Integrated weed management in vegetables: A review

Abstract

Vegetables are very slow growing during the initial growth period. In vegetables, weeds caused 70 to 80 per cent yield reduction and hence it is very inevitable to control weeds during the critical weed free period. Integrated weed management (IWM) is a system approach to maintain the weed population below the economic threshold level. Adoption of cultural practices minimized the crop-weed competition. Mechanical methods and herbicidal management of weeds are also recommended in vegetables. Biological control is exploited to a limited extend. Dependence on any single method of weed control may lead to various problems such as shift in weed flora, development of herbicide resistance, emergence of perennial weeds etc. and these problems can be overcome by adopting IWM, since it integrates the use of different methods in a balanced way by managing the weeds effectively to a level that do not pose any significant reduction in yield and harmful effect on environment.