Weed Control

Weed control is the botanical component of pest control, which attempts to stop weeds, especially noxious or injurious weeds, from competing with domesticated plants and livestock. Weed control is important in agriculture. Many strategies have been developed in order to contain these plants. Methods include hand cultivation with hoes, powered cultivation with cultivators, smothering with mulch, lethal wilting with high heat, burning, and chemical attack with herbicides (weed killers).

A plant is often termed a “weed” when it has one or more of the following characteristics:

• Little or no recognized value (as in medicinal, material, nutritional or energy)
• Rapid growth and/or ease of germination
• Competitive with crops for space, light, water and nutrients