Integrated Weed Management

INTEGRATED WEED MANAGEMENT(IWM):

System approach also called as integrated weed management.

" Integrated method is a system which brings all feasible methods of weed control harmonizing them into a single and Co- ordinated system designed to maintain weeds below those levels at which they cause economic loss".

There are 6 stages in the evolution of weed management :

1) 10,000 BC - Removed by hand 

2) 6000 BC - Weeds removed by primitive hand tools .

3) 1000 BC-  Weeding done with the help of animal drawn implements

4) 1920 AD - Machine drawn implements were used for weeding

5) 1930- Weeding was taken up by biological agents

6) 1947 AD - Weeding by chemical methods( Organic herbicides)

Methods of Weed Management:

Weed Control: Weed Control is the process of limiting infestation of the weed plant so that crops can be grown profitably.

Weed Management: It includes prevention, eradication and control byregulated use , restricting invasion, suppression of growth, prevention and complete destruction

Principles of Weed Management:

1) Prevention

2) Eradication

3) Control

PREVENTION: 

Prevent the entry and establishment of weeds into uninfected area.

ERADICATION:

It is complete removal of all live plant parts and seeds of the weed from an area.

CONTROL:

1) Cultural

2) Biological

3) Chemical

IMPORTANT WEED PREVENTION PRACTICES:

1)  Use  Clean crop seeds / weed free crop seed.

2) Avoid feeding of screenings , grain or hey containing weed seeds to livestock without destroying their viability by grinding, cooking and ensiling

3) Use well rotten/ decomposed organic manure .

4) Prevent movement of weeds with other farm resources.

5) Keep non crop area clean

6) Use vigilance

7) Follow legal & quarantine measures.

PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL METHODS:

PHYSICAL:

Physical method of weed utilizes manual energy, animal power or fuel to run the implements that dug out the weds

Hand hoe first animal drawn implement invented by Jethro Tull in 1731.

ADVANTAGES:

1) Older , effective and economical method.

2) No Special skill is required in adopting physical methods.

DISADVANTAGES:

1) More labour is required and tiresome

2) It's success depends on its timely operations when the weeds still young.

THE MECHANICAL METHODS INCLUDE:

1) Hand Weeding

2) Hand hoeing 

3) Spudding 

4) Digging

5) Sickling 

6) Dredging and chaining

7) Flooding

8) Burning

9) Soil Solarisation 

10) Cheeling 

11) Tillage

12) Mulching

HAND WEEDING:

Removal of weeds either manually or by using tools like khurpi or sickle. Higher labour is required and is tiresome.

• Effective against annuals and biennials and Controls only upper portion of the perennial .

Hand hoeing : 

Hoe has been the most appropriate and widely used weeding tool for centuries.

Spudding : 

Hand Weeding, hand hoeing added by a sharp edged sickle

Sickling: This methods are useful for control of tall growing grasses 

Especially Sickling is useful in irrigation channels , drainage channels and where undulating topography is present.

Digging: 

Digging is very useful in the case of perennial weeds to remove the underground propagating parts of weeds from the deeper layer of the soil

They can be eliminated by digging with crowbar or pick axe 

Mowing:

It is cutting of uniform growth from the entire area up to the ground level.

• Effective against erect and herbaceous weeds

Cutting: 

Cutting is the topping/cutting of the weeds little above ground level .It is done with help of axes and saws . It is mostly practiced against brushes and trees.

Dredging: 

This is used to control aquatic weeds growing in shallow ditches.

Chaining : 

Very big & heavy chain is pulled over the bottom of a ditch with tractors along with embankments of ditch . With rubbing action of chain weeds can be fragmented & collected by nets and hooks.

Burning:

Cheapest method to eliminate the mature unwanted vegetation in non cropped areas and range lands.

Flaming:

It is momentary exposure of green weeds to as 1000°C from flame throwers to control in row weeds.

Eg. Flaming is used in western countries for selective weed control in crops like Cotton , onion , soybean and fruit orchards.

Dodder is also controlled by flaming in lucern. 

Searing : ** Repeated application of flame to above ground parts destroyed the root system and plant dies .

Soil Solarisation : 

It is also called solar soil heating.It is effective against weeds which are produced from seeds .

E.g. Phalaris Minor , broad leaved weeds controlled by solarization 

Cheeling: 

An implement called cheel ( Spade like implement with very long handle ) with which weeds & soil can be racked up . Generally practiced in tea plantations.

Tillage: Tillage is done for preparing good seedbed , conservation of soil moisture & weed control .

Post plant tillage ( row cultivation) helps mixing of Manures and fertilizers & control of weeds , soil and water conservation.

Mulching: 

Polythene sheets , natural materials like paddy husk , ground nut shells , saw dust are used as mulching material.

The thickness should be enough to cut off light ( i.e. 10-15 cm)

Flooding : 

Flood kills weeds by excluding oxygen from their environment.Flooding is a worldwide crop husbandry method of controlling weeds in rice fields.

CULTURAL PRACTICES:

1) Proper crop stand and early seedling vigour

2) Selective crop simulation

3) Proper planting method 

4) Planting time

5) Crop Rotation

6) Stale seedbed 

7)Smother crops

8) Minimum tillage 

9) Summer fallowing 

10) Lower area under bunda

11) Flooding and drainage 

Principles of Integrated weed management:

1) IWM place the crop in competitive advantage over the weeds by manipulating the crop habitat by utilizing some biological differences between crops and weeds.

2)In IWM measures should be directed 

to reduce the survival mechanism of weeds in the soil.

3) Crop cultural practices should be incorporated to discourage the establishment of the perennial and parasitic weeds.

Eg. Crop rotation

4) Any individual element of the weed management should be eco friendly and it should not be harmful to the environment.

5) Weed Management practices should be flexible to accommodate possible innovations and experiences of progressive farmers.

Advantages:

1) It shifts the crop-weed competition in favour of crop.

2) Prevents weed shift towards perennial nature 

3) Prevents resistance in weeds to herbicides.

4) No  danger of herbicide residue in soil or plant.

5) No environmental pollution.

6) Gives higher net return

7) Suitable for high cropping intensity.

✍️ Agricoss Vaishnavi Nimkar

(Gunji, Dhamangaon railway)

7666441799