Awareness program, rally, uprooting of carrot grass, photo exhibition, lecture, webinar, seminar at the national level from 16 August to 22 August 2023 in schools, villages and various institutions of different states under the auspices of the Directorate of Weed Research, Jabalpur. , Workshop, release and distribution of organic pesticides etc. programs were conducted. Along with this, in collaboration with the farming community, programs were organized with online live dialogue with the farmers of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh. The closing program was also organized in village Bhidarikala Baroda under the Farmer First Program of the Government of India in which about 200 farmers from nearby villages participated.
Lieutenant General (Retd.) Dr. A.K. Mishra, Vice Chancellor, Mangalayatan University, under the guidance of the Directorate, appreciated the efforts and research being conducted for the control of carrot grass and the efforts and research being done for the control of carrot grass. While praising the methods to avoid the damage caused and the campaign to provide employment opportunities to the youth by making compost and vermicompost from weeds like carrot grass, he said that public participation is necessary at every level so that this invasive weed can be managed from the entire country. And biodiversity can be saved. Dr. Mishra said that while working on the border of the country, the army soldiers also have to face carrot grass and other weeds. I myself have experienced this. I will try that the army soldiers should also benefit from the methods to avoid the harm caused by carrot grass and it will be very beneficial for the soldiers of the country and it will be convenient for them in their work. Dr. AK Tiwari (Dean Agriculture), Mangalyatan University, present in the program, assured everyone present in the auditorium that they will make every possible effort to free their surrounding areas and the campus of Mangalyatan University from carrot grass in the future. Will make possible efforts.
National coordinator of the program, Dr. P.K. Singh, Principal Scientist said that carrot grass is a problem causing weed which apart from reducing the productivity in crops and gardens, is a serious threat to the environment and biodiversity. This weed has great capacity for seed production and does not have seed purity due to which it continues to flourish throughout the year. Carrot grass causes many types of diseases in humans and animals like asthma and skin diseases. For these reasons, Awareness Week is celebrated across the country to make people aware about the damage caused by it and the measures to solve it. This program was celebrated across the country through 713 Krishi Vigyan Kendras, all the institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, agricultural universities. In the program, women and men farmers and directorate’s Dr. K.K. Varman, Principal Scientist, Dr. P.K. Mukherjee, Principal Scientist, Dr. V.K. Chaudhary, Senior scientists, Shri Chetan CR, Dr. Himanshu and all the officers/employees were present in large numbers. The program was conducted by Dr. Deepak Pawar.
