• Weed Management

• Apply Biological Control Measures

• Apply Cultural Management Strategies
• Apply Mechanical or Physical Control
Measures
• Apply Chemical Control Measures
• Monitor results of PM Activities & provide
feedback
 Mechanical or
Physical Control
• Mechanical or physical methods of weed
control are being employed ever since man
began to grow crops.

• The mechanical methods include:

a) hand pulling/hand weeding

b) hoeing
c) tillage
d) digging
e) sickling & mowing
f) flooding
g) Mulching/smothering
Mechanical or
Physical Control
1. Hand pulling/Hand weeding
• It is done by physical removal or pulling out
of weeds by hand or removal by
implements (e.g hand trowel)
• It is probably the oldest method of
controlling weeds, and it is still a practical
and efficient method of eliminating weeds
in cropped and non-cropped lands.
• It is very effective against annuals, and
biennials and controls only upper portions
of perennials (the underground veg.
reproductive parts are usually not
disturbed).
Mechanical or
Physical Control
2. Hoeing
• Hoe has been the most appropriate and widely used
weeding tool for centuries. It is however, still a very
useful implement to obtain results effectively and
cheaply. It supplements the cultivator in row crops.
• Hoeing is particularly more effective on annuals and
biennials as weed growth can be completely
destroyed.
• In case of perennials, it destroyed the top growth
with little effect on underground plant parts
resulting in re-growth. It may be used to advantage
against perennial weed species if practiced at
intervals of 1 to 2 weeks during the growing season.
• Labor consuming process
• Shallow rooted weeds are easily eliminated
Mechanical or
Physical Control
3. Tillage

• Tillage removes weeds from the soil resulting in

their death. It may weaken plants through
injury of root and stem pruning, reducing their
competitiveness or regenerative capacity.
• Tillage also buries weeds. Tillage operation
includes ploughing, discing, harrowing and
leveling which is used to promote the
germination of weeds through soil turnover
and exposure of seeds to sunlight, which can
be destroyed effectively later.
• In case of perennials, both top and
underground growth is injured and destroyed
by tillage.
Mechanical or
Physical Control
3. Tillage

• If timely practiced, it prevents the seed production.

• It is effective in perennial weeds.
• It is followed for crops grown in lines.
• It is important in seed bed preparation of field crops
but restricted in orchards.
• Controls many weeds that have emerged
• May damage crop roots
 Mechanical or Physical Control

Machine Tillage or “Cultivation”

- similar to hoeing, except that the power for the
cultivating tools is provided by animals or
mechanical engines, rather than man
Weed Control is achieved thru:
a) Burial of small annual seeds with soil thrown
over them through the action of tillage tools
b) Disruption of the intimate relationship between
the weed plant & the soil whereby: 2 Types of Mounted row-crop Cultivators:
- the soil is loosened about the roots,
resulting in disruption of water absorption & death a) Continuous-type tool bar
by desiccation b) Section tool bar
- the plant is “cut off” belowground. Source: Bainer, R., R. A. Kepner, and E.L. Barger. 1955. Principles of Farm Machinery
 Mechanical or Physical Control

Chisel plows equipped with spring-loaded tines

Depth-controlled, spring-tooth, row-crop cultivator
Courtesy: Glencoe Plant, Dynamics Corporation of America
Courtesy: Dickey Machine Works, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
 Mechanical or Physical Control

Chisel plows equipped with spring-loaded tines

Courtesy: Dickey Machine Works, Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Tandem disk harrow with hydraulic system for

remote control unit
Courtesy: Ford Motor Co.
 Mechanical or Physical Control

Gangs of rotary hoes attached to pipe beams with swivel

Rotary hoe showing the series of prolonged-wh joints. Rigid arms mounted between rotary hoes are attach
eels mounted on a common axle ed to skids to control depth of tillage

Courtesy: Lilliston Corp.)

Courtesy: International Harvester Co.
Mechanical or
Physical Control
4. Digging

• Digging is very useful in the case of

perennial weeds to remove the
underground propagating parts of weeds
from the deeper layer of the soil.
Mechanical or
Physical Control
5. Sickling and mowing
• Sickling is also done by hand with the help
of sickle to remove the top growth of
weeds to prevent seed production and to
starve the underground parts. It is popular
in sloppy areas where only the tall weed
growth is sickled leaving the root system to
hold the soil in place to prevent soil
erosion.
• Mowing is a machine-operated practice
mostly done on roadsides and in lawns.
Mechanical or
Physical Control
5. Sickling and mowing
• Repeated mowing prevents seed production and
starve the underground parts. It may require 1-3
years to control tall and perennial weeds by
repeated and frequent cutting. Best time is
when the underground root reserves are at the
lowest level. Mowing removes apical dominance
and repeated cutting hastens food depletion and
death of the plant.
• Effective in tall growing plants. It favors short
growing weeds plants by removing competition.
• More effective on broadleaf weeds than grasses
• More effective on annual than perennial weeds
• Perennial weeds – will take several years of
continuous mowing to see the effect
Mechanical or
Physical Control
6. Flooding
• Flooding is successful against weed species
sensitive to longer periods of submergence in
water.
• Flooding kills plants by reducing oxygen
availability for plant growth.
• The success of flooding depends upon
complete submergence of weeds (both roots
and shoots) for a sufficiently long period of
time.
• Its use is limited by soil type & available water,
and its success is primarily confined to the
control of terrestrial plants.
• New weed seeds may be introduced into a field
with the flood water when using water from
ditches or rivers.
Mechanical or
Physical Control
7. Mulching/Smothering
• Smothering with nonliving material is an
effective means of weed control under
certain conditions
• The objective is to completely exclude light
from the growing weed plants, thereby
preventing photosynthesis and further
growth
• Materials : hay, manure, grass clippings,
straw, sawdust, wood chips, rice hulls,
paper, and plastic film
 Mechanical or Physical Control

Merits of Mechanical Method Demerits of Mechanical Method

1) Oldest, effective and economical 1) Labor consuming

method 2) Possibility of damaging crop
3) Requires ideal and optimum specific
2) Large area can be covered in shorter
time condition
3) Safe method for environment
4) Does not involve any skill
5) Weeding is possible in between plants
6) Deep rooted weeds can be controlled
effectively
TOOLS
Native Plow Pick Mattock Rake

Hole Digger Spading Fork Shovel

Soil Auger Light Hoe
Sprinkler

Deleafer Harvesting Pole with Net Insect Net

 Solar Dryer
Wooden Crate
Solar Dryer

A-Frame

Harvesting Push Cart Plastic Crate

Metal Step Ladder Rice/Grain Seeder Knapsack Sprayer

Protective Coat Binding Strap Hand Cultivator

Weighing Scale Hand Saw Meter Stick

Metal Lock
Impulse Sealer
Pruning Shears
 Stone Sharpener Binding Machine
Atomizer

Scythe Buli Hat Hard Hat

Metal Lock Clipper Hack Saw G-I sheet Cutter

Pole Pruner Spray Gun Boots

Soil Testing Kit Soil pH Meter Cotton Gloves

Rubber Gloves Calculator Lubricant

 Respirator Goggles Polyethylene Pot

Polyethylene Bag Digital Moisture Meter Secateurs or Pruner

 Ice Wrapper Hand Trowel Hand Fork

Wooden Mallet Magnifying Glass Thermometer

 Erlenmeyer flask Beaker Petri Dish

Graduated Cylinde Test Tube With Rack Grafting Knife

r
 Chemical Methods
Herbicide
- chemical that is used to control, suppress or kill
weeds by interrupting normal plant growth processes.
- Herbicides may be applied broadcast or in bands
directly over seed rows or in-between rows
- They may be applied preplant, preemergence,
at-emergence, post emergence, or combinations of t
hese, with respect to the stage of growth of the weed
and/or crop plants
 Chemical Methods
Herbicide
- May be soil incorporated or left on the soil surface.
- They may be applied over the top of the crop plant
s or directly under the plant canopy toward the
base of the crop plants
- They may be applied as sprays, in water or oil, or
as dry granules
- The use of herbicides facilitates:
a) Irrigation practices
b) Harvesting procedure
c) Seed-cleaning operations
d) Erosion control
e) Fallowing
Chemical Methods
Herbicide Applications
 Herbicide
Classification
Based on Method of application

• Soil applied herbicides

- Herbicide act through root and other underground parts of
weeds
- e.g. Fluchloralin (Basalin)

• Foliage applied herbicides

- Herbicide primarily active on the plant foliage
e.g. 2,4-D, Glyphosate (Roundup), Paraquat (Gramoxone, Fire
storm, Helmquat, and Parazone)
 Herbicide
Classification
Based on Mode of action

• Selective
- Kills some plant species but does not
damage others.
- Ex. Preen, Weed-B-Gon, 2,4-D,
propanil, cyhalofop butyl

• Nonselective
- Generally kills all plant species
- Ex. Roundup, Finale, glyphosate,
paraquat
 Herbicide
Classification
Based on mobility
• Contact
- Causes localized injury to plant tissue in
areas of contact
- little or no translocation that will occur
- weakening & disorganization of cellular
membranes w/ increase membrane
permeability resulting in loss of cell cytoplasm
contents by leakage
- Kill by acute toxicity or rapid kill, usually
leaf or stem wilting, drying up or burning
within minutes or few hours after contact.
- Ex. Diquat, Paraquat
 Herbicide
Classification
• Systemic
- Readily translocates in plant tissue
- Disruption of the normal functioning of one or
more physiological or metabolic plant processes
- Kill by chronic toxicity or “slow acting”plant death.
Which occurs after a certain period following
absorption & translocation
- They penetrate cell membrane & accumulate at
their site of action in toxic amounts w/o destroying
tissues while in transit.
- Ex. Common name: Glyphosate (Trade name:
Roundup), Group: Phenoxys (Trade Name: 2,4-D),
Group: Sulfonylureas (Trade Name: bensulfuron),
bispyribac sodium
 QUESTION
Based on mobility of herbicide

- Which would you rather use in areas prone to erosion (e.x. sloping
area)?

a) Contact (ex. Paraquat)

b) Systemic (ex. Glyphosate)
Imperata cylindrica
-perennial weeds

- Is it appropriate to mix Glyphosate + Paraquat?

 Herbicide
Classification
Based on Time of application
• Preemergence
- ex. Preen, Butachlor, pretilachlor
- Applied before weed seed
germination.
- Do not control emerged weeds
• Postemergence
- ex. Roundup, 2,4-D Amine,
cyhalofop butyl, propanil)

- Applied after weed emergence.

- Do not control unemerged weeds
Herbicide Selection Factors
1. Identify the problem species
2. Identify herbicides labeled for the site
3. Determine tolerance of desirable plants
4. Integrate management objectives
5. Obtain suitable safety and application equipment
 Before You Use Herbicide
1. Identify desirable plant and weed.
2. Read and UNDERSTAND herbicide label .
3. Follow mixing, application, storage, disposal, etc. directions carefully.
4. Use only recommended amount.
5. Maintain and calibrate equipment.
6. Do not use on desirable plants not listed on label.
Advantages of Herbicides
• Reduce or eliminate excessive human labor
• Reduce or eliminate mechanical tillage
requirements
• Used in places where other methods will not
work
• Early season weed control to prevent weeds
or reduce competition (pre-emergence or
pre-plant herbicides)
Disadvantages of Herbicides
• Expensive
• Need to calibrate
• Encourages monoculture
• Residue problems
• Can be toxic to non-target organisms
• Herbicide resistance
Herbicide Resistance Management
• Herbicide must be rotated (different mode of action)
• Implement crop rotation (if possible), crop rotation allows the use of different
herbicides on different weeds in the different crops that are planted
• Never make unregistered mixtures
• Keep records of herbicide used & also the rates at which the herbicide were applied
• Regularly monitor crops so that resistant patches of weeds can be observed in time
• Apply the herbicide at the correct leaf stage of the weed & the crop
• Ensure that the correct rate is always used
• Always follow the instructions on the label
• Combined different methods of control
 • Use of herbicides-resistant crops
• Use of allelopathic cultivars
Biotechnological • Use of more competitive crops (C3 to C4)
Methods • Force weeds to become less competitive
• Inserting “lethal” genes or “sterile” genes or genes
that inhibit germination &/ or growth
Examples
of
Common
Weeds
Barnyard grass
(Echinochloa crus-galli)
• Echinochloa crus-galli is a type of wild grass
originating from tropical Asia that was formerly classified
as a type of panicum grass.
• The seed heads are a distinctive feature, often
purplish, with large millet-like seeds in crowded spikelets
• Reproduction: seeds
• Control: handweeding, herbicides (butachlor,
bispyribac-sodium, cyhalofop, fluazifop-butyl, fenoxaprop)
• Echinochloa species found in the Philippines:
- E. glabrescens, stagmina, oryzoides, colona
Knot grass
(Paspalum distichum)
• Creeping perennial grass found in open chains
• Referred as knotgrass or water couch grass
• Can produce 164 leaves in 120 days
• Shading reduces branching & leaf production
• Reproduction: vegetatively from rhizomes & stolons
and by seeds
• Control: mechanical – good land preparation
herbicides – glyphosate, paraquat
 Itch grass (Rottboellia cochichinensis)

• Terrestrial warm season crops

• Inflorescence: solitary raceme at terminus of culm and
branches
• Biology: exist in pure stand, dormancy of seeds &
germination habit vary
• Seed dormancy often attributed to thick hull
• Reproduction: seeds
• Control: fallowing, herbicide (pendimethalin/herbadox)
Egyptian crowfoot grass
(Dactyloctenium aegyptium)

• Dactyloctenium aegyptium,
or Egyptian crowfoot grass is a
member of the family Poaceae native
in Africa. The plant mostly grows in
heavy soils at damp sites.
• Propagation: seeds
Goose grass (Eleusine indica)

• Eleusine indica (Indian

goosegrass, wiregrass, crowfoot grass) is a
species of grass in the family Poaceae. It is a
small annual grass distributed throughout the
warmer areas of the world to about 50
degrees latitude. It is an invasive species in
some areas.
• Seeds of E. indica are edible and are
sometimes used as a famine food, but
yields are low. It thrives in disturbed areas
with compacted soils in full sun. This low-
growing grass is capable of setting seed
even when closely mown. Some
populations have evolved resistance to
certain herbicides, including glyphosphate.
• Propagation: seeds
 Southern crabgrass
(Digitaria ciliaris

• Southern crabgrass (Digitaria

ciliaris (Retz.) Koeler)(Digitaria
sanguinalis (L.) Scop. var. ciliaris (Retz.)
Parl.] is an annual, spreading grass
problematic in areas where grasses are
desired, such as pastures, turf, and
roadsides and disturbed areas like
rowcrops and gardens throughout the
MidSouth. Southern crabgrass has
probably been used as forage in
pastures or hay.
• Propagation: seeds
Cogon grass
(Imperata cylindrica)
• Creeping perennial, a light –loving
plant but some ecotypes can survive a
50% shade
• It grows from 0.6–3 m (2–10 feet) tall.
The leaves are about 2 cm wide near the
base of the plant and narrow to a sharp
point at the top; the margins are finely
toothed and are embedded with sharp
silica crystals.
• Propagation: seed or vegetatively from
numerous rhizomes
• Control: slashing, smothering by
legume cover crops (ex. Pueraria sp.)
Natal grass (Rhynchelytrum repens)

• Annual grass with fibrous root

system
• Inflorescence: conspicuous
spreading panicle, dark red to purple
when young, fading to silvery-white
with age; each floret surrounded by
a tuft of silky hairs 5mm long
• Propagation: seeds
Sedges
Globe fingerush
(Fimbristylis miliacea (L.) Vahl)

• Fimbristylis miliacea is an annual

sedge which grows in clumps of erect
stems up to about half a meter in
height surrounded by fans of narrow
flat leaves. The top of each stem is
occupied by an array of spikelets, each
borne on a long peduncle. The spikelet
is spherical to ovate and reddish brown
in color. The spikelets flower and then
develop tiny fruits, which are
brown achenes about a millimeter long.
Small flower umbrella sedge
(Cyperus difformis L.)

• Cyperus difformis is a species of sedge known by

several common names, including variable
flatsedge and smallflower umbrella-sedge.
• It is a plant of aquatic and moist habitats. It is a weed
of rice fields, but not generally a troublesome one. This is
an annual herb with one to many thin, soft erect stems
reaching over 30 centimeters in maximum height.
• Inflorescence: dense, globose, simple or compound
umbel
• Propagation: seed
White kyllinga (Cyperus kyllingia)

• A tufted, glabrous sedge with creeping

rootstock
• Inflorescence: single compact head of
spikelets, ovoid, white, spikelets numerous
• Propagation: seed & underground stems
Purple nutsedge
(Cyperus rotundus)
• World’s worst weed, infest 52
crops in 92 countries, can grow in
almost any soil type, elevation,
humidity, soil moisture & pH
• highly competitive (C4 pathway)
• Consists of underground system
of roots, rhizomes, tubers and basal
bulbs
• Able to penetrate asphalt pavings
& cracks on concrete
• Propagation: seed, tubers, basal
bulb
Rice flatsedge (Cyperus iria L.)

• Cyperus iria (also known as rice flat

sedge and rice flatsedge) is a smooth,
tufted sedge found worldwide. The
roots are yellowish-red and
fibrous. The plant often grows in rice
paddies, where it is considered to be
a weed.
Broadleaves
 Pickerel weed
(Monochoria vaginalis)
• Monochoria vaginalis is a species of flowering
plant in the water hyacinth family known by several
common names, including heartleaf false
pickerelweed and oval-leafed pondweed.
• It is native to much of Asia and across many of
the Pacific Islands, and it is known in other areas as
an introduced species and often an invasive noxious
weed.
• An aquatic plant, it is invasive in rice paddies and
other water bodies. This is an annual or perennial
herb growing in water from a small rhizome.
• The inflorescence bears 3 to 25 violet or lilac-blue
flowers arising as a 3-6 cm spike from a thickened
bundle
•Propagation: seed
Gooseweed
(Sphenoclea zeylanica Gaertn.)

• Habitat: wetland rice

• Stems: smooth, stout, fleshy, hollow, much
branched
• Inflorescence: green cylindrical dense
terminal spikes, up to 7.5 cm long 12 mm wide
on a stalk up to 8 cm in length; flowers sessile,
densely crowded, white to greenish
• Propagation: seed
Asthma weed(Euphorbia hirta)

• Euphorbia hirta is a pantropical

weed, possibly native to India. It is a
hairy herb that grows in open
grasslands, roadsides and pathways.
It is widely used as a medicinal herb
in most places it grows.
Touch-me-not (Mimosa pudica)

• perennial undershrub whose

leaflets fold up when touched
• Stem reddish-brown or purple
with thorns and scattered prickles on
internodes
• Inflorescence: pinkish, ovoid, 9mm
in diameter
• Propagation: seeds
Creeping woodsorrel (Oxalis cornicu
lata)
• Stem: prostate or semi-erect, hairy,
with numerous branches rooting at the
nodes
• Leaves trifoliate on slender, hairy
stalks up to 8 cm long; leaflets heart
shaped
• Propagation: seed and stem cuttings
Spindle top(Cleome rutidosperma)

• Erect or spreading annual herb

• Inflorescence: 1-1.5 cm in diameter, solitary
in the axils of the upper leaves, on slender
stalks up to 3 cm long forming an elongate
raceme with reduced leaves, petals 8-11 mm
long, lilac to pink
• Propagation: seeds
Pinto peanut (Arachis pintoi)

- stoloniferous perennial creeping

legume that can reach 20-50 cm in
height and form dense swards
- leaflets are oblong-obovate to
obovate in shape, 4.5 cm long x 3.5
cm broad, glabrous and darker green
at their upper side and pubescent
underneath
- Inflorescence: flowers are yellow, born
e on short axillary racemes
- Propagation: seed
Thank you for Listening