Protection From Weeds: The small plants growing along with our garden plants or field plants are the undesirable plants that are growing naturally along with the crops called weeds. Weeds were one of the biggest challenges that farmers and gardeners faced for many years. In this article, we are going to learn about weeds, some common examples of them, and agricultural techniques that are used to protect crops from weeds.

What are Weeds?

Weeds are unwanted, undesirable, persistent, and damaging plants that grow alongside the crops in fields. They interfere with various human activities as well as affect the growth of crops in the fields. They compete with the crop plants for water, nutrients, space, and light. Some of these weeds may be poisonous for animals and human beings.
Protection from weeds and controlling these weeds is done for limiting weed infestations so that crops could be grown profitably and other activities of man can be conducted efficiently.

Common Examples of Weeds

Some examples of common weeds are Parthenium, Amaranthus (chaulai), Chenopodium (bathua), grass and wild oats.

There are several other examples of weeds that are found in the fields and gardens. Some of the examples of weeds based on seasons are given as follows:

Kharif Weeds: These weeds are found alongside the Kharif crops in the fields.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Where is it found?
Baru (Johnson grass)	Sorghum halepense	Asia and northern Africa
Bhakra (Bindii)	Tribulus terrestris	Southern Eurasia and Africa
Deela (Nut grass)	Cyperus rotundus	Africa, southern and central Europe,and southern Asia
Sawanki grass (jungle rice or deccan grass)	Echinochloa colona	Tropical Asia
Naroo booti (Knotgrass)	Paspalum distichum	Tropical America

Rabi Weeds: These weeds are found alongside the rabi crops in the fields.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Where is it found?
Pohli (Wild Safflower)	Carthamus oxyacantha	Europe, North Africa and some parts of Asia
Wild oats	Avena fatua	Eurasia
Bathu (White goosefoot)	Chenopodium album	Grow almost everywhere Even in Antarctica
Lahli (Field Bindweed)	Convolvulus arvensis	Europe and Asia
Mexican prickly poppy	Argemone mexicana	Mexico

Why Plants Have To Be Protected From Weeds?

As we all know now, weeds are the unwanted plants grown in fields and gardens along with the main crops. They affect the main crop in many ways. It is estimated that 45% of the total loss of production in agriculture occurs only due to the weeds. Do you know how they affect the crops negatively? Some of the harmful effects of weeds are listed below:

1. Weeds compete with the crop plants for nutrients, light, water, space and other growth factors and reduce crop yield.
2. Weeds may cause various serious issues and restrict the growth of plants.
3. Apart from competing with the plants, some types of weeds can block the drainage pipes.
4. Unchecked weeds can hamper the movements of several types of machinery used for cultivation.
5. Some weeds can suffocate young plants that are trying to grow healthier.
6. Weeds can also attract bugs and insects that can destroy crops.
7. It may also increase the chances of different plant diseases.
8. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), and members of the Potyvirus group are among the viruses found in weeds that are easily transmitted to many other plant species.
In order to protect the crops from the harmful effects of weeds, it is very necessary to take proper actions. Farmers adopt many ways to remove weeds and control weeds. There are various methods and ways of removing weeds from the field, which we are going to study further in this article.

What is Weeding?

Weeding can be defined as the removal of unwanted weeds from the field or garden. In order to avoid the harmful effects of weeds on crops, weeding is the most important practice in many crops. Weeding should always be done before weeds produce the flowers. It should be done 2-3 times whenever weeds start to grow again. Weeds should be controlled in the initial stage.

Types of Weeding

Weeding can be done in many ways. It can be done manually by removing the weeds by hand or using a trowel or a harrow, or by spraying weedicide or herbicides that destroy the weeds but not the crops. It can be done before the weeds begin to produce the seeds and flowers. Weeding typically consists of multiple methods that can be classified into physical or mechanical control, biological, cultural, and chemical. Different methods of weeding are stated below:

1. Physical or Mechanical Methods

a. Tilling: The process of loosening and turning the soil is called tilling or ploughing. It helps to uproot the weeds from the field, leading to their death.
b. Manual Methods: Weeds can be removed manually either by pulling them out with hands or with the help of a harrow or trowel along with their roots to avoid re-sprout.
c. Coverings: This method of weed control includes covering an area of the field with a material that creates hostile conditions for weed growth. This covering is known as a weed mat. Multilayer wet newspaper, black plastic, etc., are used as a weed mat.
d. Burning or Flaming: Heat treatment by using flame weeders, hot foam, or hot air weeders are also used to eradicate weeds by lethal wilting due to denaturing proteins or rupture of cell walls in the weed. In some weeds, their seeds are heat resistant and even react with an increase of growth using dry heat. It is observed that repeated light exposure of flame to plant shoots can destroy even roots of the perennial weeds. The process is called searing.

2. Biological Methods

The biological methods of weed control involve the use of living organisms like insects, herbivorous fish, disease organisms, and competitive plants or other animals to limit their infestations. An important drawback of biological weed control is that it is applicable to the control of only one major weed species that has spread widely at a time.
a. Bio Agents: Insects, carp-fish, plant pathogens like fungi, and competitive plants are four kinds of bioagents that have thus far been successfully used for controlling weeds.
b. Bioherbicides: Bioherbicides are pathogens cultured artificially and made available as sprayable formulations similar to a chemical herbicide. These are biological control agents applied to fields in order to eradicate or stop the growth of weeds in the fields.
c. Animal Grazing: In some fields, grazing animals like cattle or goats are used to control the eradication of unwanted weeds.
d. Non-living Mulches: Non-living mulches help in reducing weed seed germination, blocking weed growth, and favouring the crop by conserving soil moisture and sometimes by moderating soil temperature. Mulching stunts or kills the weeds by cutting light to them.

3. Cultural Methods

a. Crop Rotation: It is one of the important and effective techniques to kill weeds from the field. It helps to avoid the use of harmful herbicides and also to gain other benefits of crop rotation.
b. Stale Seedbed: It is a manual technique that involves cultivating the soil and then leaving it inactive for a week or more. When the initial weeds sprout, farmers lightly uproot them before planting the desired crop. However, the field is still susceptible to other weed seeds carried by air or other agents like grazing animals, etc.

4. Chemical Methods

Weeds can also be controlled by using different chemicals called weedicides or herbicides. Most common examples of weedicides are 2, 4-d ethyl ester, neem extract, glyphosate, MCPA, Metachlor, Siziazine, etc.
Herbicides: Herbicides are chemicals capable of killing or inhibiting the growth of plants. Herbicides are more convenient to use on spiny weeds that are difficult to reach manually. Weedicides are applied for controlled growth of weeds in specific. The major difference between herbicides and weedicides is that herbicide is a substance used to kill plants whereas weedicide is a chemical used as a weedkiller.

Fig: Types of Weeding Methods

What are Weedicides?

Weedicides are the chemicals sprayed on fields to get rid of weeds. Weedicides are diluted with water and sprayed on crops by sprayer. Weedicides destroy the weeds but not the main crops. They can be applied at three stages like before and after crop planting and after weed emergence. But these chemicals can cause health hazards and environmental issues to consumers. Farmers should be careful while handling this as it can be toxic to their health as well. They should cover their nose and mouth while spraying these chemicals.

Instruments Used for Weeding

The tools used for weeding are very simple and can be easily used by farmers or gardeners. There are different instruments or tools used for the weeding process. These are characterized based on their power source, i.e., manually operated, animal operated, and machine operated. Let us know more about these tools in further detail.

1. Manual Operated Weeding Tools

a. Small Tools or Aids: Small weeding tools or aids are traditional handheld type hoes like “Khurpi” used by the farmers. These tools are operated in squatting posture and have very low work output. Different designs of these tools are being used by the farmers of different regions.
b. Spades or Chopping Hoes: These weeders work on the principle of impact and have straight, curved, or pronged blades. Weeds are removed by digging, cutting, and uprooting. These are operated in the bending posture.
c. Long Handle Tools/Weeders: Long handle tools have a soil working tool mounted at the end of a 1.5 to 2 metre long wooden/bamboo handle. These tools are operated in push or push-pull or pull mode and in standing posture. These weeders weigh 1.5 to 2.5kg.

2. Animal Operated Weeding Tools

In oilseed crops, weeding operations could be done quickly and efficiently by using improved animal-operated implements or tools. Animal-operated tools to reduce the cost of operation and time. These tools can be further divided into the following categories:
a. Single-row Hoes: Animal-drawn single-row hoes are most widely used by the farmers of different states. Straight or slightly curved blades are commonly used in single-row hoes. The size of the blade can be changed as per crop row spacing.
b. Multi-row Hoes: Multi-row units are widely used in Gujarat and other states for wide coverage and timely weeding operation. The three tine cultivators, also known as Triphali, Akola hoe, Bardoli hoe, and animal-drawn sweeps of different new designs, are some of the new weeding tools of animal operated weeders.

Fig: Animal Operated Weeding Tools

3. Power-operated Weeding Tools

Some smart designs of small engine-operated tools have been developed for inter-row cultivation. However, the cost of operation on small farms with a power-operated weeder is higher than that with a push-pull type weeder. Therefore, their usefulness is limited. Tractor-operated implements can be used for inter cultivation, but these require wider row spacing and leaving of space at the headlands for allowing the tractor to operate and turn before entering into the rows.

Summary

Weeds are the unwanted plants growing in fields and gardens which affect the growth of other plants in the fields. Weeds may compete with main plants for water, nutrients, and other growth factors leading to damaged crops. They may raise the chance of various plant diseases in the crops and destroy them. Hence, it is important to protect the plants from weeds by taking various preventive measures and actions.

Weeding can be done to uproot the weeds by using different types of equipment or tools. Weedicides are chemical agents that are also used to get rid of weeds. But, these weedicides need to be used in limits as it is hazardous to the environment as well as the consumers.

FAQs on Protection from Weeds

Q.1. What are weeds?
Ans: Weeds are unwanted, undesirable, persistent, and damaging plants that grow alongside the crops in fields. They compete with the crop plants for water, nutrients, and other growth factors and cause damage to plants.

Q.2. How can we protect crops from weeds?
Ans: We can protect the crops from weeds by using different methods, including hand cultivation with hoes, powered cultivation with cultivators, smothering with mulch, lethal wilting with high heat, burning, and chemical control with weedicides or herbicides (weed killers).

Q.3. How do farmers protect their crops from weeds?
Ans: Farmers protect their crops from weeds by spraying diluted weedicides on crops, which destroy the weeds, not the crops. They also use different manual methods to uproot weeds.

Q.4. What do you mean by weeding?
Ans: Weeding can be defined as the removal of unwanted plants from the field or garden. In order to avoid the harmful effects of weeds on crops, weeding is the most important practice in many crops.

Q.5. Define Weedicides?
Ans: Weedicides are chemicals that are sprayed on fields to get rid of the weeds. Weedicides are diluted with water and sprayed on crops by sprayer. These chemicals destroy the weeds but not the main crops.

We hope this detailed article on Protection from Weeds helps you in your preparation. If you get stuck do let us know in the comments section below and we will get back to you at the earliest.