From: "Rohini Ekanayake" <ubeka@kandyan.net>
Received: Sun, 19 Nov 2000 01:10:34 -0800

Dear Dr. P.Oudhia,

Thank you very much for your prompt response re: my request on the above. Actually  I got your address from the  DIRECTORY OF PARTHENIUM SCIENTISTS. I visited an official site of International Parthenium Research News Group(IPRNG) and manged to get complete information on all aspects of Parthenium management.  Thank you for informing my message  to concerned scientists.  Already I recieved some information from Australia.

I will contact Dr.Mahadevappa, Vice-chancellor of the university of Agricultural sciences,   Dharwar, India to obtain the Zygogramma .

Thank you again for your help.
Best wishes.

Dr. Rohini Ekanayake
Seed Certification & Plant Protection Centre, Department of Agriculture, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

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From: G.K.AWADHIYA, INDIA  <gkawadhiya@123india.com>
Received: Fri Nov 17 15:47:44 GMT 2000

Dear Dr.Endale,

I read your message in IPRNG regarding problems created by notorius weed Parthenium.In our country we are also facing serious health problems due to Parthenium.Parthenium is causing skin diseases ,nasobronchial rhinitis and asthama in men and loss of hair ,depigmentation of skin and ulcer formation in intestine of animals. During an exhaustive surveys work   of this notorius weed we found PLO disease as you discussed in your letter, viral diseases,mosaic and leaf curl virus,leaf blight ,root pathogens.The pathogens of above diseases were isolated and tested there pathogenecity.The above pathogen proved the high
potential to kill this weed.These pathogens also have high host specificity and there were no effects on crop plants.The research work is in progress. Looking to the magnitude of their health problem and threat to natural biodiversity the outcome of this project will certainly be much useful in practical sense.

Dr.G.K.Awadhiya
Asst.Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur-492001 India.

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From: Rachel McFayden <Rachel.MCFADYEN@dnr.qld.gov.au>
Received:  Fri, 17 Nov 2000 07:35:23 -0800

Dear Dr Ekanayake

I note your interest in biological control of parthenium.  We have a long history of largely successful biocontrol of this weed in Queensland, Australia, and we can supply all the biocontrol agents used, together with information on their biology, host-specificity, effectiveness etc.  We would of course require a permit from your government before shipping any agents.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Rachel McFadyen
Principal Scientist Pest Management Research, Alan Fletcher Research Station, Australia

Te: (07) 3375 0739  Fax: (07) 3375 0777, Mobile: 0409 263817
http://www.dnr.qld.gov.au/resourcenet/land/landprotection/techhighlights.htm
Int. Organization of Biological Control/ Asia and the Pacific Region Section for information or to join, see
http://www.cpitt.uq.edu.au/biocontrol/biocontrol.html

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From: "Rohini Ekanayake" <ubeka@kandyan.net>
Received: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 07:40:46 -0800

Dear Dr. P.  Oudhia,

I am a senior scientist attached to the Department of Agriculture.  I have been given the responsibility of controlling the above weed, which has become a serious threat to our agriculture.  I got your e your e-mail address via Internet and  I seek help from you with regard to biological control of this weed.

According to our research work plan on Partrhenium control, we are hoping to import potential biological control agents of this weed from other countries to evaluate their efficacy under local conditions.   According to the world' literature there are six species of insects and pathogens.   Of these, Zygogramma bicolorata   (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and the fungal pathogen Puccinia abrupta  have performed as potential bio control agents against this weed in India and Australia.  I managed to find some imnformation on bionomics and management of this weed via intenet.  However, it is difficult to find places from where I can import potential bio-control agents of this weed.

Therefore, I would appreciate it very much if you could send information on biological control of this weed and e-mail addresses of places/institutes, from where I could obtain the above biological control agents of Parthenium weed.

Thank you in advance.
Yours truly,

Dr. Rohini Ekanayake

Seed Certification & Plant Protection Centre, Department of Agriculture, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

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