The scientist has found an invasive weed called Emex australis Steinh in wheat fields at villages of Faridabad and adjoining districts in Haryana.

Key Facts :

• The invasive weed belongs to the family Polygonaceae which is a native to Australia and South Africa.
• This was first reported in India in Santhal Pargana division of erstwhile united Bihar in 1984 and in Jammu & Kashmir in 1987.
• In those instances, the weed was sparsely distributed. But the current findings in Haryana are alarming.
• It is commonly known as ‘doublegee’, ‘three corner jack’ or ‘spiny emex’. 
• During their research, the scientists found that the weed first appeared in small patches on wheat plants. The patches later grew into continuous ones, which can reduce yield.
• The weed prospers in in conditions such as drought and unseasonal rain and climate change help increase its numbers. The weed has the potential to damage wheat crops and reduce its productivity in India.
• It is capable of producing 1,100 seeds that can travel long through different modes, including rubber tyres, shoes, agricultural produce, livestock and machinery.
• An invasive alien species is a species that is not native to a specific location, and that has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy or human health.
• Many invasive pests including Fall Armyworm and Rugose spiralling whitefly have recently invaded Indian agriculture. The have caused enormous food losses and posed a great threat to India’s food security and farm prosperity.
• Recently, an invasive weed called ‘Onion Weed’ or Asphodelus Fistulosus invaded onion farms in Ahmadnagar and Aurangabad districts in Maharashtra.
• The weed is a native of North Africa, Southern Europe and West Asia. It looks like an onion plant.