Intense competition from weeds for available light, nutrients, water, and other resources results in significant losses in crop yields across a wide range of agricultural products. By removing unwanted plants, or “weeds,” farmers can improve crop yield and biomass output by lowering inter-specific competition for resources and allowing crops to use those resources throughout their life cycle efficiently. Herbicides, or chemical weed control, are used for better weed control. Weed control Calgary has several advantages and some of which are mentioned below.
Table of Contents
Advantages of Weed Control/Herbicide:
1). Using herbicides before a crop is planted, weeds can be suppressed before they even emerge from the ground, allowing the crop to germinate and flourish with minimal interference.
2). Herbicides prevent the growth of weeds for a long time after they have been applied. Herbicides eliminate weeds without allowing their spread to other areas.
3). Herbicides work very well in both widely spread and closely planted crops, killing all of the weeds in both. For crops planted too closely together for manual or mechanical weeding, herbicides are an effective alternative. These plants don’t respond well to mechanical harvesting methods.
4). In areas where soil and water erosion are likely due to a lack of tillage, herbicides are a safe alternative.
5). Utilizing herbicides permits crop sowing at optimal times.
6). Weeds growing in places like the right-of-way, beneath fruit trees, and on undulating lands can all be safely treated with herbicides.
7). If the soil is too wet or too rocky to allow for manual weeding, then you can use a herbicide.
8). Herbicides help large farms save time and effort when organizing and managing labor for their various agricultural tasks.
9). Herbicides help large farms better organize their labor force for the many tasks that need to be completed each day.
10). Applying herbicides prior to crop emergence or sowing helps to prevent the waste of valuable nutrients and water.
11). Weed control Calgary offers more cost-effective weed control than labor-intensive hand weeding in many regions.
Limitations to Weed Control/Herbicide:
1). Selecting the right herbicide, applying it at the right time, using the right amount, and doing it in the right way all depend on specialized knowledge about the crop in question.
2). Using herbicides improperly can ruin your other harvest.
3). In the case of crop rotation, the use of some herbicides with a long residual effect can restrict the kind of crops that can be grown afterward.
4). The usage of herbicides may contribute to pollution.
5). Using too much or too little pesticide can significantly impact the outcome of a weed control project.
6). The crop rotation options are constrained by the long-lasting residual effects of some herbicides.
7). Weed killers are bad for both the environment and human health because of the chemicals they contain. Herbicides are toxic to humans if ingested or inhaled in sufficient quantities, depending on the chemical and the individual’s age.
Conclusion
In conclusion, herbicides offer several advantages over other methods for controlling weeds, including those that rely on pesticides. However, due to their potential drawbacks, herbicides must be used with caution in specific situations.
