Parthenium hysterophorus: AN EMERGING THREAT FOR Curcuma longa FIELDS OF KASUR DISTRICT, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Kasur district contributes more than 80% of Turmeric production in Pakistan. The fields of Curcuma longa L. along with the surroundings were surveyed and marked to study the distribution and development pattern of the alien invasive weed parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) into fields of Kasur district. For this purpose, fields of Curcuma longa L. in five villages of the district comprising of at least four hectares cultivated with this crop and five fields in each village where crop has been cultivated regularly for the last five years were marked for investigating weed development pattern. The farmers of the marked fields had a concept that weeds can not affect the Curcuma longa fields due to its medicinal nature. Parthenium development pattern inside the fields was observed at different stages of crop. The excessive parthenium growing adjacent to water channels had a maximum percentage of parthenium inside the fields with other major weeds; while its percentage was less inside those fields whose adjacent water channels were clean or having less parthenium incidence. Observations showed that canal water channels played critical role in the development of parthenium in the turmeric fields. Environmental conditions of Curcuma longa fields is favoring parthenium to invade and dominate, therefore there is a need for observation and an urgent parthenium management strategy for restricting further spread in the fields of Curcuma longa L. in future.