About:
- Weeds are unwanted and undesirable plant that interfere with utilization of land and water resources and thus adversely affect crop production and human welfare.
- They are gregarious in nature compared to crop plants.
Harmful effects of weeds:
- Weeds compete with main crop for space, light, moisture and Soil nutrients thus causing reduction in the yield.
- Affect quality of farm produce, livestock products such as milk and skin.
- Act as alternate host for pests and pathogens.
- Cause health problems to human beings Eg: parthenium causes allergy.
- Increase the cost of cultivation due to weeding problem.
- Aquatic weeds transpire large quantity of water, obstruct flow of water.
- Reduce the land value (if cynodon, parthenium are present in the land).
- Some weeds are poisonous to livestock.
Beneficial effects of weeds:
- Weed as soil binders
- As manure
- As human food
- As fodder
- Weed as fuel
- Weed as mats and screens.
- Weed as medicine: many weeds have great therapeutic properties and used as medicine. Eg;
- Phyllanthus niruri for jaundice
- Eclipta alba for scorpion sting
- Centella asiatica is to improves memory
- Cynodon dactylon for asthma,piles
- Cyperus rotundus is to stimulates milk secretion.
- Weed as indicators: weeds are useful as indicators of good and bad soils. colonum occurs in rich soils while cymbopogon denotes poor light soil and sedges are found in all ill-drained soils.
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