The Bio Brief

In crop fields, along with crop plants, some unwanted plants grow naturally.

These unwanted plants are weeds.

 Example: Grass growing in a wheat field.

Weeding

The process of removing weeds from fields is called weeding.

Why is Weeding Necessary?

Weeds are harmful because they:

• Compete with crops for water
• Compete for nutrients
• Take up space and sunlight
• Reduce crop growth and yield
• Interfere with harvesting
• Some weeds may be poisonous to humans and animals

Weeds present

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Competition with crops

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Poor growth of crops

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Low yield

Methods of Weed Control

Farmers use different methods to remove and control weeds.

1. Tilling (Before Sowing)

• Done before sowing seeds
• Uproots and kills weeds
• Dead weeds dry and mix with soil
• Helps in early weed control

Tilling

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Weeds uprooted

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Dry up and mix with soil

2. Manual Weeding

• Weeds are pulled out or cut by hand
• Done using a tool called khurpi
• Weeding is done from time to time

Best time for weeding: Before weeds produce flowers and seeds

Khurpi

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Uprooting weeds

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Clean field

3. Chemical Method (Weedicides)

• Special chemicals used to kill weeds are called weedicides
• Example: 2,4-D
• Weedicides are:
  • Mixed with water
  • Sprayed using a sprayer
• They kill weeds without harming crops
• Sprayed during vegetative growth (before flowering)

Weedicides + Water

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Spraying

        ↓

Weeds destroyed

Safety While Using Weedicides

• Weedicides can be harmful to health
• Farmers should:
  • Cover nose and mouth with cloth
  • Handle chemicals carefully
  • Avoid direct contact

Quick Comparison of Weed Control Methods

Method	Tool Used	When Used
Tilling	Plough	Before sowing
Manual	Khurpi	During crop growth
Chemical	Sprayer	Early weed growth

Summary

Weeds

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Compete with crops

  ↓

Weeding needed

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Healthy crop growth