Weed Management in Forest Nurseries

Abstract

Weeds often create problems for forest-nursery managers. Left unmanaged, weeds can drastically lower crop quality. Conversely, weed control at any cost can devastate a budget. Proper weed management requires careful development of an integrated program—not mere reaction to problems after they occur. Program components include planning, implementing, documenting, and evaluating results of both prevention and control operations. Factors to consider include crop and weed species, nursery environment, weather, control technology, personnel and equipment, environmental impacts, regulations, and safety of workers and the crop. Principles of program development are discussed; the biology of weeds, as well as physical, biological, and chemical methods of control, are described; and current practices in Northwest foresttree nurseries are summarized. The need to test prospective techniques is emphasized: (1) small but thorough tests should be conducted before large-scale use of any treatments new to a particular nursery—a myriad of interacting factors make extrapolating results from one nursery to another unwise, and (2) results of tests or operational treatments should be carefully evaluated—subtle but critical damage to crop seedlings may escape notice in cursory examinations.