8.weed management plan by Allah Dad Khan

3. WEED
MANAGEMENT
PLANNING

4.  In any weed management program it is often
the little things that can spell success or failure
and it is often these same items that effect the
cost of weed control.
 As with other aspects of successful farm
management, weed control requires an equally
high level of management to obtain optimum
control while minimizing costs.
 A successful weed management program
requires the producer to undertake three basic
steps:

5. Step 1. Diagnosis of the problem
Identify the weed
Know your enemy! Just as a doctor cannot prescribe a cure for disease until
he has identified the causative agent, so can you not choose a cure for
your weed problem without first knowing the plant you are dealing with.
Failure to properly identify the problem leads to dollars unwisely spent
on control options. For example, Basagran is registered on peas and
beans for control of hairy nightshade. It will not, however, control its
relative, black nightshade.As another example,Treflan provides
generally good control of many annual broad-leaved and grassy weeds in
peas. It does not however, control any mustard family weeds. If you fail
to identify shepherd's purse (a mustard) you won't get control.
It is also important to know something about the biology of the weed. Is it a
perennial or an annual? If perennial, is it taprooted or creeping-rooted? If
annual, is it a winter annual or a summer annual?This knowledge is
critical to choosing control strategies and timing.

6. Identify the problem
Listen to your weeds. Weeds in crops are more often the result of a problem and not the cause.
They often simply fill in environmental voids caused by such factors as:
1.poor seedbed preparation results in uneven crop germination and therefore less
competition for weeds.
2.poor land preparation. Don't seed into a weed problem. If land to be used for crop
production is infested with tough perennials like quack grass, failure to control prior to
seeding invites disaster.You must control it (chemically or mechanically) prior to seeding or
rotate to a crop where selective control is available. Black nightshade for example is not
easily controlled in peas and beans but is effectively controlled by registered herbicide
options in corn. Use of perennial forages for a number of years will also reduce a black
nightshade problem.

7. 
3.poor drainage. Buttercups and bog rush (slough grass) have a preference for wet soils so are
indicative of poor drainage.
4.poor fertility.
5.soil pH.Weeds such as bracken fern grow best in acid conditions while others such as foxtail
barley show a preference for higher pH soils. Amending the soil reaction can reduce the
competitive advantage enjoyed by such indicators.
6.diseases/insects. Pest organisms attacking beneficial plants weaken their competitive ability
and predispose an area to weed invasion. In past years dandelions were thought to be the
cause of failure of new seedings of alfalfa. Investigation showed that the disease organism,
Verticillium wilt, was attacking the crop and dandelions were just filling in the
environmental void left by a non-competitive crop.

8. 7.resistant weeds. Routine cultural practices and repeated use of the same
herbicide hastens build-up of weeds resistant to those practices. Over reliance on
atrazine for weed control in corn has resulted in a build-up of resistant weed
populations (particularly groundsel, redroot pigweed and lamb's-quarters). Some
of these weeds are now resistant to 20 times the rates that once controlled them.
This creates another problem in that these resistant weeds can limit control
options in rotational crops. Metribuzin, used in processing pea production, is in
the same chemical family as atrazine. It could not be considered as an effective
option when rotating from corn to peas if resistant weeds were present. (See
section on Managing Herbicide Resistance, page 28).
8.weed population shifts. Continued use of one management strategy can result in
changes in the weed population. Atrazine herbicide, for example, has controlled
most broadleaved weeds in corn but by so doing has created more space for
grasses such as green foxtail and barnyardgrass which are only partially
controlled.
.

9. 9.microbial degradation. Annual use of the same herbicide can result in huge
increases of soil microorganisms that use the product as an energy source.
Eradicane, continually used in corn production, has in some areas been quickly
decomposed by soil microorganisms, resulting in poor weed control.
10.weather effects. Failure to be aware of weather effects on herbicide activity
often results in poor weed control and crop damage. Herbicides are less effective
in cool, wet conditions. Heavy rains soon after a foliar application wash the
herbicide from the leaf before they can enter the plant. Excessive rains can also
leach the herbicide into the soil and result in crop damage and poor weed
control.Wet conditions make soil preparation difficult and result in poor
herbicide distribution over the soil and again poor weed control.
11.lack ofTotal Farm Weed Control.Weeds growing on fence lines, farm roads,
irrigation ditches, manure piles, in your stock yards and around farm buildings
provide an annual nursery of weed populations.

10. 1. Learn your weeds to properly select the right control strategies.
Your local Ministry of Agriculture and Food office can assist you in
identifying weeds.
2. Rotate herbicides and cropping practices to break resistance
cycles and shifts in weed types, to prevent soil microorganism
decomposition of herbicides and to prevent soil residue build-
ups.
3. Don't use herbicides until weather and soil conditions are suitable
as indicated on the label.
4. Solve your tough weed problems before seeding.
5. Be aware of and control weeds in areas adjacent to your cropland.

11. Step 2. Planning the program
Once you have properly identified the weed and determined the problem, the next
step is planning.
1. Draw a map of your operation, including non-cropped areas. Mark on the map
crops that you are growing, cropping sequence and weed that are present.
Determine if the weeds are caused by underlying factors such as poor drainage,
poor fertility, pH, etc., and plan to correct these first.
2. Obtain information on weed control strategies and write them on the map
along with notes on timing of control operations. If chemical control is chosen
you must ensure that the herbicide is registered for use on your crop and that
the weeds you have identified are listed as controlled on the label. List all
registered herbicides on your map, along with their cost per hectare (acre).
3. Obtain information on potential environmental impacts. Information on
chemical toxicity to fish and wildlife, herbicide use in or near riparian areas and
recropping restrictions that might impact rotational crops are critical to deciding
management options.
4. Choose an appropriate management strategy based on effectiveness, cost
and environmental considerations.

12. Step 3. Implementing the program
Once you have diagnosed the problem and planned your attack, you must now put
the plan into operation.
1. Soil preparation is also very important for effective weed control. Pre-plant
incorporated and pre-emergence herbicides must be applied to a well worked,
moist and smooth, but fairly firm seedbed, free of clods and trash to obtain
uniform chemical distribution and to encourage good seedling establishment.
2. If incorporating volatile products such as Eptam,Treflan and Eradicane, the soil
should be warm and moist, but dry enough on the surface to obtain good
mixing. Speed of incorporation is also critical and this will depend on the
herbicide and incorporation machinery used. Generally, disc implement should
be run at 7 to 10 km per hour; field cultivators at 10 to 13 km per hour.
3. Lastly, timing as determined in your plan must be strictly adhered to. All too
often, producers delay attempts at control until weeds are tall and smothering
the crop. By this stage, the competitive damage to the crop is done and the
weeds are too far advanced for effective chemical weed
control. EARLY diagnosis and EARLY treatment are the keys to success.

13. Step 4. Monitoring Success/Failure
It is essential to review records to determine what worked and what didn't
so that improvements can be made in subsequent programs. Monitoring
should point to changes that may be necessary in crop or habitat
management to prevent weeds from invading.
Steps to Reduce Herbicide Use
1. use herbicides only when weeds are in the susceptible stage
2. use herbicides only when weather and soil conditions are appropriate for
effective control
3. useWipe-on technology where appropriate for weeds growing above
the crop
4. use band treatments over the row and cultivation between
rowsselective flaming or steam treatment may be appropriate in some
situations (more research needed)
5. use winter cover crops to reduce winter annual weed seed production
6. use rotary hoe and precision cultivators when possible properly maintain
application equipment and accurately calibrate maximize competition
from beneficial plants think weed