Effective weed management – A key to pests and disease management

Abstract

SUMMARY :Weed survival in the crop fields cause direct and indirect damage to the crop yield and quality.30-40% yield loss occurs due to weedsbecause they compete with crops for water, nutrients and light.In addition to the above effects, weedsact as one of the most significant sources of insect and mite pests and diseases. Crop debris can harbour a lot of pests, giving them a safe place to wait around before moving into another crop. Weeds provide shelter and food for insect and mite pests and act as a host or alternate hosts for insects. Insects will move easily from weed to crop plants and they act as vectors for various plant diseases in the field.To minimise the incidence of the pests and diseases on the crop, it is essential to keep the weeds under check by adopting the effective weed control methods which include preventive and control methods.Before adopting an appropriate method, it is essential to know about the weed seeds dispersal, mode of propagation, crop-weed competition.Crop production practices should seek to sever the taxonomic association between the crop and the weeds found within the crop, and nearby places they must be eliminated. Particularly important integrated weed management practices including crop rotation, intercropping, flooding, green manuringand reduceduse of chemical herbicides, management of weeds in non-cultivated areas should be followed. Reshma, A., Ushakumari, K. and Rishitha, G. (2017 How to cite this article :