Silver cockscomb is a troublesome weed. If left unchecked, it can spread quickly and suppress the growth of other crops, affecting their yield.
- The plant also attracts insects, caterpillars, worms and moths that can harm crops.
- In Karnataka’s Chamarajanagara district silver cockscomb is referred to as anne soppu. Here farmers of the Soliga tribe do not consider silver cockscomb a weed.
- For the Soligas, known for their traditional knowledge of ecology, silver cockscomb is a nutritious leafy green vegetable that grows well even on fallow land and in drought-like conditions.
- Also known as lagos spinach, the weed belongs to the Amaranthaceae family, which includes economically important plants like spinach (Spinacia oleracea), beetroot and quinoa.
- The plant is known as Celosia argentea in scientific lexicon, kurdu in Marathi and pannai keerai in Tamil.
- Silver cockscomb is a short-lived 50-60 cm-tall plant that bears simple.
- It grows widely on farmlands across the country. Most farmers use the plant as fodder.
- Like the Soliga tribe, some communities also consume it as a leafy vegetable.
