A new CABI-led study investigated smallholder farmers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices towards parthenium and biological control in Pakistan.

The study brings attention to important gendered aspects of parthenium impact. It also highlights smallholder farmers’ significant role, through their on-farm management practices, in improving the establishment and effectiveness of biological control agents.

The researchers, who sought a gendered perspective for their findings, recommend that increasing women’s access to information on parthenium would improve their knowledge of the weed, effective management approaches, and ways to protect their own and their family members health.

Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae) (parthenium weed) has rapidly become one of the world’s worst weeds, responsible for a multitude of negative impacts on crop and pasture production, the environment and human and animal health.

Parthenium, considered one of the ‘100 most invasive species in the world’ by the IUCN, has invaded more than 50 countries, including Pakistan

Parthenium is native to Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and has become invasive in much of the world. This invasive weed has now invaded more than 50 countries, including Pakistan, and threatens to invade many more, exacerbated further by a changing climate.

In Pakistan, parthenium is a major weed that is displacing native flora, competing with agricultural crops, and causing health concerns for both humans and livestock. Parthenium weed affects human health from skin irritation, fever and breathing problems since the inhalation of certain airborne particles including fine hairs and pollen, can result in an allergic response, leading to hay fever, bronchitis or asthma.

The impacts on livestock include digestive problems from ingesting the weed, skin irritations/sores, reduced hunger, reduced weight, and tainted milk and meat.

An integrated management approach is widely acknowledged as the most effective strategy to manage pests, including weeds. As part of an integrated approach, classical biological control offers a highly sustainable management option whereby self-perpetuating populations of control agents establish throughout the target weed’s range.

Biological control offers a long-term sustainable solution but requires farmer engagement and support through a coordinated area-wide management approach. The approval for the stem-boring weevil, Listronotus setosipennis, to be released as a classical biological control agent for parthenium in Pakistan, was a significant achievement.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards parthenium and biological control

The scientists, whose research was published in the journal CABI Agriculture and Bioscience, sought to investigate men and women smallholder farmers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices towards parthenium and biological control. The release of L. setosipennis provided an opportunity to gather a comprehensive baseline that will be crucial to measuring change in farmers knowledge, attitudes and practices towards biological control as the programme progresses.

During the study household surveys using a structured questionnaire took place with 562 farmers (62% men and 38% women) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

This was complemented by seven focus group discussions with separate men and women’s groups in each district and key informant interviews with 17 extension agents and 31 agro dealers. A mixed-methods approach, utilising both quantitative and qualitative methods, allows researchers to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the problem.

In all survey areas, women and men farmers reported parthenium present on their farming land, abundant on common land, and rapidly spreading.

Women reported higher levels of land covered by parthenium, likely due to their frequent presence within the field whilst hand weeding. Women, and farmers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, more frequently reported negative health effects due to contact with parthenium.

The two key management methods used for parthenium were hand weeding and chemical herbicides, the former used more frequently by women. Additionally, the awareness of the risks of the latter were lower amongst women. However, both men and women were open to using biological control as an alternative method of management.

Extension agents have an important role in advising farmers

Kate Constantine, an author of the study and Project Scientist at CABI, said, “Extension agents have an important role in advising farmers and promoting the use of alternatives such as biological control, but women do not engage in many extension activities.

“Biological control of parthenium using L. setisopennis offers an opportunity to engage with farmers and strengthen their knowledge of biological control while demonstrating its use at a landscape level. Targeted awareness campaigns using face-to-face and other verbal methods of communication are recommended for enhancing the farmers’ knowledge base and encouraging a change in practices over time.”

The scientists found that women have less access to extension agents or training and are less likely to belong to groups since social norms largely determine that men engage in extension activities or trainings.

This is exacerbated when land size and ownership are common criteria for selecting training participants disadvantaging women who often do not own land and have smaller farms.

Dr Philip Weyl, a co-author of the paper and Head of Weed Biological Control at CABI, said, “Farmers are spending limited resources on parthenium management, not to mention additional costs for medicine or for employing labourers when health effects are experienced.

“In addition, family labour is highlighted as important in parthenium control with the estimated amount presented in this study likely to be underestimated. Area-wide biological control of parthenium could potentially ease these burdens if L. setisopennis establishes and spreads at a landscape level.”

The scientists conclude that increasing women’s access to information and training would improve their knowledge of parthenium and effective management approaches, including how to support L. setisopennis to establish, and ways to protect their own and their family members’ health.