Weeds Science

_is the study of weeds and their control. It is an off shoot of plant physiology –
from study of plant regulators. The main goal is the formulation of most effective,
economical and satisfactory methods of controlling weeds.
IMPORTANCE OF WEEDS
Weeds are familiar plants of our environment which are seen infesting lawns,
sidewalks, roadsides, fence rows, ditches, canals, ponds, waterways, garden,
croplands, rangelands and forests. They are part of our everyday life. They are
adversely affect the use, economic value, and aesthetic aspect of the land and waters
they infest.

WEEDS DEFINED
 A plant growing where it is not wanted
 A plant whose potentialities for harm far outweighs its potentialities
for good
 A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered
 A plant or plant inferring with the objectives of man in a specific
situation
 A misfit
 A plant UNWANTED at a particular time and place

 For a plant to be considered a weed depends not only on its characteristics

and habits but also on its relative position with reference to other plant and
man.
 A weeds must impair man’s activity

WHY WEEDS AS PEST ARE NOT RECOGNIZED EARLY

1. Damaged caused by weeds are not visible as those caused by insects
and diseases
2. It is seldom to have total crop failure due to weeds
3. Crop is always associated with weeds

IMPACT OF WEEDS ON HUMAN AFFAIRS

 1. Reduce crop yields
Table 1. Percent yield reduction in some selected crops due to uncontrolled weed
growth
CROP AVE. YIELD REDUCTION (%)
Rice, transplanted 33
Rice, direct seeded 64
Rice, upland 86
Corn 39
Tomato 39-86
Cabbage 16-90
Onion 67-88
Cowpea 53

2. Increase cost of production

- Added cost for disease management and insect control
- Weeds hamper harvesting and increase harvest cost through interference
with harvesting operation
3. Reduce the quality of crop and animal products
4. Act as alternate hosts of insects and pathogens
5. Harbor birds and rodents
6. Increase cost of public utilities
7. Impair human and livestock
POSITIVE EFFECT OF WEEDS
1. Prevent soil erosion
2. add organic matter to the soil
3. food and medicines for humans
4. serves as nectar for the bees
5. food for livestock, wild animals and birds
6. Provide habitat for insect predators
7. Source of beauty
 8. Recycle nutrients
9. Source of genetic materials

NEGATIVE EFFECTOF WEEDS

1. Would cause low productivity to main crop
2. Compete with plants in the absorption of H2O, nutrients, and light

CLASSIFICATION OF WEEDS
Due to their diversity, weeds cannot be classified satisfactory into just one
category. Knowledge of the different types of weeds is essential in order to
formulate an effective control program. Weeds can be classified into the following:
1. According to Life cycle
Successful weed control, in addition to the types of weeds, also depends on
the understanding of the life cycle of the weed.
A. ANNUAL- Weeds that complete their life cycle in one season or one year;
reproduce by weeds. They are usually prolific seeders, grow fast but are mainly
shallow rooted. Often, differential dormancy permits them to be present at all times.
Being shallow rooted allows them to be controlled easily by cultivation at early
stage of growth. They would be susceptible to herbicide applications to the upper
soil layer.
Examples: Dactyloctenium aegyptium- crowfoot grass
Ageratum conyzoides- tropic ageratum
Amaranthus spinosus- spiny amaranth
Echinochloa crusgalli- barnyard grass
B. PERENNIAL- Weeds that live for more than one season or for several years
and producing vegetatively and by seeds Perennials can be subdivided into:
a. Simple perennial- reproduce mainly by seeds
Ex: Sida acuta
Mimosa pudica
 Chromolaena odorata
Lantana camara
b. Creeping perennial- reproduce by seeds and vegetative propagule
Ex: Stolon - Cynodon dactylon
Rhizomes - Sorghum halepense,
Imperata cylindrica
Paspalum distichum
Tubers - Cyperus rotondus,
Scirpus maritimus
Offshoots - Pistia stratiotes
2. According to Gross morphological feature
Weeds in crops are divided into 3 main groups based on gross morphology:
A. Grasses
B. Sedges
C. Broadleaves
A. Grasses
- belong to the family Poaceae or Graminae
- stem, referred to as culm, is cylindrical
- culm as well defined nodes and internodes
- leaves are long and narrow with parallel leaf venation arise alternately
in two rows
- basal part of the leaf is the leaf sheath which clasps the culm, upper part is
the blade with veins parallel.
- leaf sheath clasps around the culm overlap to protect the growing shoot
- ligule ( a hairy membranous outgrowth between the leaf blade and the
leaf sheath) exists
Ex: Echinochloa colona
 Echinochloa crusgalli
Eleusine indica
Paspalidium flavidum
Rottboellia cochinchinensis
B. Sedges
- belong to the family Cyperaceae
- resemble grasses since they have leaves that are long and narrow
- culm is triangular, with no nodes and internodes
- leaf sheath fused to form a tube around the culm forming a rosette leaf
arrangement
- leaves have parallel leaf venation
Ex: Cyperus rotondus
Cyperus iria
Cyperus difformis
Fimbristylis littoralis

C. broadleaves
Weeds characterized by more expanded leaves with netted leaf venation
-Maybe monocots or dicots
Examples:
Ageratum conyzoides
Lantana camara
Pistia stratiotes
Synedrella nodiflora
Cleome rutidosperma
3. According to the Number of cotyledons
 a. Monocotyledonous weeds- weeds having a single seed leaf or cotyledon,
parallel leaf venation and fibrous root system
b. Dicotyledonous weeds- weeds having two seed leaves or cotyledons. They
have expanded leaf blades, netted leaf venation and tap root system
4. According to Habitat- the environment where weeds grow
a. Aquatic- weeds growing in or near water
Also called wetland or lowland
b. Terrestrial- weeds growing on land
Also called dry land or upland
Aquatic- weeds growing in or near water
1. Floating- plants that grow on water surface and roots not attached to the soil
bottom
Examples: Pistia stratiotes,
Salvinia molesta
2. Emerged- plants which have their roots beneath the water surface and leaves
above the surface. Roots attached to the soil
Examples: Fimbristylis littoralis
Cyperus iria
Sphenoclea zeylanica

3. Submerged- plants which normally have all leaves beneath the water surface but
may have floral parts above water
Example: Hydrilla verticillata
b. Terrestrial- weeds growing on land
1. Arable land
2. Waste place
3. Pasture/rangeland
4. Lawns
Examples
 Cynodon dactylon- Bermuda grass
Eleusine indica- Goose grass
Dactyloctenium aegyptium- Crowfoot grass
Rottboellia cocchinchinensis- Itch grass
Imperata cylindrca- Cogon grass
Cyperus rotondus- Purple nutsedge
Ageratum conyzoides- Tropic ageratum
Synedrella nodiflora- Synedrella
Tridax procumbens- Tridax
Celosia argentea- Celosia
Amaranthus spinonsus- Spiny amaranth
Mimosa pudica- Sensitive plant
c. Aerial or epiphytes- weeds growing on air, high up the trees

Other classification
a. Common weeds- weeds that are more or less found in every farm but are not
exceptionally injurious and are readily controlled by good farming practices
b. Noxious weeds- weeds that are particularly undesirable, because of their
certain undesirable characteristics, like the presence of an extensive
perennial underground system which enable to resist the most determined
effort to control

WEED IDENTIFICATION
Weed identification is the recognition and determination of weeds’ correct
names and places in the system of plant classification. Correct identification is the
first step in developing weed control program in any crop. Through one’s ability to
recognize weeds, specific weed problems can easily be defined and likewise,
research directions can be established with greater certainty.
 The best time to identify weeds correctly is when they are at the reproductive
stage. Identification can be done by 1) comparing the collected specimen with the
picture in books, flora of the region or manual, 2) using dichotomous or botanical
keys, or 3) seeking the assistance of a weed systematic expert.

REPRODUCTION AND ESTABLISHEMENT OF WEEDS

Weeds multiply and reproduce despite the efforts taken to eliminate them.
Weeds have efficient methods of reproduction and remarkable capacity for survival
under a wide range of conditions. Weeds reproduce either by seeds (sexual
reproduction) or vegetatively (asexual reproduction). The vegetative propagules
consist of the following:
a. Rhizomes- resembles a root but is differentiated into nodes, internodes and scale
leaves (l. cylindrica)
b. Tubers- The terminal portion of the rhizome develops into a fleshy storage organ
(C. rotondus)
For C. rotondus , vegetative reproduction can start as early as 3weeks after
shoot emergence.
c. Stolons- resemble the rhizome but they remain underground. The young plant
arises from the lateral bud near the basal part of the stem axis (i.e. Cynodon
dactylon)
d. Bulbs- The rhizome develops into basal bulb which sends out the rosette of aerial
leaves (C. rotondus)
e. Offshoots- P. stratiotes
For Pistia stratiotes, the offshoots can be produced in 18 days.

PRINCIPLES OF WEED CONTROL

1. The aim of weed management is to reduce weed population to levels that
will not result in significant reduction in yield.
2. Weed control measure should be directed against organs responsible
for reproduction and spread of weeds.
3. Weed control activities should be started at the early crop stages and
sustained until the crop is able to compete favorably with weeds.
WEED CONTROL
Weeds should be controlled to prevent yield reduction.
The timing of weed control is more important than the number of
weeding operations.
It is very important to consider the critical period of weed competition,
which is usually the first 30% of the life cycle of the crop.

METHODS OF WEED CONTROL

1. MANUAL METHOD
- Hand weeding & use of hand tools like hoes and sickles
ADVANTAGES:
1. Effective method of removing weeds
2. practical and efficient method of removing weeds within the rows of hills
of crops where weeds cannot be removed by other means
DISADVANTAGES:
1. Extremely tedious and time consuming
2. Not practical to use in large hectares
3. Difficult to distinguish weed seedlings from rice seedlings at early stages
of growth and uprooting or damaging rice cannot be avoided
2. CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL METHOD
- an alteration of growing conditions aimed at suppressing indirectly weed
populations by decreasing the competitive ability, or directly by encouraging weed
growth at a specified the period during which time direct control methods can be
imposed. These 2 go together because any change in cultural methods essentially
affects of both crops and weeds.
1. Land Preparation
2. Water Management
3. Method of Planting
4. Cultivar grown
 5. Plant density
6. Fertilizer application
7. Crop rotation

3. BIOLOGICAL WEED CONTROL

- the suppression or control of weeds by the action of living organisms
(natural enemies) which is accomplished naturally or by purposeful introduction.

Attributes of an effective BWCA

1. highly host specific
2. has the ability to control the weed or prevent its reproduction in some
direct or indirect manner
3. has the ability to disperse successfully to locate the host plant
4. has a short life cycle and high rate of reproduction
5. be amenable to cultured in the laboratory

4. CHEMICAL CONTROL
The use of herbicides is becoming important to places where agricultural
labor is scarce and wage rate are relatively high.
Importance: understanding of the different types of herbicides based on time of
application, method of application and biological effect are necessary for their
efficient use.
Types of Herbicides
Herbicides can be classified into different categories. These are the following:
1. Based on time of Application
a. Preplant
b. Pre- emergence
 c. Post – emergence

2. Based on biological effect

a. According to mode of action
1. Contact
2. Translocated or systemic
b. According to selectivity
1. Selective
2. Non-selective

Types of Herbicides
1. Based on time of Application
a. Preplant herbicide – any herbicide applied before the crop is seeded
or transplanted.

Example:Glyphosate

b. Pre- emergence- herbicide is applied before the emergence of the

crop or the weeds.

Example: Butachlor

c. Post – emergence – any treatment made after emergence of a

particular crop or weed.

Example:2,4-D applied 30 days after emergence (DAE)

2. Based on biological effect

a. According to mode of action
1. Contact – herbicides applied to the foliage and kill the plant tissues at
or very close to the site of application.
Example: Paraquat
 2. Translocated or systemic – herbicides capable of movement within the
plant to exert herbicidal effect away from the site of application.
Examples: 2,4-D & glyphosphate
b. According to selectivity
1. Selective – herbicides that kill or stunt some plants within a little or
no injury to others.
Examples: 2, 4-D applied to rice 30 DAS to control broadleaves and
sedges
2. Non-selective – herbicides that kill all plants. Also called general
weed killers
Examples: Glyphosate and Paraquat

PRECAUTIONS WHEN APPLYING HERBICIDES

1. Rate used – the rate should be not more or less than the
recommended rate.
2. apply at the correct time – apply when it is most destructive to weeds
but it is not
harmful to the crop.
3. Spray during fair weather only
a. sunlight maybe needed for the herbicide to penetrate into the
plants.
b. rain after application (within 2-3 hours), my wash-off the
herbicides and
reduce its effectiveness
c. strong wind during herbicide application may cause uneven
distribution of the chemical and may damage susceptible crops
due to drift.