ECOLOGICAL/CULTURAL MEASURES OF WEED MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

Abstract

The weed is a plant that grows where it is undesired or in its place. Weeds are unwanted plants that are not known to be economically important. Weeds are plants that are unwanted in a given situation and may be dangerous, harmful or economically detrimental. Weeds have serious problems when it comes to agricultural production. It is estimated that weeds generally cause a 25% loss of agricultural production in the least developed countries, a 10% loss in the least developed countries and a 5% loss in most developed countries. Weeds loses are depend upon location, crop and types of soil. The study found that potential yield losses were significant for soybeans (50-76%) and peanuts (45-71%). Largest variability in potential yield losses were observed among locations in case of direct seeded rice (15-66%) & maize (18-65%). In similar cases weeds are reduced 66% yield of Chilly and the loss of N through weeds is about 150 kg per ha. Weeds losses alone in 10 major crops of India viz transplanted rice (13.8%), wheat (18.6%), direct-seeded rice (21.4%), mustard (21.4%), sesame (23.7%), sorghum (25.1%), maize (25.3%), Pearlmillet (27.6%), Greengram (30.8%), soybean (31.4%) and groundnut (35.8%). Weed control practices are extremely important to Indian agricultural production. Many more tools and practices are adopted for crop protection q like crop species, crop variety/cultivars, sowing of crop (time, rate of sowing, row spacing and method), crop rotation, trap and catch crops, cropping practice, irrigation time & method are suitable practices under cultural/ecological measures of weed management. Cropping practices are also known as environmentally responsible weed management practices. Environmentally sound weed management methods are chemical-free and weed management tools-free.