Parthenium hysterophorus is widely growing weed found in abundance everywhere in irrigated
and non-irrigated areas of the Punjab. As one knows that the weeds are the plants that are
competitive, persistent, pernicious, and interfere negatively with human activity. Weeds have
major economic, environmental and social impacts causing damage to natural landscapes,
agricultural lands, waterways and coastal areas.
Parthenium hysterophorus is amongst ten of rapidly growing and noxious weeds of the world.
It is emerging as a severe threat to the agriculture sector of Pakistan particularly to Punjab. This weed is locally named as
It is worldwide known as altamisa, carrot grass, bitter weed, star weed, white top, wild
feverfew, the “Scourge of India” and congress grass. However, although Parthenium has a
foreign origin yet this plant is found in many parts of Pakistan as a weed. Parthenium is an
annual herb and grows up to one meter in length with a longitudinally grooved stem. The leaves
are alternate, sessile, irregularly dissected and pubescent. The florets are white, borne in terminal
or axillary, peduncled, paniculate and the heads are approximately 0.5 cm in diameter.
The fruits are broadly obovoid, narrowed below, compressed and dark brown in color. The
pappus comprises two awns. The plant bears flowers and fruits throughout the year. Parthenium
hysterophorus is not popularly known by growers of Pakistan. According to the medical
practitioners the plant has medicinal value as well. It has been reportedly effective in many
metabolic diseases if it is so then large no of medicines manufactured through chemicals which
has side effects may be replaced with this very herbal drug which may be effective against the
diseases abundantly diagnose in our society but one can definitely say that there will have no
side effects of drug whatsoever.
The decoct extract is reportedly effective for number of diseases and disorders like fever,
diarrhea and dysentery, neurologic disorders, urinary tract infection and malaria. It is being used
in tribes traditionally for the cure of inflammation, eczema, skin disorders, herpes, heart troubles
and cold. Metabolic diseases have been mounting with considerable pace in our society. It is also
reported that above 20% deaths are due to these very diseases. Cardiac problems is the main
reason of sudden death around the globe likewise cancerous diseases are also happening and
killing a large no. of human beings of the world. To diagnose cancer at early stage is cure able
which is usually silent and no. of patients has any sensory nerves that can give alarm for any
cancerous disease. It is the lab test which can determine cancer at its stages. Parthenin a product
derived from parthenium is active ingredient for anti-carcinogenic activity in the body. If the
extract of parthenium is used with recommended dose can protect most of the cancer cases in
early stages, therefore, one can say parthenium is blessing. Moreover, methanol extract derived
from parthenium flowers has considerable antitumor activity. As some of the scientists have
reported that enlarge sized tumor reduced with the usage of this extract. Furthermore, no. of
reports is available that the narrated extract is also found beneficial for controlling diabetes
mellitus. Diabetes is emerging threat to humanity after cancer and reports are much hopeful for
the cure of this fatal disease of humanity.
Parthenium is no doubt found harmful for crop production being sharing in nutrient, light and
water with crops and has allelopathic effect as well. In the same time the extract from the weed
has been reported beneficial for crop production therefore, if the products are used with distinctly
description dosage for the productivity of the crops, thus will be helpful for coping with the rate
of population to assure food security. As the allelopathic components derived from said weed has
also an active ingredient for plant protection as well as nutritive value. Many scientist
investigations have been put up that compost of parthenium prepared by keeping in proper place
and conditions for the period of three months; this compost is found helpful in maintaining soil
moisture level which will improve soil microbial activity. The compost is thus a rich source of
colloidal particles having teeming of micro and macro elements essential for plant growth and
development. Moreover, it is reported that the compost of parthenium is also helpful in
improving leaf density and intermodal distance by improving chlorophyll contents. Therefore,
one can conclude from the above description that if we supplement compost of this weed, it will
not only helpful to replace agrochemicals but also will be ecofriendly.
Likewise the merits of parthenium are reported for eradication of some weeds and it also acts as
substrate for number of enzymes. It is helpful for the production of biogas by adding it with
cattle manure. It is found repellent for fleas of cattle and dogs. It is also found value able source
of potash, oxalic acid and high quality protein which can be used for animal feed. Furthermore,
its role for bioremediation of heavy metals and dyes has also been reported by many scientists.
Although a large number of agricultural and environmental scientists reported adverse effects of
parthenium on crops and ecosystem yet many of the researchers have put up its merits for the
betterment of the human society, crop production and improvement of ecology. Henceforth, one
can conclude that abundantly growing weed has considerable benefits for humanity. The authors
are very optimistic that each reader of this article will also share ideas and researchers are invited
to focus on the merits of this weed so that the beneficial merits of this weed may become
blessings for humanity. As this weed is found abundantly everywhere and the natural
phenomenon is that none is created aimless and has definite merits “therefore, being Muslims it
is the duty to seek and find the merits which will lead to a blessing of humanity instead of an
expletive in the long run”.