Weed Management Basics

A successful weed management program is based on four fundamental elements:  Prevention, Detection, Control and Restoration.  Combining several of the below strategies to manage a weed is called integrated weed management; an approach that almost always produces better results than relying on any one tactic alone.

Prevention:  
Weed prevention is accomplished by taking steps to keep weeds from spreading into new areas.  Some common prevention tactics include:
  • using weed free hay, straw, seed, or mulch
  • cleaning contaminated vehicles and equipment
  • educating employees, neighbors about weeds
  • maintaining a healthy, competitive stand of desirable plants that limits the ability of weeds to establish and thrive.

Detection:
Early detection/ rapid response program can help to locate and eliminate these new invaders.

Control:
Weed control can be accomplished using a number of different tactics:

  • Cultural control is achieved by manipulating factors that impact weed growth, such as crop rotation, planting date, row spacing, fertilization or irrigation   
  • Mechanical control is based on causing physical harm to weeds through tillage, mowing, mulching, burning, flooding or hand weeding
  •  Biological control is when other organisms (livestock, insects or diseases) are used suppress weeds; and
  • Chemical control impacts weed growth through herbicide application.

Restoration:
Establishing a healthy, competitive stand of desirable plants (crops, grasses, forbs, shrubs, etc.)