History and management - Southern Asia.

Abstract In Southern Asia, parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) is now present in most countries, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Although there are no confirmed reports of its presence in Afghanistan or Maldives, it is highly likely that it is present in Afghanistan. This chapter discusses the history of invasion, background, spread and management of pathenium weed in Southern Asia. Parthenium weed, arguably the most important invasive plant species in Southern Asia, is well adapted to thrive in the wide-ranging habitats of this region, making management extremely difficult. One conclusion reached is that only an integrated management approach, which involves a suite of strategies (cultural, physical, biological and chemical), will be effective in managing this weed on a long-term and sustainable basis in this region. Management has to be viewed in the long term and needs to involve collaboration across states, regions and countries, as there seems to be no 'silver bullet' solution to this challenging weed.