The ‘mile a minute weed’ Mikania micrantha is plant species which strangles forest and crops plants as it invades India. A native of South America, this climber is wreaking havoc as it spreads through north-east and south-west India. Unchecked, Mikania severely impacts agricultural production – controlling it (by hand weeding) increases the cost of cultivation. This means that production costs for many important crops and products such as pineapple, plantain, oil palm etc. have escalated, resulting in significant losses in revenue.