Efficacy of different botanical extracts on the management of Parthenium hysterophorus (L.)

The present study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of botanical extracts on the management of Parthenium hysterophorus through laboratory experiments. These experiments were carried out at Department of Agronomy, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai during 2013-15. The efficacy of twenty botanicals viz., Abutilon indicum, Amaranthus spinosus, Amaranthus viridis, Azadirachta indica, Calotropis gigantea, Croton bonplandianum, Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus rotundus, Datura metel, Echinochloa crusgalli, Helianthus annuus, Lawsonia inermis, Mangifera indica, Prosopis juliflora, Solanum nigrum, Sorghum bicolor, Sorghum halepense, Tagetes erectus, Tamarindus indica, Tephrosia purpurea were tried at different concentrations under laboratory bioassay. The study reveal that the per cent germination, seedling length, seedling vigor index and seedling biomass of P.hysterophorus was reduced significantly due to application of all botanicals, however the effect was more pronounced with botanicals extract in the order of Datura metel, Mangifera indica, Azadirachta indica, Tagetes erectus, Helianthus annuus and Sorghum bicolor both at 50 and 75 % concentrations. Increased concentration (50 and 75 %) was pronounced more detrimental effects on per cent germination and seedling growth parameters of P.hysterophorus.