Lantana camara plant belongs to verbena family. Its quite common over most of India, however, it is unwelcome. Lantana camara may be the most pervasive weed; very few rural lands can make this claim. It is thought to cover 40% of country’s land. Despite being one of the worst weeds everywhere in this world, this keeps growing its cover over the land and we have not seen any significant efforts from authorities to tackle this issue.
The spread of the toxic plant is a “catastrophe” of enormous proportions that has not received adequate attention or funding.
More than 1,400 native species are harmed by creeping lantana, which also poisons livestock and grows in dense, impenetrable thickets that suffocate natural woodlands and grassland.
Allelopathic properties of Lantara Camara helps in its exponentiated growth over the land mass with the time. Allelochemicals of this plant inhibits the germination, growth and metabolism of crops, weeds and bryophytes and vegetables.
This plant contains allelopathic compounds wihch poses serious threats to biodiversity in plants, flora and fauna. Plants contain biochemicals and it works like a ‘chemical warfare’ between the plants, they use it against one another to protect themselves by suppressing others.
The word allelopathy is formed with two Greek words ‘allelon’ and ‘pathos’. Allelon stands for ‘each other’ and Pathos stands for ‘to suffer’. So Allelopathic plants create adverse conditions to its neighbouring plants by inhibits their germination and seeding capacities.
Lantana has contaminated millions of hectares of land and was posing a threat to the entirety of the world’s untamed land. The proliferation of the weedy varieties of the plant required additional action from landowners and all tiers of government.
Rapid treatment is essential since cattle who consume it face a torturous death. Severe sunburn and liver damage were poisoning symptoms, along with jaundice (yellow discoloration) of the skin of the nose, mouth, and gums. Lantana flowers with red color are the deadliest ones.
Generally you would see it growing on the sides of roadways and railways, which gives it access to water all year around.”
“The plant is capable of reproducing with very less (25 milliliters) requirement of of water; it may do this six times a year. The seeds are then dispersed through drainages and it spreads across other area. That means that only one plant might produce 3,600 plants.
The seeds, which are still viable after several years, are eaten and dispersed by some wild animals and birds.
The majority of lantana poisoning incidents happened when stock that was unfamiliar with the plant was brought to infected, overpopulated, or drought-stricken regions.
The weedy creeping version, however, is a prolific seeder with straggly, thorny stems that can yield up to 12,000 seeds year.
Important points:
Lantana has spread to an estimated 15 million hectares of Indian Land and its coastal regions.
The possibility of a painful death for stock that consumes the herb makes quick treatment essential.
The most deadly kind of lantana is red-flowered, and mature plants can yield up to 12,000 seeds annually.
ChatGPT provided a solution to tackle this problem, let’s read our conversation below:
step by step solution to remove lantana camara weed
- Identify the infestation: Locate all areas of your property where lantana camara weeds are present.
- Remove small infestations by hand: For small infestations, you can manually remove the weeds by digging them up with a trowel or hand fork, taking care to remove as much of the root system as possible.
- Use a herbicide: For larger infestations, you may need to use a herbicide. Choose a glyphosate-based herbicide and apply it directly to the leaves of the weeds. Be sure to follow the instructions on the label and wear protective clothing.
- Repeat the process: Lantana camara weeds can regrow from small fragments of root, so it is important to repeat the removal process regularly to ensure the weeds do not return.
- Prevent future infestations: To prevent future infestations, maintain healthy and dense vegetation on your property, and avoid moving soil or plants from infested areas to non-infested areas.
- Consider using other methods like smothering, mowing, and cutting to control and prevent the spread of weed.
- Always check and comply with your local or state laws and regulation before using any chemical herbicide.
