WEED

MANAGEMENT IN
CORN
 WEED BIOLOGY AND WEED IDENTIFICATION
Weeds as Defined
 Weeds are plant growing out of place. It follows
that plants may be weeds in some places but not in
others.
 Weeds are plants that are unwanted, undesirable or
useless.
 Weeds are plants that interfere with man or areas
of his interest.
 Weeds are plants that are detrimental to
agriculture rather than beneficial.
 Origin of Weeds
Muzik (1970) distinguished between the so-called
Obligate weeds from Facultative weeds.
Obligate weeds are those that are associated with man or
found only in cultivated areas.
Facultative weeds are found both in wild state and in
cultivated areas.
Muzik considered two possible origins of weeds the wild
species long adapted to sites of natural disturbance and the
new species or biotype that evolved with the development
of Agriculture.
 Adverse Effects of Weeds

Major losses suffered due to weeds can be in the form of

any of the following:
a.Reduced yield of crops due to competition for nutrients,
water and light.
b.Increased caused for insect and disease control.
c.Reduced quality of products.
d.Clogging of irrigation and drainage canals.
e.Imposed hazards to health.
f. Weeds poison livestock.
 Beneficial Effects of Weeds

a. Weeds conserve moisture.

b. Weeds add organic matter to the soil thereby regulating soil
fertility.
c. Weeds prevent soil erosion especially in sloping areas caused by
water and wind.
d. Weeds provide shelter to wildlife.
e. Weeds have medicinal value.
f. Weeds provide excellent forage during certain periods of the
year.
 Weed Classification
1. Based on Life cycle
 Annual
 Perennial
 Creeping Perennials – reproduce by seeds, spores, solons, rhizomes or tubers.
2. Based on Habitat
 Terrestrial
 Aquatic
3. Based on Gross Morphology
 Grasses
 Sedges
 Broadleaves
4. Other Classification
 Common Weeds - these weeds are readily controlled by good farming practices.
 Noxious Weeds - these weeds reduce crop yield even at low densities and are difficult to
control.
 The Ten World’s Worst Weeds (Holm, 1969)

Purple nutsedge – Cyperus rotundus Bermuda Grass –

Cynodon dactylon

Barnyard Grass – Echinochloa crusgali Jingle Rice –

Echinochloa colona
Goose Grass – Eluesine indica Johnson Grass –
Sorghum halepense

Guinea grass – Panicum maximum Water hyacinth –

Eichhornia crassipes
Cogon Grass – Imperata cylindrical

Lantana – Lantana camara

 Three(3) Important Weed Management Concept

1. Prevention - this means preventing the entrance of

new seeds or plant propagules into an area or preventing
the seeds to set at existing plants.
2. Eradication - is eliminating all plants and plant
parts of a single species from an area. This is very difficult
to attain in large scale.
3. Control - is eliminating weeds so that they incur
minimum harm. The degree of management is dependent
on the benefit/cost and the available resources.
 METHODS OF CONTROL
1. Physical Control Methods
a. Hand weeding
b. Mechanical Methods
c. Mulching
d. Water management
2. Cultural and Ecological Control Methods
a. Land preparation
b. Crop rotation
c. Crop competition
d. Use of certified seeds
3. Biological Control - weeds makes use of natural pests or enemy organisms to control weed a species.
4. Chemical Control – use of herbicides
 Herbicide Classification

According to the time of application

a. Pre-plant herbicide - is herbicide applied after land preparation but before the crop
is planted.
b. Pre-emergence herbicide - is herbicide applied after the crop is planted before the
crop or weeds emerge.
c. Post-emergence herbicide - is herbicide applied after the crop or weeds have
emerged.
According to selectivity
Selective herbicide is one that kills some plant species with little or no injury to others
while non-selective herbicides kill all plants.
According to mobility
a. Contact herbicides - are those applied to the foliage and kill only the plant parts or
plant tissues are very close to the site of application.
b. Systemic herbicides - are capable of movement with in the plant to exert herbicidal
effect from the site of application. These herbicide can be sprayed either on the foliage or
applied to the soil and absorbed by the roots.
THANK YOU!!!