Weeds

What is a weed?
A weed is any plant that is rowing in the wrong place or where it is not wanted.

This definition means that any plant can be a weed: the seeds of the previous
year’s crop can produce ‘weeds’ if they germinate in the ground where a different
crop has been planted.

The Effects of weeds on crops

 Weeds are in competition with crop plants for space in which they grow and
for light, water and nutrients. If weed growth in the crop is heavy, then crop
plants are deprived of their requirements and the yield and quality of the
produce will suffer.

 Weeds can also contaminate the crop produce with

their seeds and fruits.

 Some weed species act as hosts for pests (such as

aphids) and disease-causing organisms. If weeds in
a crop become infected, then disease-causing
organisms can infect the crop plant and cause
damage.

 Some weeds (e.g. redhead) are poisonous to livestock, Nutgrass is a common weed

especially cattle and horses which may stray on to the fields.

Why are weeds so successful?

Weeds are successful in competing with crop plants because:

 They germinate and grow rapidly

 They produce large numbers of seeds under favorable conditions
 The seeds are easily dispersed; many weed seeds are dispersed by wind and
can be carried long distances
 They grow very rapidly in the seedling stages; if they germinate before the
crop seeds they can grow much faster than crop and smother the crop
seedlings

Possible benefits of weeds

In general, weeds are harmful, but their rapid germination and growth on bare soil
provides a cover of vegetation which can help to prevent soil erosion due to heavy
rainfall.

In some cropping systems, fields can be left without crop (fallow) for a growing
season and then weeds are ploughed in before the next crop is planted. The
ploughed-in weeds add organic matter to the soil

In addition, weeds growing around fields attract beneficial insects, such as bees,
and other insects which prey on some crop pests.
Methods of weed control
It is important to control weeds within a crop to ensure a good yield and good
quality of produce. Methods of weed control includes:

1. Cultural methods- this is the adequate preparation of

the land and cultural practices such as hand weeding
and hoeing. There are several measures that a farmer
can take to minimize the spread of weeds:
 Buying good quality seed from an authorized
supplier to ensure that weeds are not sown with the crop. Cheap seed may
be contaminated with weed seeds or other crop seeds.
 Cleaning tools and equipment after use will prevent weed seeds from
spreading to other crops
 Crop rotation helps in weed control
 Mulching can control weeds by depriving them of light for photosynthesis
and also preventing the germination of weed seeds
 When the land is cleared, the vegetation is sometimes burned. This has
the benefit of getting rid of annual weeds
 Ploughing will turn the soil over and bury the weeds
 Hand weeding is where weeds are pulled out by hand or by using a hoe or
a cutlass
 Flooding is a method of weed control used in rice fields. It will get rid of
weeds that cannot tolerate being underwater

2. Chemical control- this is the use of chemicals (herbicides) to kill weeds.

They may be selective herbicides, killing some plants and other others, or
non-selective herbicides, killing all plants that they come contact with. The
use of herbicides is a very efficient method of controlling weeds and saves
hours of manual labour.

Precautions when using chemicals

When spraying crops with herbicides, protective clothing should

be worn and safety precautions taken to avoid spillage and
contamination of other areas. All the instructions provided for
correct application should be followed. If spraying is on a large
scale, then weather conditions needed to be considered. It is
wasteful to spray if there is a high wind or heavy rainfall.

3. Biological method- involves the use of other living organisms to control the
weeds. Biological methods include:
 Cover cropping: the use of legume crop such as mung beans or cowpeas
(black-eye) to provide vegetative cover; it prevents growth of weeds and
also adds nitrogen to the soil when ploughed in
 Planting density: the density of the crop will affect the growth of weeds;
the higher the density of the crop, the less room for the weeds; the
density should be adjusted so that the crops can develop fully but little
room is left for weeds
  Choice of crops: low-growing crops, such as sweet potatoes, an broad
leaved crops that can spread quickly, cover the soil surface and prevent
the growth of weeds
 Grazing: sheep and goats can be used to clear
weeds from pastures
 Introducing a pest of the weed species: this
involves using a insect pest or a disease that
affects the weed; it needs to be carefully
controlled and is not suitable on a small scale.
For example, the ragwort flea beetle, attack
ragwort plants and cause extensive damage.
Ragwort flea beetle

4. Integrated control- different methods of weed control may be used at

different stages of crop growth. Integrated control means using a
combination of control methods. The use of non-selective herbicides and
ploughing may be the best treatment during the preparation of the land
before the crop is sown. Once the crop is at the seedling stage, hand
weeding can be effective on small plots and avoids the use of chemical
sprays.

Questions

1. What is a weed?
2. Explain the benefits of hand weeding
3. List four factors that a farmer needs to consider before using a herbicide
on the land
4. Explain how density of planting of the crop can
affect weed density
5. What is meant by integrated control?