SRINAGAR, Sept. 16 -- Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) has issued an advisory urging farmers and agricultural stakeholders to remain vigilant after the invasive weed Parthenium hysterophorus was recently detected in an agricultural field in Srinagar.

The university said the sighting should serve as an early warning and called for heightened surveillance to prevent the species from establishing itself in Kashmir's agricultural ecosystems.

According to SKUAST-K, Parthenium hysterophorus, a member of the Asteraceae family, is regarded as one of the world's most aggressive invasive weeds due to its rapid growth, prolific seed production and ability to suppress surrounding vegetation thr...