Question

What are the weeds? Name any two common weed and state why it is important
to remove weeds from the fields.

Answer 1

Hint: Weeds grow with plants and compete for nutrients and other resources. They are one of the main threats for farmers and hold an important position in agriculture management.

Complete answer:
Weeds are the unwanted wild plants that can grow in agricultural fields and has a faster
growth compared to other plants. Examples include grass and moss. It is very important to
remove weeds in agricultural management because of the following reasons:
- They are wild plants that can grow in any area and has the tendency to outgrow the
field plants. Thus interfering with the harvest.
- They compete with field plants for food, water, sunlight, space, and soil nutrients,
thus reducing the farm yield.
- Some of these weeds are poisonous which can affect the health of field plants. For
For example, nutgrass releases chemicals through their roots that are harmful to other plants.
- Weeds also affect the fertility of the soil by consuming a huge amount of soil
nutrients and releasing harmful chemicals that make the soil unfit for agriculture.
- It reduces crop quality by contaminating the commodities.
- They can cause crop diseases by providing shelter to insects and the disease-causing
bacteria of the crop. They can also be a host or harbor diseases.

Additional Information:
> Some of the characteristics of weeds are:

a) They grow rapidly

b) They can produce abundant of seeds

c) They show seed dormancy

d) Tolerant to extreme conditions

e) Can easily adapt to changes and establish its population rapidly

f) Buried seeds of weed can survive for a longer time

g) They also have vegetative reproductive structures

h) They can be poisonous

i) 3% of plant species worldwide are weeds

j) They have an extensive root system and other vegetative structures that

spread above and below the ground.

> There are generally 3 types of weeds based on their growing characteristics:

a) Annual: these weeds have an average lifespan of one year and they can

germinate and spread by seed. Example chickweed, lambs quarters, etc.

b) Biennial: they have a lifespan of two years. In the first year, they germinate

and form rosettes and in 2 nd year they flower and seed. Example bull thistle,

garlic mustard, etc.

c) Perennial: weeds have a fresh start every year and produce seeds and long

taproots. Example dandelions, plantain, purple loosestrife, etc.

Note: Controlling of growth of weeds in a field is known as weeding that is done using
weedicides (chemicals that kill weeds and are not harmful to crops), tilling of the field
before sowing crops and removal of weeds manually.