Fifteenth Parthenium awareness week was observed from 16-22, August,2020 at ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru and its regional stations. Due to COVID 19 pandemic, this time the Parthenium awareness week was observed at individual division level in order to maintain the social distancing. Each division was made in-charge of each block of the institute farms. The staff of various division have taken up two hours shramdhaan in their respective blocks for uprooting parthenium weed. Due to consistent efforts made during past five years, IIHR farms are almost free of parthenium weed. We could find very few flowering plants scattered sparsely, which were uprooted manually and the biomass was shifted to composting yard to convert it into manure. On 21.8.2020 a web meeting was held under the chairmanship of Dr. M R Dinesh, Director, ICAR-IIHR on the topic “Parthenium Awareness cum Eradication programme at ICAR-IIHR”. Dr Nandeesha P, Nodal Officer Swachh Bharath committee explained about the importance of the programme, Dr R H Lakshman, Principal Scientist (Crop Physiology) spoke on the Biology and Physiology of Parthenium weed and gave insights into its wide adoptability under adverse conditions. Dr B L Manjunath, Principal Scientist (Crop Physiology) talked on various means of Management of obnoxious weed. Dr V Sridhar, Principal Scientist (Agril. Entomology) and Secretary Association for Advancement of Pest Management in Horticultural Ecosystem (AAPMHE) explained the various efforts being made at IIHR in the past one year to make the campus Parthenium free. Director, Dr M R Dinesh appreciated the efforts of the staff and committee members in successfully organising the programme. The programme was attended by staff of IIHR, its regional stations at Chettalli and Bhubaneswar and KVK, Gonikoppal.
