Preventive Weed Control Weed control practices must be

Preventive Weed Control

Weed control practices must be: ØEffective, economical, practical ØSafe to humans ØSafe to environment ØMinimal non-target effects

Objectives of Weed Management Prevention: Keeping a weed from being introduced into an uninfested area. Control: Suppression of a weed to the point that its economic ( or harmful) impact is minimized.

Objectives of Weed Management (cont. ) Eradication: Elimination of all plants and plant parts of a weed from an area (seeds, vegetative propagules, rhizomes, creeping roots, tuber).

Methods or Strategies of Weed Control ØPrevention ØPhysical ØMechanical ØCultural ØBiological ØChemical

Preventive Weed Control Definition – Those measures taken to prevent or forestall the introduction and spread of weeds.

Preventive measures include: ØWeed-free seed. ØCompetitive crops. ØCrop rotation and diversity.

Preventive measures include: (cont) 1. Manage wind-borne seeds. 2. Weed cleaning equipment. 3. Legal measures – county, state, agency, national, quarantines.

Preventive measures include: (cont) ØSpot eradication. ØClean equipment. ØManage feedstuffs and manure. ØWeed-free waterways and drainage.

Prevention can be an integration of other methods Physical – burning, draining, flooding, mulching, sterilization.

Preventive Weed Control Definition – Those measures taken to prevent or forestall the introduction and spread of weeds. A gram of prevention is worth a kilogram of cure.

Preventive weed control embraces all practices that control weeds, with the objective of preventing the introduction or propagation of weeds in a specified area.

Methods of Weed control Four General Principles (simple concepts that underlie all control practices – keep in mind when considering method of control use)

Methods of Weed control (cont. ) 1. Weed control practices depend on the life cycle of the specific weeds (annual, biennial, or perennial – time of germination – when seed matures (must prevent seedling)).

Methods of Weed control (cont. ) 2. Weed control practices will depend on the habitat (where the weed is growing) of the weed (corn field – cultivate; grain field – spray; pasture – mow; wasteland – sterilization; good land vs. poor land – economics).

Methods of Weed control (cont. ) 3. Weed control practices will depend on the size, density, and age of the infestation (small intensive patch (expensive) – large patch – extensive acreage).

Methods of Weed control (cont. ) 1. 4. Weed control methods depend on prevailing farm practices and available equipment (depends on the individual farmer and his past experience).