). Since then it has spread to several parts of the country in alarming proportion, through vehicular traffic, wind, water and urban waste. From non-agricultural areas, it has now entered into agricultural fields (Fessehaie1 et al., 2005). The objectives of the review were to present the distribution, biology, management practices and problems of Parthenium in Ethiopia.