5.

WEEDS AND WEED CONTROL

A weed is any plant growing where it’s not desired and whose economic disadvantages
outweigh the advantages.
Noxious weeds: These are dangerous weeds whose growing is prohibited by law.
Harmful effects of weeds
 They compete with crops for nutrients, space, light and moisture and hence reduce crop
yields
 Some weeds such as witch weed (Striga spp) are parasites to crops like maize
 Some weeds reduce the quality of farm products e.g. Mexican marigold (Tagetes minuta)
gives an undesirable flavor to milk if dairy cows feed on it. Devils horse whip, forget me not
and bristly foxtail attached to sheep wool.
 Some weeds are poisonous to man and livestock e.g. thorn apple, Sodom apple , subukia
weed , mallow
 Some weeds are alternate hosts of insects pests e.g. mallow and wild melon for cotton
stainer, others are alternate host for diseases e.g. wild oats for rusts.
 Some weeds are allelopathic i.e. they produce poisonous substances that suppress growth of
crops
 Some weeds block irrigation channels making it difficult for water to flow freely in the
irrigated land.
 Aquatic weeds e.g. salvinia and water hyacinth affect fishing because they block navigation
and deprive fish of oxygen
 Some weeds e.g. manyatta grass and Nut grass lower quality of pasture by reducing
palatability of the herbage
 Irritate farm workers reducing their efficiency e.g. Double thorn, stinging nettle and Devils
horse whip
 Increase cost of production.
 Hinders farm operations like harvesting.
Benefits of weeds
 Some weeds are used as vegetables e.g. spider flower and black night shade
 Weeds act as soil vegetation cover therefore minimizing loss of soil moisture through
evaporation and also control soil erosion
 Some weeds are traditionally used as medicine to cure either man or farm animals
 When rotten, weeds provide the soil with organic manure and plant nutrients
 Some weeds are also used for household purposes e.g. brooms, insecticides etc
 Dead and dry weeds may be used as mulch
Reasons why weeds are highly successful in their environment/competitive ability of
weeds
 They have the ability to produce large quantities of seeds e.g. pig weed and black jack
 Weed seeds remain viable in the soil for long time awaiting favorable conditions for
germination
 Most weeds seeds are easily and successfully dispersed e.g. fleabane seeds
 Some weeds have the ability to propagate vegetatively e.g. couch grass, wondering jew
etc
 Weeds also have elaborate or extensive root system useful in support of the plant and in
nutrient and water intake
 Some weeds have the ability to survive even where there is limited nutrient supply
 Some weeds also have short life cycle i.e. if the regime is short, the plant is able to
complete its life cycle
 Some weeds have underground nuts which make them difficult to eradicate e.g. oxalis
 Self compatibility /self pollination
Classification of weeds
Weeds are mainly classified according to:
1. Growth cycle
2. Morphology
1. Classification according to growth cycle
According to growth cycle, weeds can be:
a) Annual weeds
b) Biennial weeds
c) Perennial weeds
a) Annual weeds
These are weeds which complete their life cycle in one year or less e.g. Mexican marigold,
black jack etc
b) Biennial weeds
Complete their life cycle within two years. They achieve vegetative growth in the 1 st year
and produce abundant seeds in the 2nd year and then die e.g. rape weed
c) Perennial weeds
These are weeds that take more than two years or seasons to complete their life cycle e.g.
Lantana camara, couch grass, soddom apple etc
2. Classification according to morphology
Under this classification, there is:
a) Narrow based leaves
b) Broad based leaves
a) Narrow based leaved weeds
These are mostly grass weeds eg couch grass, star grass, spear grass etc
b) Broad based leaved weeds
Examples of broad based leaved weeds include black jack, Lantana camara, ppig weed.
They include also be biennial or perennial weeds
METHODS OF WEEDS CONTROL
Methods of weeds control include:
1. Legislative method
2. Mechanical method
3. Cultural methods
4. Biological method
5. Chemical method
6. Integrated method
1. Legislative method
Here laws are used to prevent the introduction of obnoxious weeds. This is to ensure that
imported materials (seeds, cloth etc) are free from weeds
2. Mechanical method
These involves: cultivation, slashing, mowing, ridging, uprooting etc
a) Weed control by cultivation
This can be done using hand hoe, animal drawn implements or tractor power. The aim is to
desiccate the weeds by exposing their roots.
Advantages of weed control by cultivation
 It’s cheap and therefore good option for small scale farmers.
 Facilitates water infiltration
 It’s possible to earth up, thus encourage root growth
 Crop residues are also incorporated into the soil
Disadvantages of weed control by cultivation
 It may destroy soil structure
 It may disturb the roots of crops
b) Weed control by slashing
This refers to the physical cutting down of vegetation to remove weeds.
May be done manually or using machines
Advantages of weed control by slashing
 Its quick, especially for controlling grass weeds
 Most appropriate for weed control in swamps
 Cheap method of weed control
 Does not require technical knowledge
Disadvantages of slashing
 Promotes the development of creeping weeds especially when slashing is poorly
done
 Not effective in controlling woody and perennial weeds
 Does not eradicate the roots of weeds
c) Weed control by mowing
This involves the use of hand or self propelled mowers and tractor drawn to control weeds.
Advantages of weed control by mowing
 Mowing prevents seed formation
 Its quick
Disadvantages of weed control by mowing
 It is expensive as it involves expenditure on fuel, machine maintenance etc
 Requires a trained technical operator
d) Weed by Ridging
This involves throwing the soil lightly over the ridges to burry weeds.
e) Weed control by uprooting
Using hands to pull out weeds which do not have very deep roots
Disadvantages of uprooting
 Time consuming
 Laborious
 Unsuitable for perennial weeds with underground storage organs
3. Cultural methods of weed control
This involves all those practices that are carried out as part of routine management during
the growing period of the crop
These include:
i) Mulching: - This smothers weeds, thereby prevent their growth
ii) Cover cropping: - Works in the same way as mulches
iii) Crop rotation: - Some weeds only grow where particular crops are e.g. Striga spp is
associated with cereals and sugarcane and will not germinate if these are not grown.
iv) Timely planting: - Allows crops to establish early before weeds, thus smothering them.
v) Use of clean planting materials: - prevents introduction of weeds to the field
vi) Proper spacing : - helps to leave little space for weed growth and forming a canopy
which suppresses weeds.
vii) Clean seedbed: - Ensure the seedbed is clean just before planting to give crops head
start so as to compete effectively with weeds
viii) Flooding - Common in rice fields controls all non aquatic weeds
ix) Proper fertilizer placement
x) Drip irrigation –this provides water only to crops while weeds die
xi) Liming –this changes the habitat of weeds making them less competitive
4. Biological method of weed control
This involves the use of living organisms to control weeds: e.g.
 Use of livestock e.g. goats/sheep to graze in plantations like coconuts, cashew nuts
etc
 Use of certain weed eating fish to control aquatic weeds
 Moths can be used to control cactus
Advantages of biological weed control
 Saves on labour
 Once established it is self perpetuating
 No environmental pollution
 Less chances of weeds becoming resistant
Disadvantages of biological weed control
 Expensive to develop through research
 Controls single weed
 Does not eliminate weeds completely
 Very slow
 May attack crops when weeds are no more
5. Chemical weed control
This is the use of chemicals to control weeds. Chemicals used to control weeds are called
herbicides
Terms used with herbicides
Selectivity:- Ability of herbicides to destroy weeds without affecting crops
Non – selective:- When herbicides kill all vegetation
Formulation:- This is the commercial way in which the active ingredients are made e.g.
M.L - Miscible liquids
W.P - Wettable powders
D - Dust
S.P - Soluble powder
G - Granular
U.L.V - Ultra Low volume
Active ingredients: - Rate of herbicide application
Spray drift: - When spray particles are carried by wind to cover areas which are not being
sprayed.
Volatility: - Ability of chemicals to change from liquid to vapor form.
Foliar application: when the chemicals are applied on the foliage
How herbicides kill weeds
i) Inhibition of N. metabolism
Some herbicides interfere with formation of DNA, RNA, e.g. triazins reduce nitrogen
metabolism
ii) Killing the cell
The chemical may enter the cell wall killing cell cytoplasm e.g. Diquat, Dinoseb etc
iii) Causing abnormal tissue development
Some herbicides cause abnormal tissue growth e.g. gall formation examples of such
herbicides include 2, 4 – D, M.C.P.A
iv) Inhibiting photosynthesis
Some herbicides interfere with chlorophyll formation e.g. atrazine, simazines, Duonetc
v) Inhibiting respiration: some block movements of materials from site of manufacture to
other areas. Such herbicides cause poisoning e.g. Dinizoles.
CLASSIFICATION OF HERBICIDES
Herbicides can be classified according to:
1. Time of application
2. Mode of application
3. Formulation
4. Selectivity
5. Type of weeds controlled
1. Time of application
Herbicides can be classified depending on the stage of growth at which it is applied. These
include:
a) pre sowing herbicides
b) pre emergence herbicides
c) post emergence herbicides
a) Pre sowing herbicides
These are herbicides which are applied to the seedbed prior to sowing or planting.
b) Pre emergence herbicides
These are herbicides which are applied after planting but before germination e.g. atrazines
and Simazine, Duron
c) Post emergence herbicides
These are herbicides which are applied after the crops have emerged e.g. 2, 4, - D, M.C.P.A,
Paraquat, Glyphosphate etc.
2. Classification based on mode of action
Under this classification, herbicides can be:
a) Contact herbicides
b) Translocated herbicides
c) Residual herbicides
a) Contact herbicides
This kills the weeds when they come into contact with it, only kills the parts it comes into
contact with e.g. Paraquat
b) Translocated herbicides/systemic herbicides
These are herbicides that are absorbed by foliage and moved within the plant disrupting
the normal growth of the weed. It kills the whole plant even if it comes into contact with
small part e.g. 2,4-D ,Dalapon
3. Classification based on formulation
This refers to the physical form of the herbicides e.g.:
a) liquids
b) wettable powders
c) granules
a) Liquids
These are highly concentrated liquids which are toxic and soluble either in water or oil.
Examples of liquid herbicides are Dalapon and Paraquat
b) Wettable powders
These are finely ground particle which are mixed with water to form a suspension before
application.
c) Granules
These are herbicides in granules form which are mostly used to control weeds e.g. Duron
4. Classification based on selectivity
Herbicides may be able to injure one plant and allow the plant to escape injury. Thus
herbicides can be: selective or Non selective
Factors affecting selectivity and effectiveness of herbicides
1. plant morphology and anatomy
2. environmental factors
3. stage of plant growth
4. physiological/metabolic factors
5. herbicides characteristics
6. herbicide concentration
7. herbicide formulation
8. method of application
1. plant morphology and anatomy
Features of plant morphology and anatomy that affect herbicides are:
Leaf area: - Plants like grass with more inclined leaf area/angle retain less herbicides
Nature of leaf surface: - Plants with thick cuticles and more waxy are less likely to retain
herbicides
Differential height of plants: - selectivity can also be attained if the weeds are shorter
than the plants and vice versa
Location of growing points: - Plants with growing points eg terminal buds exposed are
more susceptible to herbicides
Root systems: - shallow rooted plants are more affected by herbicides and vice versa
Specialized structures: - Some plants also have specialized structures eg rhizomes, bulbs
etc and are not easily affected by herbicides.
2. Environmental factors
Environmental factors affecting the effectiveness of herbicides include:
Wind: - may blow away the spray wash
Rain: - May dilute the herbicide if it falls immediately after application
Soil: - Some soils absorb more herbicides thus causing wastage
Light: - high light intensity increases absorption and photosynthesis thus more herbicides
are transmitted
Temperature: - Increases translocation hence absorption and thus death of the plant.
3. Stage of plant growth
Young plants with high growth are more susceptible to the action of herbicides.
4. Physiological and metabolic factors
Some plants eg beans have a poor rate of absorption and translocation of 2, 4, - D, some
crops also are able to convert toxic substances to non – toxic eg maize can convert toxic 2,
4, -D to less toxic 2, 4, -B
5. Herbicide concentration
Concentration may also affect selectivity of herbicides eg under high concentration, the
herbicide is likely to be non – selective.
6. Herbicide characteristics
Herbicides which interfere with photosynthesis are non selective.
7. Herbicide formulation
Formulation of herbicide affect selectivity eg oil formulations are more toxic.
8. Method of application
High selectivity is attained by placing the herbicide where the weed is and away from the
plant.
Advantages of using herbicides
 Less labour intensive
 More effective in controlling bother some weeds eg couch grass
 Control of weeds in closely spaced crops becomes easy eg wheat, barley, carrots etc
 They are effective in both wet and dry conditions
 No disturbance to soil structure and crop roots
 More effective in controlling weeds in thorny crops such as sisal, sugarcane etc and
controlling thorny weeds eg double thorn etc
 It is cheaper in the long run
Disadvantages of using herbicides
 Requires skills e.g. when mixing chemicals
 Cause environmental pollution
 Herbicides with long residual effects may affect future crops
 May also poison the user
Safety precautions when using herbicides
When using herbicides, precautions should be taken to protect both the user and the
environment.
Precautions to protect the user
 Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions
 Wear protective clothing
 Avoid spraying against the wind to prevent inhaling the herbicides
 Bath and wash hands thoroughly after using herbicides
 Do not blow or suck blocked nozzles
 Store away chemicals in a safe place out of reach of children and away from food
store
 Never smoke or eat anything while spraying
Precautions to protect the environment and others
 Do not spray on windy day to avoid spray drift
 Spray drifts to animals and feeds should be avoided
 Avoid spraying the herbicides to areas not intended
 Dispose used herbicides containers properly e.g. by burying them
 Store chemicals safely
Herbicides combinations commonly used in Kenya
1. Maize and Beans
 Alachlor plus Atrazine
 Atrazine plus Metachlor
2. Cotton, Groundnuts/Beans
 Oxidazo
 Oxflurfen
 Oxachazon plus Promactyne
 Pendimethalin
3. Sugarcane
 Duron plus Paraquat
 MCPP plus loxyril
 Cynazine plus Atrazine
4. Vegetables
 Duron
 Linuron
 Nitrogen
 Prometrynalmetrolochlor
5. Coffe/Tea
Glyphosate (round up)
EXAMPLES OF WEEDS
Wild Oats(Avena fatua) Mexican marigold (Tagetes minuta)

Double thorn (Oxygonum sinuatum) Lantana/tick berry(Lantana camara)

Oxalis/ Oxalis Latifolia/ Oxalis spp

Sodom apple(Solanum incanum)

– Devils Horse Whip/ Achyranthes
aspera /Achyranthes spp

Couch grass (Digetaria scalarum)

Sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus)

Nut grass (Cyprus rotundus)
Thorn apple / Datura stramonium Blackjack/ Bidens pilosa