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- Herausgeber: Bentham Science Publishers
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
Handbook of Integrated Weed Management for Major Field Crops provides a comprehensive guide to the identification, ecology, and management of weeds in key agricultural crops such as rice, wheat, maize, sugarcane, oilseeds, pulses, and more. The book highlights an integrated approach to weed control, combining cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical methods. Each chapter focuses on specific crops, detailing tailored strategies for effective weed management in diverse agroecological zones. The text also explores weed biology, crop competition, and the role of environmental factors in weed proliferation. With an emphasis on sustainability and economic efficiency, this handbook is a crucial resource for students, researchers, farm managers, and agricultural professionals seeking practical and ecological weed management solutions.
Key Features:
- Comprehensive coverage of weed identification, biology, and ecology.
- Focus on integrated weed management strategies across major field crops.
- Detailed weed control approaches for specific crops.
- Emphasis on sustainable and economically efficient practices.
- Essential resource for students, researchers, and professionals in agriculture.
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Seitenzahl: 210
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
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FOREWORD
It is a great pleasure to know that the e-book entitled ‘Handbook of Integrated Weed Management for Major Field Crops’ has been written by Rakesh Kumar and co-authors. Weeds, the unwanted plants in the fields, are one of the major constraints in increasing the production and productivity of crops. Weeds cause over 25% loss in food production, in addition to the huge costs involved in weed control, either by hand weeding or through the application of herbicides. However, weeds also maintain a delicate balance between the vitality of ecosystems and food security. Effective management of weeds, thus, presents an exciting opportunity for innovation for sustainable crop production and conservation of the ecosystem. The weeds compete with the main crop for nutrients and sunlight and, thus, result in lower crop yields if they are not controlled at the appropriate time. However, weeds also play an important role in the ecosystem and serve as a source of pollen and nectar for beneficial insects. Many weed species are also used as medicinal plants and, thus, need to be conserved in the ecosystem. This book on integrated weed management in major field crops takes a critical look at the synergy between different approaches to develop strategies for weed management in field crops, including chemical, biological, cultural, and mechanical control of weeds based on sound ecological principles and foster a comprehensive understanding of weed-crop interactions. I am sure that this ‘Handbook of Integrated Weed Management for Major Field Crops’ will encourage the readers to engage in exploration, critical analysis, and collaboration to develop weed management strategies that are both sustainable and effective. This book will also help in bridging the gap between the theoretical concepts and practical weed management in the field and lead to increased collaboration between researchers, extension workers, industry workers and farmers. I am confident that this handbook will be highly useful for the students, researchers, and farmers by providing them with a comprehensive guide for weed control. I congratulate the authors for the timely publication of this book on integrated weed management to ensure food and nutritional security in India.
.PREFACE
This handbook is designed to help scholars understand the fundamentals of weeds, including their concept, characteristics, and importance in agriculture. The book covers all of the topics pertinent to integrated weed management in principal field crops. The topics include the core aspects of weeds, which encompass their survey, identification, collection, and preservation, as well as ecology and biology, along with integrated weed management techniques in some essential field crops such as rice, wheat, sorghum, pearl millet, maize, sugarcane, cotton, oil seeds, and various pulses grown in the Indian subcontinent. Readers in the field of agriculture may also benefit from the book since it contains fundamental knowledge on various herbicides and how they can be used effectively to get superior outcomes in yield and production. It serves as a foundational book for undergraduate and postgraduate students majoring in agriculture. Additionally, the book covers many facets of agriculture that are essential to learning. The main objective of writing this book is to induce better understanding in learners whose knowledge of the subject is new and who come into this line of work from various other streams of basic sciences. We strongly believe that this handbook will serve the greatest number of researchers, academicians, master trainers, and extension functionaries in providing comprehensive weed control approaches.
Weeds – Introduction, Concept, Characteristics and Importance in Agriculture
Rakesh Kumar1,*,Pardeep Kaur2,Robin3Abstract
In the initial phases of life on Earth, the prevalence of undesirable plants was not extensive. Humans developed the practice of differentiating between weeds and crops based on economic activities. It has been suggested that there are close to 30,000 species that can be classified as weeds. These have co-evolved with crops and are deemed undesirable because of their capacity to outcompete cultivated plants that are intended for food and fiber production. It is widely accepted that all primary cultivated plants have originated from wild weeds. Several plant species that were previously utilized for ornamental, therapeutic, or feed purposes are currently classified as weeds. The crop ecosystem has undergone significant changes due to the use of high levels of fertilizers, intensive cropping practices, and modifications in cropping patterns. Weeds possess specific characteristics that enable them to thrive and persist in environments where many cultivated plants would ultimately perish. The existence of weeds may have multiple effects on human existence. Apart from their economic implications, these cause hay fever in humans and can also exhibit toxicity in livestock and wildlife. The impact of weeds on crop productivity varies based on certain factors such as type of weed species, density of weeds, duration of weed competition, and method of cultivation.
INTRODUCTION
In the beginning of the existence of life on the earth, weeds were not prevalent. It is the man, who developed the concept of weeds and crops, depending upon his economic activities. There are around 300,000 distinct species of angiosperms found throughout the world [1]. Some estimates imply that as many as 30,000 of those species might be considered weeds i.e., weeds make up around 1 in every 10 plant species on earth [2]. More than any other dispersal agent, humans are accountable for the spread of weeds. Consequently, weeds have evolved alongside crops and are undesirable due to their capacity to outcompete plants that man attempts to cultivate for food and fiber. The original habitat of the majority of weeds remains unclear. Many weeds are closely related to cultivated crops or ornamental plants, and it is this close relationship that makes some weeds more
challenging to control than others. A weed can be defined in many ways; some of the more common definitions are:
A species of plant that is growing in an area where it is not intended.A plant out of place.A plant that has more negative effects than it has positive ones.A plant part or plant itself that causes problems for man and obstructs human goals.Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) that spreads from a lawn into a flower bed, volunteer corn (Zea mays) in a sugarbeet or bean field, lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium album), and red root pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexux) are all considered weeds [3-6]. As a result, a plant is considered a weed by humans or, to be more precise, by individuals. A plant that is a weed to one person may be a desirable plant to another. Any plant can be weed under certain circumstances.
ORIGIN OF WEEDS
All basic cultivated plants are believed to have been derived from weeds found in a wild state. Following are a few examples: Cultivated oat (Avena sativa) is considered to have descended from common wild oats Avena sterilis and A. byzantina [7]. Another food crop, barley (Hordeum vulgare), has originated from the domestication of a wild two-rowed form (Hordeum spontaneum) found in Israel, Jordan, Iran, and Iraq [8, 9]. Similarly, a cultivated form of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) has also been domesticated from its wild form, S. robustum [10].
Changing Status of Plants
The status of different plant species does not remain the same throughout time. Many plants and crops that were once ornamental, therapeutic, or used for feed are now considered weeds. Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) introduced to many areas for cattle feed is now one of the world’s major trouble-some crop weeds [11, 12]. Crofton weed (Eupatorium adenophorum), native to Mexico, is currently a pasture weed in the Pacific region and Southeast Asia [13].
One of the most prevalent types of weed problems is the continuation of a crop species or cultivar into the subsequent (different) crop in a rotation. For example, potato plants arising from tubers remaining after harvest are common weeds in various vegetable crops and cereals. Therefore, the status of a plant as a weed differs depending on the time period and the geographical location.
Perpetual Problems from Perennials and New Threats from Annuals
Intensive cropping with a heavy input of fertilizers and irrigation, changes in cropping patterns, and cultural systems have all contributed to substantial variations in the crop ecosystem and, consequently, weed flora [14]. The short-statured and erect types of new crop cultivars and modern cultural technology have aggravated the perennial weed problem. Several species of these weeds have even started to develop resistance to herbicides under continuous use [15]. To mention a few examples, the development of resistance to herbicides as a result of consistent long-term use has led to the aggravated infestation of purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) in sorghum, pigeon pea, and many other field crops, Scirpus maritimus in rice monoculture areas of Southeast Asia, Imperata cylindrica, Panicum spp., and Paspalum scorbiculatum in various plantation crops, etc.
Similarly, a strong build-up of annual weeds has been observed in certain field crops due to changes in the micro-environment, continuous use of herbicides, and consequent development of tolerance [16]. For example, the continuous use of benthiocarb in rice fields has resulted in a spontaneous increase in the population of broad-leaved annuals like Monochoria vaginalis. In a similar way, Sphenoclea zeylanica and Phalaris minor enhance very rapidly in wheat fields that have been treated with 2, 4-D. In the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, Ischaemum rugosum proliferate rapidly in rice fields due to the uninterrupted use of butachlor.
CHARACTERISTICS OF WEEDS
Plants that are commonly referred to as weeds have certain characteristics that enable them to proliferate and exist where most cultivated plants would eventually die off. Some of these characteristics are:
Typically, weeds have a high rate of seed production [17]. For example, Amaranthus spinosus produces 2,35,000 seeds/plant, and for Striga asiatica/ S. lutea, 90,000 seeds/plant have been recorded [18, 19].Many weeds have unique ways of dispersing and spreading their seeds for e.g., ground cherry (Physalis spp.) has a modified papery calyx that encloses the fruit loosely along with entrapped air [20].Many weed seeds can remain dormant in the soil for a long period of time and germinate when favorable conditions prevail (Bidens pilosa: 75 years, Brassica: 50 years, Chenopodium album: 30-40 years) [21].Most weed-like plants have the ability to thrive under adverse conditions e.g., Cyperus spp [22].The majority of weeds successfully compete with crop plants for soil moisture, nutrients and sunlight e.g., Chenopodium album, Amaranthus spp [23].The procedures used in modern agricultural practices encourage the spread of weeds. Plant communities are complicated entities, and under any set of environmental conditions (climate, temperature, rainfall, soil, etc.), there is a natural progression to a climax vegetation. The cultivation of crops by humans alters the normal sequence of events, and as a result, humans are responsible for the emergence of many new weeds that were previously undetected.
HOW WEEDS HARM PLANTS OR LAND USE
Weeds affect our lives in several ways. They not only cost us money, but they also have the potential to inflict enormous suffering, like hay fever, along with being poisonous to humans, livestock, and wildlife. Some of the ways in which weeds might affect are as follows:
Reduce the yields: Competition for nutrients, moisture, light, and allelopathic effects.Reduce crop quality: Seeds dockage, weed in hay, straw, etc. (e.g.Allium spp., Cichorium, Ambrosia).Increase production cost: Additional tilling of farm crops and cultivation of nursery crops.Increase labor and apparatus cost: Mechanical issues such as wear and tear, etc.Carriers or hosts of infectious diseases and insects, such as wheat stem rust, corn borer, pine needle rust, and a wide variety of viruses.Toxic or unpleasant to humans and other animals: Cocklebur (Xanthium spp.), ragweed (Parthenium hysterophorus), and johnson grass (Sorghum halepense).Many plants leach or exude substances from their above-ground parts and have a toxic effect on other plants e.g., Imperata cylindrica on maize.Increase upkeep of home lawns and gardens.Create problems in recreation areas such as golf courses, parks, fishing and boating areas.Increase upkeep and maintenance along highways, railroads, and irrigation ditches.Land values may be reduced, especially by the presence of perennial weeds.There may be fewer options available for cropping systems. Some of the crops are not able to compete adequately against dense development of weeds.Reforestation costs may be increased due to a slower rate of development caused by weed competition.Damage from Weeds: Contributing Factors
Species or Group of Weeds
The variety and weed species that compete affect crop yields at different rates [24].Perennial grasses and sedges diminish production more than annual plant species, and grasses harm more than broadleaf invasive weeds.Weed Density
Commonly, dense weeds and thinner crops reduce agricultural productivity [25].The influence of density alters according to weed species.Duration of the Weed Competition
The length of the period of weed competition and the growth stage of the crop determines the rate of yield loss to a great extent [26].Competition is more severe during the early stage than in the later growth stages.Cultivation Method
The technique that is used to sow crops has a substantial influence on the potential development of weeds in the crop as well as the capacity to keep them under control. This is because the method affects the crop's ability to compete with the weeds for nutrients and water [27].
CONCLUSION
The study on weeds in agriculture reveals their significant impact on ecosystems, economies, and food security. Weeds, often seen as undesirable plants, have a complex relationship with cultivated crops, affecting biodiversity and agricultural productivity. They have evolved alongside human agricultural practices, leading to changes in their characteristics and the way they interact with the environment. There are approximately 30,000 species of plants identified as weeds and have the ability to outcompete cultivated plants. Moreover, some plant species once considered beneficial are now categorized as weeds due to shifts in agricultural and environmental conditions. To manage weed impact, it is highly recommended to develop sustainable agricultural practices that balance weed control with environmental health. This involves understanding the ecology of weeds, their competition with crops, and their resistance to herbicides. By integrating ecological principles with agricultural management, farmers can mitigate the adverse effects of weeds, enhance crop productivity, and contribute to the sustainability of the agricultural ecosystem. Thus, it is crucial to acknowledge the role of weeds in shaping agricultural landscapes and their influence on food production systems. Understanding the characteristics and impacts of weeds not only aids in their management but also supports the development of more resilient and sustainable agricultural practices, ensuring food security for future generations.
