Synopsis The aquatic weed salvinia has come to be regarded in recent years as one of the world's worst weeds perhaps the worst if we go by the Guiness Book of World Records - colonising large tracts of water in several countries across the world and harming precious water resources in terms of quality as well as quantity. In some Indian states, notably Kerala and Kashmir, this weed has been engaged in a veritable tug of war with another noxious aquatic weed water hyacinth and now there are reports of a major onslaught of salvinia in Goa. The weed has also been seen in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh which, given the recent history of the weed, should give us cause for great concern. In the past, attempts to control or destroy salvinia by chemical or biological means have either been unsuccessful or have caused environmental backlashes, proving the cure to be worst than the disease. Prof. Abbasi and Dr. Nipaney have spent over a decade studying the ecology and control of salvinia. They have also conducted the first-ever systematic studies on the productivity of the weed and have extensively explored, perhaps more than any other team in the world, ways and means of utilising the weed with a view to control it in an environmentally compatiable manner. This book embodies the essence of their work.