4 Different Methods of Controlling Weeds

To make crops free of weeds, it is very important to control weeds at their critical stage. In such a situation it helps to stop the weeds from their initial growth. The time to control different type of weeds for the crops planted is also different. In the critical state of weeds, these can be controlled easily by using chemicals. Weeds in fields are controlled at the following critical stages.

1. Pre-sowing application of crops: Weeds should be used before sowing any crop in the field. In doing so, germination of the sown crop leads to erosion in the release, germination, and establishment of feast weeds. And it helps in controlling weeds successfully in the crop.
2. Pre-emergence: At this time weed pests are used before sowing and germination of seedlings after sowing the crop. This condition occurs in the field before harvesting, weeding, and release of crops and weeds.
3. Post-emergence: After the release and germination of both the crops and weeds growing in the field, weedicides were used at a critical stage.

Different Method Of Weed Control

Various methods are adopted for weed control, which is indicated by the following analogy. Chemical methods, Physical methods, Cultural methods and Biological methods

1. Physical or Mechanical Methods: They are also called mechanical methods. These methods of weed control have been practiced since ancient times. Currently, these methods are used to control weeds in nurseries, lawns, and flower beds. Various types of instruments like cutlass, shovels, digging, forks, hand hoe, etc. are used to destroy the weeds.

Activities involve in Physical or Mechanical Methods

• Land pulling

• Hoeing

• Use of mover

• Flooring

• Use of Mulch

• By tillage practices
• Burning on the Soil surface

2. Agronomical or Cultural methods: From the beginning of agriculture, scientific methods of destroying weeds aren’t in existence, so weeds were destroyed in one way or the other and that is by controlling weeds using different crop methods, plant growth is faster than weeds, which reduces the growth of weeds plants and they are covered. These methods include all measures related to good crop management. Therefore, they are also called agricultural practices or methods related to cultural actions.

Activities involve in Agronomical or Cultural methods

• Crop rotation

• Selection of crops

• Tillage practices

• Time of sowing

• Depth of sowing

• Seed rate and plant spacing

• Use of Soil Amendments

• Method of Fertilizer Application

• Fallowing of Land

• Flooding of Fallow lands

• Preparation of field and intercropping
• Method of Crop Harvesting

3. Biological methods: The task of controlling weeds by biological methods is considered suitable in the present time to increase environmental protection to prevent the increasing pollution from weeds. In this method pests, fish, snails, snakes, and competing plants are used in weed control. Weed control by the biological method of insects and plant diseases is an ancient and effective method. Biological control is a natural process of development. The use of biological methods is successful when other methods have failed. Biological control over weeds is done by the natural enemies of the weeds. These natural enemies include insects, diseases bacteria, animals, and various types of vegetation. Different types of biological tools play an active role in the biological control of weeds.

4. Chemical Methods: Since ancient times, chemicals are used to control weeds. A variety of materials such as salts, ash, waste materials, and waste from industrial haze were used to control natural vegetation, along roadsides, flood lines, and walking paths. Nowadays, Chemical weeds control involves the use of herbicides to control weeds.

Herbicides are either selective or non-selective. Selective herbicides are mainly for one or two types of weeds (maybe broader leaves weeds) WHILE non-selective herbicides destroys any types of weed it get in contact with.

Activities involve in Chemical Methods

Applications of Some herbicides must be in contact with the weeds example, Paraquat while others are systematic, example Atrazine and Simazine, they are applied to the soil seed bed before the emergence of crop plants. Other examples of herbicides-TCA,2,4,5-T(2,4,5-Trichloroacetic acid), Dalapon, Grammoxone, Paraquat and Diquat- herbicides are best applied when the weeds are young.

Disadvantages of weed control by chemical methods

1. No weed destroys all the species of weeds. The use of weedicide can be controlled only on certain weeds.
2. For the successful use of weedicides, it is necessary to have complete knowledge about the use of chemicals like insecticides, fungicides, and fertilizers. Unreasonable use may result in more loss than gain.
3. It is not an encouraging situation because the price of the spraying equipment is spent by the farmer in the beginning. It is possible to solve this problem by forming societies at the cooperative level.
4. The lack of trained people for the proper use of weeds and the farmers is a major problem in this area. This problem is also being solved simultaneously.

It is a well-known fact that the ever-increasing use of weedicides poses a huge threat to environmental pollution. But even today, this danger is negligible compared to the benefit from them and efforts are also being continued to reduce it.

10 Benefits of using chemicals for controlling Weeds

1. Weed control by chemicals is less labor and less time.
2. Control of weeds in more areas with less labor in a short time. can be done.
3. Some chemicals are rapidly absorbed by weeds and reach other parts and they eliminate all the organs of the plant underground and above the ground.
4. All weeds of standing crops are susceptible to one weed. There is no effect from the weeds being in between the crop lines.
5. Density of weed seeds is also stopped using chemicals.
6. The cost incurred in using weedicide is less than the cost incurred by hand weeding.
7. In areas with high rainfall, farmers are unable to weed due to excess water-logging. It is possible to control weeds easily by chemical methods.
8. Cottes and hairs are found on some weeds, they are controlled by chemical methods than other methods.
9. Compared to other methods, it is an effective method for controlling multi-year weeds.
10. In barren and wastelands, weeds can be easily destroyed by spraying non-selective chemicals over weeds.