In the heart of Pakistan’s diverse agricultural landscapes, a new wave of scientific inquiry is unfolding to combat one of the globe’s most pernicious invasive weeds: Parthenium hysterophorus L. This noxious species, native to the Americas, has surged into more than 50 countries worldwide, wreaking havoc on crop yields, biodiversity, and human and animal health. A groundbreaking study led by CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International) delves deeply into the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of smallholder farmers in Pakistan regarding parthenium weed and its biological control. This research not only provides critical data on current management strategies but also explores the gendered dimensions of weed impact and control, opening novel pathways toward sustainable, inclusive pest management.
Parthenium, often dubbed among the top 100 most invasive species globally by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has established itself firmly across Pakistan’s agricultural and common lands. Its rapid proliferation poses immense threats, displacing native flora and undermining vital ecosystem services. The weed’s aggressive spread is exacerbated by climatic changes that create favorable conditions for its establishment and advancement. Farmers across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) report widespread infestation, with notable implications for their livelihoods and health.
From a physiological standpoint, parthenium understudied yet profoundly impactful toxicology presents multifaceted challenges. The plant releases fine hairs and pollen containing allergenic compounds, triggering severe respiratory afflictions such as hay fever, bronchitis, and asthma among exposed populations. Contact with the plant also induces painful dermal reactions, including rashes and itching. The burden extends to livestock, where ingestion leads to gastrointestinal distress, skin sores, diminished appetite, weight loss, and contamination of meat and milk products, compounding the economic losses faced by vulnerable farming communities.
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Conventional parthenium management in Pakistan predominantly involves manual hand weeding and application of chemical herbicides. While effective to a degree, these methods present limitations. Hand weeding is labor-intensive and often comes with health risks due to direct contact with the weed’s irritants. Chemical controls pose environmental hazards and potential health risks from exposure, particularly where protective equipment and proper training are lacking. Additionally, chemical resistance and costs restrict regular application among smallholders, necessitating alternate integrated management strategies.
Biological control emerges as a promising and environmentally sustainable alternative within integrated pest management frameworks. Leveraging natural enemies of parthenium, such as the stem-boring weevil Listronotus setosipennis, offers a self-perpetuating, landscape-scale approach to weed suppression. The approval and imminent release of L. setosipennis in Pakistan mark a pivotal milestone in national invasive species control efforts. Unlike chemical controls, biological agents can establish long-term control over parthenium populations without recurring input costs and reduce the negative side effects tied to herbicide use.
However, successful implementation of biological control demands robust farmer knowledge and engagement. The CABI-led study, published in CABI Agriculture and Bioscience, conducted extensive household surveys with 562 farmers, representing both men and women, across affected districts. These surveys were complemented by focus group discussions and interviews with extension agents and agro-dealers, employing a mixed-methods approach to garner a holistic understanding of socio-cultural and technical factors influencing weed management. The findings highlight that women farmers often encounter greater exposure to parthenium due to their frequent weeding activities, yet simultaneously have lower awareness of chemical herbicide risks and less access to extension services.
This gender disparity underscores a critical bottleneck in achieving effective, widespread biological control adoption. Social norms in these rural communities often restrict women’s participation in formal extension activities and training, compounded by land ownership patterns that disproportionately exclude women from receiving agricultural inputs and education. As a result, women’s considerable contribution to parthenium management remains under-supported, limiting the overall success of integrated control strategies.
Extension agents thus have a pivotal role in bridging this information gap and fostering behavioral change among farming populations. Targeted awareness campaigns emphasizing face-to-face interactions and culturally appropriate communication methods are essential. These efforts should explicitly aim to elevate women’s access to knowledge about biological control mechanisms and health protection measures. Demonstrative landscape-level deployments of L. setosipennis can serve as powerful educational tools, showcasing the efficacy and safety of this biological solution.
Economic analyses within the study reveal that the current manual and chemical management of parthenium impose significant financial and labor costs on smallholder households. Illness attributable to parthenium exposure generates additional medical expenses and labor loss. The introduction and effective establishment of biological control agents could alleviate these burdens by reducing infestation pressure and subsequent health risks, ultimately increasing productivity and well-being.
The research advocates for a comprehensive, gender-responsive approach to parthenium management, integrating biological control into broader agricultural extension frameworks. By enhancing women’s participation and access to training, the sustainability and impact of control programs can be vastly improved. This inclusive strategy aligns with global priorities on gender equity and sustainable agriculture, offering a replicable model for other regions grappling with invasive species challenges.
In conclusion, the CABI-led initiative represents a vital step forward in confronting a multifaceted agricultural and environmental crisis in Pakistan. Parthenium weed poses serious threats not only to crop viability and ecosystems but fundamentally to the health and socio-economic stability of farming communities. Integrating biological control into existing management regimes, coupled with gender-sensitive extension strategies, promises an innovative pathway toward long-term sustainable control. Ongoing monitoring and adaptive management will be crucial to track biological agent establishment and farmer adoption, ensuring resilience against this formidable invader.
With the release of Listronotus setosipennis on the horizon, the scientific and agricultural communities eagerly anticipate the transformative benefits of this integrated pest management strategy. This research not only enriches our understanding of parthenium’s socio-ecological impact in Pakistan but also galvanizes collective efforts to promote equitable access to knowledge and resources critical for sustainable weed management. The fight against one of the world’s worst invasive weeds is intensifying, and empowerment of smallholder farmers—especially women—forms the cornerstone of this vital campaign.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Smallholder farmers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices towards parthenium and biological control in Pakistan: A gendered perspective
News Publication Date: 26-Jun-2025
Web References:
https://dx.doi.org/10.1079/ab.2025.0046
https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/cabicompendium.45573
https://www.cabi.org/news-article/biocontrol-agent-released-to-control-noxious-parthenium-weed-in-pakistan/
References:
Constantine, Kate et al., ‘Smallholder farmers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices towards parthenium and biological control in Pakistan: A gendered perspective,’ CABI Agriculture and Bioscience, 26 June 2025. DOI:10.1079/ab.2025.0046
Image Credits: Asim Hafeez for CABI
Keywords: Pest control, Parthenium hysterophorus, Biological control, Invasive species management, Gender and agriculture, Smallholder farmers, Pakistan, Listronotus setosipennis
Tags: agricultural biodiversity threatsbiological control of weedsCABI studyclimate change and invasive speciescrop yield impactsecosystem service disruptiongendered dimensions of pest managementinvasive species in PakistanParthenium weed managementsmallholder farming challengessustainable pest control practices.women’s access to agricultural information
