Man has attempted to control unwanted vegetation, the weeds, with some kind of chemical since centuries. But a real breakthrough in the chemical control of weeds was achieved in 1945 with the announcement of 2,4-D and MCPA in the USA and England, respectively, as highly selective, growth regulator type of herbicides to control broadleaf weeds in small grains. It is [...]
In this article we will discuss about the herbicides used in plantations of India. In India, plantation crops like tea, coffee, and rubber are infested with difficult weeds like Chromolaena odorata (= Eupatorium odoratum), Imperata cylindrica, Pennisetum clandestinum, Paspalum conjugatum, Mikania micrantha, and Oxalis spp., besides several other common weeds. Among the parasitic weeds, dodder (Cuscuta spp.) is common in [...]
Weed control in orchards is most essential around the tree bases, called tree rings. Sometimes these rings are joined by weeding in continuous 1.5 to 3 m strips down the tree rows. Here the weeds, in addition to competing with the growth of trees, interfere with fruit picking, tree pruning, and other cultural operations. The tree bases are not easily [...]