Non-chemical weed management for field crops

Abstract

Weeds are unwanted plants that enhance the production cost of crops, which causes economic loss to growers. Historically, hand-weeding is one of the oldest methods to control weed, and all other weed control methods during earlier times were chemical-free. Use of inorganic chemicals started during the late nineteenth century. Non-chemical means to control weed include preventive, cultural, physical, or mechanical measures, exploiting allelopathic means, and bio-measures. While among other approaches, preventive methods and cultural means of controlling weeds, like cover cropping, intercropping, and crop rotation, are usually less frequent but implemented. Similarly, thermal weeding, utilizing the electromagnetic fields and electric systems, is an another tool for conquering weeds. Integrated weed management offers usage of all available tools to effectively minimize weeds in a short- and long-term approach because farming community always preferred to choice an inexpensive, informal, and eco-friendly measure to manage weeds.