Fundamentals of Weed Management

Weeds are plants growing in the wrong place. By using several techniques to control weeds you reduce the chance that weed species will adapt to the control techniques, which is likely if only one technique is used. For example, if a herbicide is used over a long period of time, a weed species can build up a resistance to the chemical. A long-term integrated weed management plan, that considers all available management control techniques or tools to control weeds, can be developed for a particular area. Any integrated weed management plan or strategy should focus on the most economical and effective control of the weeds and include ecological considerations. The long term approach to integrated weed management should reduce the extent of weeds and reduce the weed seed stock in the soil. It should consider how to achieve this goal without degrading the desirable qualities of the land, such as its native ecology or agricultural crops. Controlling weeds is particularly important in the first few months after plantation when the plants are small and there’s little shade. In commercial plantations where plants are grown on bare soil, sowing a ground cover can reduce the use of herbicides. Weed management is most successful when it involves an integrated approach using a variety of methods. There is a need to develop equipment better adapted to more environmentally-friendly situations. This book deals with the appearance and management of plants with different traits occurring as weeds on arable land.